SELLERS: Ask these Questions of Your REALTOR before You List!
Most people only sell a small
number of homes in their lifetime. With
such limited experience, how do you expect to be capable of maximizing your
profits from your home sale? Many
sellers make the mistake of assuming that all real estate agents are the same
and list with the first agent who comes along.
Not taking the time to research the agent who will list your house could
cost you thousands of dollars.
Start the process by doing a bit of
legwork. Ask your friends, relatives,
and co-workers for referrals to good agents.
Also, drive around town and look for agents with the most signs posted,
ads, and marketing material in the market.
Interview two or three agents to find out which one is right for you.
1.
Ask prospective agents to send some information about
themselves. You can often get a
good idea about which agents are the most professional by looking at their
personal marketing material. If they
don’t have professional marketing material, how will they market your
home? Track how long each agent takes to
respond to your request. If they don’t
respond quickly and efficiently, assume that this is also how they will handle
the listing of your home.
2.
A good listing agent will have experience at listing,
marketing and selling homes. Ask how many
homes they have listed and sold in the past six months. Look for an agent with not just experience,
but the track record that reflects that experience. Many agents boast that they have been in the
industry for a long time, but may only have five or six sales a year. Your agent should have not just a good record
of listing homes, but actually selling them.
That is your ultimate goal.
3. Ask how long it takes for the agent to sell a home on
average compared to other agents in your area. Just because an agent sells homes quickly
doesn’t necessarily mean they are selling them for top dollar. Look at what the asking price of the houses
they have sold was as compared to the actual sales price. Ideally, your agent should sell homes quickly
at or close to the asking price.
4. Ask how long the agent has been selling real estate and what
professional organizations he or she belongs to. As mentioned previously, the length of time an agent has been in the
industry is not a sure-fire sign that they are a quality agent. An agent with two years of experience may be
a top producer while an agent who has been in the business for more than a
decade may only sell real estate part time.
Also, take into account what professional organizations your potential
agent belongs to. At a minimum, they
should be a licensed real estate agent that belongs to the local real estate
board and multiple listing service as well as the state and National
Association of Realtors. Additionally,
look for agents who belong to local community groups and associations such as
the chamber of commerce; they will have better networking abilities and can
find more potential buyers for your home.
5. Ask what type of supporting staff the agent employs. By employing an assistant or staff to handle
the details of their business, the agent can spend more time servicing your
needs and showing your house to buyers.
Make sure you know how much time the assistant will spend handling the
sale of your home. It is fine if the
assistant handles the legwork and paperwork as long as the agent is there at
the most critical times of the transaction.
6.
Ask what type of schedule the agent has planned for
open houses. If the agent is
merely putting a sign up on your lawn and holding open houses every Sunday, it
will do little to sell your home. Look
for an agent who has a developed marketing strategy to attract the best
potential buyers to your open house. The
open house should be just one part of a complete marketing system.
7. Review with your agent the comparable sold prices in your
neighborhood to establish your asking price.
Pricing is one, if not the most critical, aspect of selling your
home. Take great care in choosing an
agent that understands proper pricing strategies. The selling price should attract potential
buyers to your home, net you the most profit, and reflect the current market conditions and the overall condition of your home. Be realistic and avoid agents who will
overprice just to get the listing. Some
agents will suggest a high dollar amount just to get you to list, while others
will under price a home just so it will sell quickly.
8.
Ask what the listing agreement entails, when the
listing starts and ends, and what the fees are that you will have to pay. Have your agent go over every detail in the
listing agreement with you until you understand it completely. Be certain the beginning and expiration dates
are on the agreement; a standard length of a listing can last three to six
months depending on the market. Know
exactly what fees you will pay and consider that cheaper is not always
better. If the agent stands to make very
little commission, you can be certain that he/she will not do the best to
market your property effectively. Be
careful of agents who offer to list for a lower commission; they will usually
spend very little money or time marketing your home. Fact: Many agents
in the area will most likely not show and sell your house. Fact: When
many agents see that the commission has been reduced many will refuse to show
your house. Fact: What drives up the price buyers will pay for your
house is for every potential buyer to see your house. Fact:
Houses listed by discount brokers generally stay on the market longer and sell
at a lower price! Offering a full commission is part of selling your house for TOP
DOLLAR.
9.
Ask about which disclosure laws will apply to you. Your agent should help you with locating
professional inspectors for the various mandatory home inspections required in
your area. Create a home marketing file
including a property fact sheet, a property transfer disclosure statement, pest
control report, applicable study zone report, structural engineering report,
property profile from the title company, plans for alterations or additions,
and special equipment report for pools, spas, sprinklers and alarm
systems. Your agent should handle all of
these for you. Your agent should
recommend getting all of this completed up front before your buyer steps into
the picture. Not having these done in
advance will only complicate the sale.
10. Ask what
things separate your agent from the competition. Does your agent have a written 30-DAY
MARKETING PLAN? Your agent
should have effective advertising including 24/7-hour advertisement
capability. Agents who have innovative
marketing strategies will always outperform agents who rely on outdated
techniques. Merely putting an ad in the
newspaper no longer gets the job done.
There are numerous ways to make your home available to the buying
public, and be sure the agent uses every one of them to attract the largest
pool of buyers.
Choose your
agent wisely. Choose your agent by
asking questions of him or her. Find out
how knowledgeable they are about houses currently for sale in your price range
and also of houses that have recently sold.
Can your agent recommend a good lender that has the reputation of
excellent customer service and low rates to assist your new buyer with
financing? A good listing agent can get
your house sold quickly at TOP DOLLAR and help you find a new home.
Thank you
for requesting a copy of this “FREE REPORT”
For prompt,
courteous, professional service, call Jan Wilson:
Office: 1-714-903-7750
Direct: 1-714-719-0048
Visit my
web site at: www.gardenparkrealty.com
Have
questions, need advice you can count on or just want to discuss this further?
Don’t waste
any more time; pick up the phone and call me now! I’m here to help!
P.S. I appreciate your business, your loyalty, trust and your referrals. It is my goal to provide the very best counsel, advice and service possible for your real estate needs. If I may ever be of assistance to you, a relative, friend or co-worker please don’t hesitate to call me. I look forward to the opportunity to serve you.™
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