Choosing A Realtor Before Selling
Selling: Choosing A Realtor Before Selling
Your home is one of your most valuable possessions. More than simply an investment, it is the place where you may have raised your family; made life long friendships; it’s your tax shelter; and yes one of your major investments. You want to entrust the sale of your home to someone with experience in your area, an agent with multiple contacts to provide you with the right buyer.
The first rule of choosing an agent is to use a professional that is an expert on the neighborhood in which you are buying or selling. What makes a real estate agent an expert (not all of them are ) is their knowledge of current and past trends on the sale and purchase of all different types of homes (condos, townhouses, single family) in a given community, in addition to knowing all the local facts relevant to your home sale or home selection.
Good agents also have knowledge of the home market in the community. The key to an expert agent being able to service you well is their communication skills. Agents shouldo a lot of listening and ask a few key questions.
An effective agent needs to understand your current financial situation, your needs for purchasing a home or your needs for selling a home.
It is important to remember that good communication is a two-way street. You need to be open and honest with an agent to save both of you time and effort. You will be surprised at how innovative an agent can be in helping you find solutions to your problems.
A key criteria for an expert agent is his/her ability to use technology to help you with your home sale or home search.
The final criteria of having an expert work for you is integrity. How honest is an agent in dealing with you?
Choosing the right Realtor before selling your home
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Does your agent handle transactions in your neighborhood?
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Does the agent spend money on marketing homes or does he/she rely solely on the advertising campaigns of his/her brokerage firm?
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Does your agent use various media in his/her marketing campaigns?
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Does the agent have a referral network to attract out of town buyers?
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Is the agent able to convert those internet leads into real business?
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Does the agent have a team or staff that can follow up with your transaction when your agent might be showing other houses?
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Is your agent a quality negotiator, one who has a good track record of getting fair market value for those homes he/she sells?
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Does your agent have a track record of getting homes sold within a stress-free time frame?
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Can your agent provide you with several testimonials from recent past clients, showing that your agent has been continuously active in the business?
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Does your agent have a reputation among the industry for honesty and integrity?