Pros and Cons of Working with an Individual Agent or a Team

One aspect of choosing a real estate agent is whether to list with an individual agent or with a 'team.' Both options have their advantages, so it may come down to what you need from an agent.

Do you like the idea of working with multiple agents, knowing that someone will be available at all times? If so, a well-organized real estate team may be your dream.

Do you want the comfort of building a relationship with one person who will shepherd the sale through from start to finish? Then a traditional individual agent may be more to your liking.

As you consider your choice, here are few aspects of both approaches to keep in mind.

The team

At first glance, hiring a real estate team seems like an obvious bargain. You pay the same commission but get the expertise and availability of multiple agents. In a well-run team, each member has his or her specialty but you can be assured of being able to reach someone pretty much any time you need to.

While you definitely have more people working for you, they are also typically handling more listings so your home may not necessarily get more time and effort. Still, with each team member able to focus on a particular area of expertise, you can have access to a specialist in everything from staging to marketing to negotiating.

When looking to hire a team, ask them why they work together. Are they a true team looking to share expertise and resources? Or is it two agents who don’t want to work full-time so they essentially job share? Will you have one agent you work with primarily or is it always just going to be whoever answers the phone? There’s nothing wrong with either of those scenarios – but you should understand what you’re getting.

An individual agent

Yes, selling your home is a huge financial transaction. But it’s an emotional one as well. Chances are you will feel anxious at some point. An individual agent provides you a single contact, someone with whom you can build trust. You never need to worry about your concerns being communicated to other team members. You have one person to call who is keeping track of the entire process. You know when you talk to the individual agent that they know what is going on.

You also have one person to hold accountable if a problem arises. There’s no passing the buck when there is no one to pass to. And it’s not like individual agents operate as islands. Many individual agents work in offices with other individual agents who will share advice, expertise and leads.

So it comes down to your comfort level. A good place to start is reading customer reviews of individuals, teams and both on Agent Finder.