The Right Real Estate Agent is key to Achieve Home Selling Success
Far too often many home sellers make the mistake of thinking that just
any real estate agent will do when it comes to selling their property.
This is a misconception that can lead to serious financial woes. While a
professional real estate agent should give the sale of your property
their wholehearted attention and best efforts, sadly that is often not
the case. Even though real estate agents are required to receive
education and training regarding the financial, legal and marketing
aspects of selling a home, problems arise when some real estate agents
simply are not as motivated as other agents.
Avoid References without Searching
Assuming the agent who sold your friend, neighbor or relative's home
will do a good job for you can be a huge mistake. While it's always a
good idea to get references when you're looking for a real estate agent
to sell your home it is also important to take your search for the right
real estate agent a few steps further. Take the time to find out some
background on possible agents as well as information regarding their
specific marketing plans.
Don't rush the process. It's far better to spend a little more time and
find the right real estate agent who can sell your home both quickly and
for the right price than to rush into a listing agreement with the wrong
agent and have the sale of your home suffer for it.
Find Local-based Agent
Start your search by looking for someone who is locally based. A local
real estate agent will have the most up to date information regarding
your area real estate market and that can be important. There may be
factors in the local real estate market that could affect the sale of
your home that simply are not an issue even a few miles away.
Approach the listing of your home as you would the search for any other
professional. Interview several candidates first, ideally, you should
consider no less than three qualified real estate agents before you make
a final decision.
Avoid Slow Responding Agent
It's a good idea to begin contacting the real estate agents you are
considering and request information from them regarding the possible
listing of your home. Always be wary of any agent who either does not
immediately return your phone call or drop some information in the mail
to you. If they are this slow in responding to your queries consider how
they might approach a buyer interested in home.
Check the Agent's Website
Do some digging and research on your own. Obtain the URL for the agent's
website and browse around to find out how appealing the website is to
potential buyers. Does the agency feature a virtual tour on their
website? Do they provide enough information about the homes listed to
whet a buyer's appetite for more information? Are multiple pictures of
the homes listed? What about the quality of the pictures on the website?
Consider other avenues the real estate agent uses to market homes listed
with their agency. Do they frequently run ads in the newspapers as well
as local radio and television stations? How active is the real estate
agent in the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS)?
Ask about Marketing Plan and Comparative Market Analysis
Before signing a listing with any real estate agent ask them how they
plan to market your home. Get specific and find out their plans for
overcoming any problems that may currently be slowing down the local
market or that could affect the sale of your home. Ask what types of
strategies they plan to use in order to market your home.
Many real estate agents will offer to do what is known as a free
comparative market analysis (CMA). This information can be used to
compare your home against other homes currently for sale in the local
market and arrive at a possible sales figure. By comparing the CMA
information provided by several agents you will be better able to
determine which agents are most knowledgeable about the local area and
therefore better qualified to sell your home.
Request the Selling Costs
Finally, don't forget to find out specifics regarding the financials of
the sell of your home. What is their commission rate? Is it comparable
to the rates of other local agencies? Ask the agent to provide you with
an estimate of your seller costs. The real estate agent should be able
to provide you with detailed information regarding attorney fees, the
agent's commission and typical seller costs such as surveys,
inspections, etc.
Find out the Listing Time
Other important information you should also find out includes the
minimum amount of time for which they will list your home. Be wary of
real estate agents who require lengthy listing period. If there is a
problem and your home doesn't sell quickly you may find yourself tied to
an agent who isn't giving the sale of your home their all.
In addition, find out information regarding their statistics such as how
many homes sell during the first listing phase? If sellers have to
re-list with a real estate agent because their home didn't sell the
first go around, there could be a problem with the marketing techniques
used by the agent.
Find Out the Agent's Experience
What about the agent's experience? How long have they been licensed to
sell real estate? How many homes have they sold in that time period?
Remember numerous years of experience doesn't necessarily equal success.
How often can you anticipate the agent will provide you with feedback
from buyers? This can be extremely important in the process of selling
your home. If buyers continue to provide the same comments it could be
that minor adjustments may need to be made either in the asking price or
perhaps some cosmetic flaws need to be addressed with the home itself.
Find Out the Agent's Specialization
Find out whether the real estate agent in question has an area in which
they specialize. Many agents are now specializing in certain
neighborhoods or subdivisions. In addition, it's possible they may
specialize in upscale homes or even farm properties. Make sure the agent
you hire is experienced in your area and type of home to successfully
sell it.
Find an Honest Agent
Avoid hiring a real estate agent who may only be telling you what you
want to hear. Sure, you may want to net $250,000 for the sale of your
home but if that's not realistic you need a real estate agent who is
educated enough about the local market to give you an accurate idea of
what you can realistically expect your home to bring. An agent who only
tells you what you want to hear may be setting you up to have your home
on the market for a long period of time. It's far better to work with
someone who is honest rather than afraid to ruffle your feathers.
If you want to find a real estate agent who will work for you, and work
with you to sell your property, you can
find and compare a good agent here!
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