Hiring a listing agent is crucial to your entire experience as a seller. The person you choose will be involved in preparing your home for sale, establishing a listing price, marketing your property and negotiating the transaction.
It's time to do some work.
1. Get recommendations and interview realtors. Can they become your trusted adviser? You need a realtor whom you can communicate easily, and who will listen to you. Do they know your neighborhood well and have a good marketing plan to reach buyers who are not only interested in your home but are also qualified to buy it.
When you talk to neighbors and friends about their recommendations, ask them how easy it was to reach the agent when they had questions, and how much support and advice the agent gave them throughout the sales process.
2. How many sales did the realtor complete last year? Were these as sellers agent or buyer's agent? Were these sales in your area?
3. What price range do they sell most of their homes?
4. What was the average difference between sales price and list price? While this depends on your local market conditions, a realtor who often sells homes well below list price may not be advising sellers to price their homes correctly or may be inadequately marketing homes.
5. What is your marketing plan for my home? How many websites will include information about my home? Where will you look for buyers?
6. Do you have advice for me about the condition of my home? Do you have expertise as a home stager or can you recommend that I hire a professional contractor to do some repair? Should I get my home pre-inspected?
7. How often should I expect to hear from you when my home is on the market?
8. Will you provide me with regular feedback and updates about potential buyers?
Pricing Advice
The most important conversation you will have with your agent is about the price of your home. The realtor you choose should present you with a comprehensive market analysis that compares similar homes that are on the market, have sold recently and have been taken off the market.
You are paying for your realtor's knowledge and expertise, so listen carefully to the advice you receive and choose your agent thoughtfully.
