Finding the Right Real Estate Agent for YOU

Whether you are buying or selling a house here in Kitsap, you'll want to engage an agent.  Of course a team of agents is going to say that, but a little research will show you that it's worth it in nearly every single case. 

It can be distilled down to the numbers:  if you're buying, it costs you nothing to use an agent, but will give you by far the easiest access to prospective properties, and will help you right the most attractive, airtight offer that protects YOU as possible.  There's simply no reason not to use a buyer's agent.

If you're selling, then you are on indeed on the hook for the commissions earned by the buyer and seller agents.  It's typically two distinct people, who split the commission you pay.  The commission is typically contracted as a percentage of the final sales price of the house.  (Certain cases may deviate from those, but that's what's most common.) 

While you certainly CAN do a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) sale, it leaves you with a great deal of work to do - arranging for professional staging and photography, marketing the property as widely as possible, arranging for showings and open houses, evaluating offers, and making sure an actual mountain of paperwork has every "i" dotted and every "t" crossed.  The most compelling reason to turn this huge time commitment over to someone who does these tasks every single day, is simple: it will almost certainly (more than) pay for itself.  Properties represented by an agent typically sell for significantly more - and after all, that's the whole point to selling, once you've made the decision to move on yourself:  getting as good a price as possible.  The National Association of Realtors reported that in 2014:

“FSBOs typically have a lower median selling price: $208,700 compared to $235,000. Thus the typical agent-assisted home sale typically has a 13 percent higher sales price than the typical FSBO sale.”

Obviously a few years have gone by with significant increases in median house prices, but the gap still exists.  A little quick math will show you that it nearly always pays to use a seller's agent - in both increased profit, and time/hassle saved for the seller.

So, having to decided to use an agent (... a decision we obviously applaud) how do you make sure you've got an agent who understands YOU and understands your particular needs for the upcoming transaction?  We have a few suggestions on that front as well.

First of all, there is no such thing as the right agent for everyone; agents differ in experience, local knowledge, backup staff, and personality.  We include the last one because it can be a huge help to feel like your agent is someone with whom you mesh well on a personal level.  Selling or buying a property, while a starkly business and legal proceeding at the end, is steeping in deeply intimate steps along the way.  You have to have someone who can level with you about the flaws of the property, someone who can be gentle with you if your transaction involves a difficult life transition.

Towards that end, we always recommend interviewing at least three agents, and that is advice you'll find just about everywhere.  Our brains are really good with the "compare three" activity, and it's great way to find your own perfect match.  In narrowing down the three to interview, read reviews and ask your friends and family who they have personally used and know to be good.

When you interview the agents, ask them about their backgrounds, and what brought them to real estate.  On our own team, we have a HUGE diversity in former occupations:  one person was in HR in health services; one person was a teacher and musician; another was in the pharmacy field.  One member was in physical the

Whether you are buying or selling a house here in Kitsap, you'll want to engage an agent.  Of course a team of agents is going to say that, but a little research will show you that it's worth it in nearly every single case. 

It can be distilled down to the numbers:  if you're buying, it costs you nothing to use an agent, but will give you by far the easiest access to prospective properties, and will help you right the most attractive, airtight offer that protects YOU as possible.  There's simply no reason not to use a buyer's agent.

If you're selling, then you are on indeed on the hook for the commissions earned by the buyer and seller agents.  It's typically two distinct people, who split the commission you pay.  The commission is typically contracted as a percentage of the final sales price of the house.  (Certain cases may deviate from those, but that's what's most common.) 

While you certainly CAN do a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) sale, it leaves you with a great deal of work to do - arranging for professional staging and photography, marketing the property as widely as possible, arranging for showings and open houses, evaluating offers, and making sure an actual mountain of paperwork has every "i" dotted and every "t" crossed.  The most compelling reason to turn this huge time commitment over to someone who does these tasks every single day, is simple: it will almost certainly (more than) pay for itself.  Properties represented by an agent typically sell for significantly more - and after all, that's the whole point to selling, once you've made the decision to move on yourself:  getting as good a price as possible.  The National Association of Realtors reported that in 2014:

“FSBOs typically have a lower median selling price: $208,700 compared to $235,000. Thus the typical agent-assisted home sale typically has a 13 percent higher sales price than the typical FSBO sale.”

Obviously a few years have gone by with significant increases in median house prices, but the gap still exists.  A little quick math will show you that it nearly always pays to use a seller's agent - in both increased profit, and time/hassle saved for the seller.

So, having to decided to use an agent (... a decision we obviously applaud) how do you make sure you've got an agent who understands YOU and understands your particular needs for the upcoming transaction?  We have a few suggestions on that front as well.

First of all, there is no such thing as the right agent for everyone; agents differ in experience, local knowledge, backup staff, and personality.  We include the last one because it can be a huge help to feel like your agent is someone with whom you mesh well on a personal level.  Selling or buying a property, while a starkly business and legal proceeding at the end, is steeping in deeply intimate steps along the way.  You have to have someone who can level with you about the flaws of the property, someone who can be gentle with you if your transaction involves a difficult life transition.

