I wish more people would ask this question.? Not all Realtors and real estate companies are the same.? If you?ve been contemplating selling your home, you need to prepare to interview a few good Realtors to find the one you are most comfortable with.
1. First impressions are everything. How does the agent present themselves?? If they don?t dress and act professionally, chances are your home won?t be presented very professionally either.? Do you connect with their personality?? This is important because you?ll be working with this person for possibly several months to come.
2. When you contacted them to set up the interview, was the agent prompt in returning your phone call or email? Communication is important and you should tell your Realtor how you like to be communicated with ? whether by cell phone, email, text message, etc. and how frequently.? Some of my Sellers want weekly updates, some only want to be contacted if I have news.
3. What kind of background and stats does the Realtor have? If you are selling a short sale ? make sure this agent is a short sale pro (a CDPE is best) and has the numbers to prove it.? If you are selling a condo ? is the agent very familiar with your particular condo building?? These are questions you need to ask.
4. Is the agent full-time? This might seem like something you?d assume is the case, but you shouldn?t.? Many Realtors have licenses and only do real estate part-time.? Ask if they work any other jobs.? If they do, they won?t be as available to show your home anytime to prospective buyers.
5. What company do they work for? What is that agencies reputation and ranking in terms of sales and number of listings?? How does the company itself help market your home?? (Hint:? Smith & Associates Real Estate is #1 for Hillsborough and Pinellas County!)
6. What does their past work look like? Ask to see some of their past marketing mailings, postcards, magazine and newspaper ads.? Do they have a real estate website aimed at attracting buyers that you can look at?? How and where will your home be marketed?? Will they hire a photographer to take pictures of your home?? It?s not necessarily the most important thing to have the #1 selling agent or team in the area (perhaps they?ll be too busy to show your home?) but it IS important you have someone who knows how to market your home in the right light and someone who?s available enough to show and sell your home.? By the way ? when I talk about marketing your home in the right light ? check out some of the Bad MLS Photos of ?top? agents out there ? it?s scary!
7. Finally ? is this agent a good negotiator? Ask the agent to give you an example of a time when they negotiated a great deal for a buyer or a seller and what they did to get it done.? A good negotiator should have no problem giving you several stories.? But honestly some agents are not born negotiators.? I?m the type of person that loves it when its time to buy a new car, because I love haggling with the car salesman.? I approach car buying much like the way I approach real estate ? armed with statistics of recent similar sales ? whether cars or houses, you can?t argue with the figures.? And I always get a great deal.
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Photo courtesy of Miamism.com
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