Buying and selling real estate isn’t something that most people do every day. In fact, according to the statistical analysis site FiveThirtyEight, the average American moves 11.4 times in their lives. That might sound like a lot but when you consider only a handful of those times involve actually buying or selling a property, it drives home just how important it is to find real estate companies that know what they’re doing.
That’s true everywhere around the country and it’s true here in Knoxville, Tennessee. A quick glance around and you’ll find that there are tons of home-buying companies ready and willing to work with you to help you buy, sell, repair, renovate, or rent. So it’s not really a question of being able to find help, it’s really a question of being able to find the help that’s trustworthy and knowledgeable. That can be a bit tougher to discern from a website or email. So here are some ways you can do some easy detective work of your own to find the best home-buying company in Knoxville, Tennessee.
This might sound like a simple step, but it could end up being a critical one. To get a good idea about the real estate company you’re considering working with, visit their website and look around for their “About Us” link, often at the very top or very bottom of a website. What you find when you get there might not make or break the deal, but it could create some red flags.
If you go to the About Us page and find details, a specific rundown of who they are, what they believe in, and what they stand for, that’s a pretty good start. If the real estate company includes photos showcasing the executives at the top of the company, that’s a good sign as well. If they also provide information or images about the people you’ll be working with during your transaction, that’s a good sign that they’re being upfront about who they are. They also understand a home-buying company is ultimately about people, not property. They might even showcase photos of their families and friends in Knoxville, just to drive this point home further.
Now, if you go to the About Us page and find a generic, boilerplate write-up of the company, that’s red flag number one. If you don’t see any photos or specific mentions of the people involved or who you might be working with, that’s red flag number two. Basically, the less transparent the real estate company is being, the more you have to wonder why that might be.
A home-buying company can manage its own story via its website and social media, but it’s much harder to tell the story from the customer’s perspective. That’s why it’s critical to keep an eye out for testimonials about the quality of service and care that customers like you have received from this real estate company.
Does the company include testimonials on their website? That’s a good first step. An even better step would be for the company to go out of its way to make it clear these testimonials are real and come from actual customers. The best way to do that is to offer up video testimonials instead of written ones. This way you get to see who these people are and get a sense of what it was like for them to work with this company.
Testimonials are great ways to see what it’s like to work with the best home-buying company in Knoxville. But sometimes, it’s hard to know for sure if you’re getting the full picture. That’s why it’s important to check independent review sites to see the unfiltered reactions that customers provide after working with a company. Also, it’s a great way to see how the company engages with any negative responses or open-ended questions.
Sites such as Yelp, Angie’s List, Facebook, and Google, all let users provide feedback about companies. If they’re smart, those companies have claimed those pages and provide feedback. Are there a lot of reviews? Are most of the reviews positive? Does the company respond to any negative reviews in a professional and courteous manner? These are all questions to ask yourself while perusing.
If you’re not getting the answers you want online, why not ask them in person? If you’ve narrowed your list down, consider meeting with a company representative to get a feel for what it’s like to interact with them. Are they kind, polite, and friendly? Or do they try to pressure you with sales tactics?
Consider walking into your meeting with a list of questions that any reputable business should be able to answer. Those questions include:
“What is your business philosophy?”
“Why did you get into this business?”
“What would previous customers say about the way you do business?”
“What aspect of your business are you the proudest of?”
“What kind of effort will you put into helping me accomplish my goal?”
If the customer rep doesn’t have a good answer, or any answer, for most of those questions, then you might want to reconsider the relationship.
That goes double if the company tries to pressure you into signing with them or closing a deal right then and there. That’s a big red flag that they’re looking at you as a number on a scoreboard and not as a human being with concerns, wants, and needs. Anyone who tells you that you have to make a decision right now or today is not looking out for your best interests and won’t do so in the future.
So do your due diligence, read up on companies you’re interested in, and ask questions that any of them should be able to answer. With these simple steps, you should be able to weed out the bad real estate companies and find the right one for you, whether you’re looking to buy a home, sell a property, or find a company that buys houses in the Knoxville area.
