Finding an agent you can trust is critical when it comes to selling your most valuable asset. We did the research comparing both regular real estate agencies & real estate agent finding services. We compared agencies on;
After weighing up the competition we found that Open Agent (www.openagent.com.au) smashed the competition out of the park. They were the most transparent, offered a free service for vendors, had unparalleled customer service & had over 30,000 agents to choose from.
Before you trust a complete stranger with your most valuable asset make sure you check out Open Agent, we trusted their website to vet & recommend an agent we could bet the house on.
Open Agent’s Founders – Marta & Zoe
We all know it, real estate agents can talk a lot of smack. And we, for one, are sick of hearing BS from real agents who promise the world and don’t deliver.
What we liked about Open Agent is that they don’t allow agents to charge to appear in their search results. No conflict of interest. Rankings are earned based on customer reviews and in-depth sales analysis. Their research consultants look at all of this information for you and help to narrow it all down to a shortlist of local agents who match what you’re after.
Open Agent’s secret sauce is they have an online research tool which intelligently compares and ranks over 30,000 real estate agents nationwide.
We liked that this was a real service with value add, not just some fake sales pitch. Refreshing.
RateMyAgent is a website designed to help buyers and vendors identify and research the performance of real estate agents and agencies through comparative reviews and data.
They compare top-rated real estate agent reviews and ratings of the best Realtors, insurance and mortgage brokers.
We liked the user experience but we didn’t trust that reviews alone was a good measure, reviews can be easily manipulated.
LocalAgentFinder was well presented, we loved the UX. That said, it had limitations, mainly that it only worked in South Australia. Boo.
Agent Select does more or less the same thing, but without the same number of agents to compare. We did like them but we prefer more choice when it came to agents. Also, their agent questionnaire was short, this led us to believe that their agent vetting process also didn’t seem as stringent.
Agent Compare was another copy cat website. It had similar functionality as the rest, but is owned by Local Agent Finder (so we know the service will be same standard and level).
Ray White has an extensive network, we also liked about Ray White is that it had great add on services, like rental, loans, insurance and property styling. They also sell via an extensive network on franchises with over 12,000 employees (not all agents).
That said, the agents had mixed reviews, they have almost as many unhappy customers as they do happy ones (judging on review websites).
The franchise model means the service services vary depending on location. Better to use a aggregator to find the best in your area.
LJ Hooker is another franchised real estate agency. For this reason, they had similar challenges with all franchises, simply put, they distribute leads to their local agent network, which is only 6000 people around Australia.
Their service levels varied but ultimately we just wanted more choice.
McGrath has some of the best real estate agents in Sydney & Melbourne. They have good reviews as well. The issue is their agent choices are limited, only 859 around Australia and only on the eastern seaboard. Most of these are in NSW, namely Sydney. This might suit a small number of sellers but they are not a one-fits-all agency.
As Australia’s #1 real estate agent comparison site, they help over 2 million Australians* research agents every year.
They do the research so you don’t have to. It takes just 2 minutes to search and request results for your suburb.
Their service is 100% free to use. There are no hidden costs or fees, ever. Even their phone consultations are 100% free.
It may be tempting to go with the agent who charges a lower commission. However, something very important to remember is that you’ll usually be far better off with the best real estate agent rather than the cheapest.
Comparing cheap and expensive agents, the difference in final selling prices far outweighs the differences in agent commissions – that’s because selling your property for a much higher price means more money in your pocket, even with a higher commission. Hence it’s usually well worth the money to go with an agent who will work hard for you and has a proven sales record of delivering on promises.
Once you’ve researched and shortlisted potential agents using OpenAgent’s free service, the next step is to interview the top 2 or 3 agents personally. Here are our top tips for negotiating fees and getting the right agent on board.
When you compare real estate agents, you will find a possibly bewildering range of commissions and fees. Are they fixed or are they negotiable? Fortunately, commissions and fees are negotiable. You need to do your homework first, though. Then you will be in a position to negotiate lower fees and commissions.
When you choose a real estate agent, you know you will pay them a commission and fees. What should you expect to get for your money? Should you look for the cheapest real estate agent or would you be better off choosing an agent who will go out of their way to fetch the highest possible price for your home? A look at commission and fee structures will give you the answer.
To get things right from the start, they will ask you a series of questions that allows them to understand you, your unique situation and your property. They take an individualised approach to your property and your situation so they can match you with the right agent for you.
They intelligently use unique data and customer reviews to match you with local agents who have a proven track record of selling properties just like yours. They firmly believe that by matching you with the right agent, you can sell your home for tens of thousands more.
You’ll receive a personalised no-obligation shortlist which explains why each agent has been recommended for you. Then it’s up to you to decide who you want to work with. You’re not left hanging; we’ll be with you every step of the way until your house is sold.
They’ve created the OpenAgent Home Sellers Choice Awards, these awards recognise agents who consistently deliver exceptional customer service for vendors based on reviews from OpenAgent customers
“I sold my house for $120,000 more than what I expected” – Anne McDonald, Melbourne, VIC
“We were lucky enough to get $208,000 above the reserve” – Lisa Gilbert, Melbourne, VIC
“We sold our house for about ten thousand dollars above reserve” – Rebecca Carton, Brisbane, QLD
“We sold our house within four weeks and got a great price – $100,000 more than I was expecting” – Peter Kosmina, Sydney, NSW
We loved about our experience with Open Agent. They are Australia’s largest comparison service & they help more than 20,000 Australians home owners research agents every month. We like those numbers. Not only that, we met their researchers, they are real, and smart. They do the work. When we sell our property we want a wide choice of trustworthy agents to choose from, OpenAgent provided that. Amen.
