Pier 5 Condo

Choosing a Real Estate agent to help you sell your home involves a bit more than just calling a Realtor and signing a contract with them. There are many factors and aspects about selling a home, the amount of time on the job is only one and should not necessarily be the deciding factor.

The listing agent, (the sellers agent) is the one placing your property information on the MLS which is the nation wide database where all listings listed with a licensed Realtor will be shown. Some listing agents will do that, and nothing more, waiting for an agent to call with a prospective buyer.

How many homes has this agent sold? Many agents work part time, are new, or have had their license for a long time, but still do not have many sales. How many of the sales were as the sellers agent? Did the homes listed sell for the asking price, or a price close to the asking price? In other words, is this agent skilled in negotiations or will she quickly settle for a lower price to get the deal done? (And losing you a lot of money)

Not everyone is good at negotiating or asking for things.In a transaction involving a large sum of money such as your house, would you not have an agent that have the skill and know how to negotiate the best deal for you?

Besides placing your listing on the MLS, what other marketing plans does this agent have? Ads? Will they host open houses? Will those open houses be advertised somewhere to draw the largest amount of house-shoppers?

What is the availability of your agent? Will you, and potential buyers, have to wait hours, or over the weekend to get a response? Will she respond in the evening? Some agents take Sundays off, some are off in the evenings to spend time with their family. Make sure this is clear and agreeable to you.

The personality of your agent is another important factor. A pessimistic, slow, unmotivated agent could kill your deal. Look for someone who is enthusiastic, willing to put in some effort, someone with a positive sunny disposition.

An agent should be chosen with care. All contracts have a time limit, and you could be forced to stay with an agent for months. Make sure it is an agent you like, trust and find competent.