Towards that end, we always recommend interviewing at least three agents, and that is advice you'll find just about everywhere.  Our brains are really good with the "compare three" activity, and it's great way to find your own perfect match.  In narrowing down the three to interview, read reviews and ask your friends and family who they have personally used and know to be good.

When you interview the agents, ask them about their backgrounds, and what brought them to real estate.  On our own team, we have a HUGE diversity in former occupations:  one person was in HR in health services; one person was a teacher and musician; another was in the pharmacy field.  One member was in physical therapy, and came to real estate while pursuing a graduate degree in business.  We love that these backgrounds really give our agents a broad background by which to relate to our clientele, beyond their present housing transactions - and we see first hand how that helps create the personal bonds that create a truly fantastic buying or selling experience.

Additionally, ask your prospective agent why they choose to practice in Kitsap - after all, agents are licensed by the state, and could conceivably work just about anywhere. We think you'll agree that this is one place where our Dupuis Team agents really sit up and smile:  we genuinely, deeply love the Kitsap and West Sound area.  It's such an amazing gem - bucolic and wild areas are right out our front doors, yet the conveniences of modern life exist conveniently right in the middle of everything as well.  Our cost of living is amazing compared to the East Sound for sure - yet Seattle and its attractions are just a short boat ride away.  We know we sound like evangelists for the area, but we truly are devoted to the quality of life Kitsap offers.  If you're buying or selling here, you'll want an agent who has their pulse on the lifestyle.

Finally, ask your agent about their workload, and what sort of staff support they have.  Again, this is where a team agent is a boon.  For example, at Dupuis Team we have a dedicated Admin (who is herself a fully qualified agent) to support the team with marketing, client support, and more.  We have a tech expert who keeps us up and running with the fastest and most secure computerized processes. We utilize a transaction coordinator to meticulously comb over each listing and each closing, to ensure that paperwork is in pristine order, and there won't be any holdups or snags.  While we keep very busy, we are careful to ensure our client load is such that everyone is still getting the individualized attention each transaction requires and DESERVES.

At the end of the day, it's really about your gut feeling:  you need to feel "at home" with the person who will be conducting this very personal and intimate transaction for you.  It's not going to work if you feel awkward and stiff around each other, so thank that interviewee for their time, and move on.  Any agent who says he or she is the right person for anyone . . . simply is someone to avoid.  We know perfectly well that we are individuals ourselves, and as such cannot possibly appeal to every single client out there, nor should we.

When you're ready to pick an agent, we hope very much that you'll give Dupuis Team a ring, so we can hear what your own Kitsap housing hopes and dreams might be - we suspect we might have exactly what you need!  We look forward to hearing from you soon.

rap, and came to real estate while pursuing a graduate degree in business.  We love that these backgrounds really give our agents a broad background by which to relate to our clientele, beyond their present housing transactions - and we see first hand how that helps create the personal bonds that create a truly fantastic buying or selling experience.

Additionally, ask your prospective agent why they choose to practice in Kitsap - after all, agents are licensed by the state, and could conceivably work just about anywhere. We think you'll agree that this is one place where our Dupuis Team agents really sit up and smile:  we genuinely, deeply love the Kitsap and West Sound area.  It's such an amazing gem - bucolic and wild areas are right out our front doors, yet the conveniences of modern life exist conveniently right in the middle of everything as well.  Our cost of living is amazing compared to the East Sound for sure - yet Seattle and its attractions are just a short boat ride away.  We know we sound like evangelists for the area, but we truly are devoted to the quality of life Kitsap offers.  If you're buying or selling here, you'll want an agent who has their pulse on the lifestyle.

Finally, ask your agent about their workload, and what sort of staff support they have.  Again, this is where a team agent is a boon.  For example, at Dupuis Team we have a dedicated Admin (who is herself a fully qualified agent) to support the team with marketing, client support, and more.  We have a tech expert who keeps us up and running with the fastest and most secure computerized processes. We utilize a transaction coordinator to meticulously comb over each listing and each closing, to ensure that paperwork is in pristine order, and there won't be any holdups or snags.  While we keep very busy, we are careful to ensure our client load is such that everyone is still getting the individualized attention each transaction requires and DESERVES.

At the end of the day, it's really about your gut feeling:  you need to feel "at home" with the person who will be conducting this very personal and intimate transaction for you.  It's not going to work if you feel awkward and stiff around each other, so thank that interviewee for their time, and move on.  Any agent who says he or she is the right person for anyone . . . simply is someone to avoid.  We know perfectly well that we are individuals ourselves, and as such cannot possibly appeal to every single client out there, nor should we.

Stephanie Dupuis, our team owner, recorded a video on this subject just this week - give it a view, and subscribe to our channel if you like what she has to say - it's a great way to get first view of all our listings, too!

When you're ready to pick an agent, we hope very much that you'll give Dupuis Team a ring, so we can hear what your own Kitsap housing hopes and dreams might be - we suspect we might have exactly what you need!  We look forward to hearing from you soon.