Sold Above Market is an excellent introduction to the necessity of having a good real estate agent when you’re ready for the home-buying process. The book details not only why you need a real estate agent, but why you need a real estate agent that works for you. Geoff Grist walks you through every detail you need to know about real estate agents and how they work.

The book explains how real estate agents are compensated and how they work. For someone trying to buy a home, this information is really valuable because it provides insight on which kind of real estate agent will work for them. Should you work with an independent agent or with a team? Should you work with a local agent (or agency) or one outside of the area? There are pros and cons to working with both types. These kind of minor details are things that homeowners overlook in the chaos of the real estate process. Sold Above Market repeatedly points out (and I’m glad that the book does) that real estate agents are not all the same.

Another helpful area of the book is the author’s breakdown of “real estate agent speak” with a distinction between what a good agent will say and what an average agent will say. This section really highlights the insider knowledge this book provides. Working with a real estate agent involves working with the forms, but it also means working with a different language. When an agent tells you “We don’t have any more buyers”, this books tells you whether that’s a good sign or a not-so-good sign.

The book did come with two surprises that don’t really take away from the book, but are worth mentioning. The book is written for the Australian market (although not exclusively), yet I had no trouble understanding it from an American perspective. The second is that the book featured no website or online resources in the book itself, which is kind of odd for a book in 2015.

The rest of the book covers the process that you should walk through when choosing an agent. The book focuses first on the need to break down what you want to achieve in buying and selling a house. Then you can find the agent or agency that will help you reach that goal or goals. The book then provides details on the paperwork, meetings, and questions you need to ask before and during the home-buying process. Along the way, Sold Above Market provides details; like the downsides of multi-listing or going with the first agent that knocks on your door.

The book was an excellent introduction to the field of real estate from a seller’s (or even a buyer’s) perspective. Often when we are ready to buy or sell, we have a bunch of things going on (both good and bad) and need some help in figuring out what to do. This book’s comprehensive approach and jargon-free language are essential to helping you in a time like that. If you’re in any part of the home-buying process, make sure to take this book with you!

Pages: 192 | ISBN: 0994256035