Top 10 things to Look for when Choosing a Real Estate agent to Sell Your Home

I'm flattered that I just got my 99th request (literally) from a potential home seller today asking the same question. So, I thought instead of retyping my reply for the 99th time, I'd archive it here and point future inquiries to this blog entry.

What should I look for when choosing a real estate agent to sell my home?

Here are the top 10 things to look for:

#1 - Experience. While it's great to give a new agent the "opportunity" to sell your home, there are many variables in selling a home and unless your agent has dealt with a lot of the pitfalls that can come up, your agents' inexperience could end up costing YOU.

#2 - Does this agent work alone or have a "team"? Many times, when an agent tells you they have a "team" it means they hire people to do a lot of the work. You wouldn't hire someone to do a job for your company and then be "ok" if they sent someone else in to do their job at your company, so it's not ok if you hire someone to sell your house and they have their "team" do all of the work. You want your agent engaged and actively working to get your home sold.

#3 - Make sure they have some "skin" in the game. Meaning - every single agent will come into your home and tell you that your home will be all over the internet. That's great, but most MLS services will aggregate the info to the internet for free, so no matter who you use, you'll get that benefit. What is this agent doing to separate themselves from other agents? How will they market your home DIFFERENTLY? Are they willing to spend THEIR OWN money to market your home or are they depending on their office to do it for them? People work harder when they are personally invested.

#4 - Find out if this is a full time job for them. Do they operate their real estate business as a true business. Meaning, do they work at this, and only this? Do they have a marketing plan not just for your home, but for their business. Can they give you numbers and analytics about how many homes they've sold last year and their plans for growth? This is a business transaction and you need to make sure your agent is a business person.

#5 - Are they using social media as a marketing tool? This one will stump a lot of agents out there, but it's important that whomever you choose is using the latest tools to get your home sold. It's no secret that business is getting done through social media. You want someone that is going to explore every avenue, not just do the job the way it's always been done.

#6 - Ask how many buyers they're currently working with. If the answer is 0, ask where they find buyers. A good agent always has a mix of buyers and listings. If your potential agent doesn't have any buyers, they should have a quick answer as to where they find buyers. Maybe they advertise in a venue that targets buyers, maybe they put flyers on cars in apartment complexes, whatever it is, they need an answer because they can't sell your house without finding a buyer. Many agents may tell you that because your home goes into the MLS system that it is then shown to other agents who may be working with buyers and shows up on websites where buyers are looking. That's great, but has told you nothing in terms of what your agent is going to PERSONALLY do to find a buyer for your house.

#7 - Open Houses - where are they going to get people to come to your open house? How many open houses are they going to do? It's been my experience that real estate agents do open houses for 2 reasons. First - to showcase your home, but secondly, to get buyers - for your home or any other home. That's ok, and the name of the game but just find out what their philosophy is on open houses. If they want to have one every week - beware. They may just be using your listing to attract buyers that they can show to other homes if yours isn't just right. Open houses are usually effective the first time - if they are marketed correctly. Make sure they have a clear cut marketing plan to get people to the open house, otherwise you've vacated your home for 4 hours on a Sunday for no reason!

#8 - Find out what their philosophy is on commission. It's our experience that you get what you pay for. Beware of an agent who will drop his or her commission but also promises the world in marketing and advertising. The two don't go together. Good agents are worth the extra percentage point. You want the job done, in a timely fashion, and you want it done well - expect to pay the going rate for your area. This is one area we would recommend NOT skimping on. Selling your home is an arduous process, it requires skill and skill is worth paying for. A bad agent can end up costing you money, so find the best and expect to pay what they're asking. It will net you a bigger return in the end to do it right from the beginning - mark our words!

#9 - Check references. This is one area people are lax on but can give you more information to make a decision. Ask the agent to give you a list of the last 5 homes they sold. Then ask for the number of the buyer or seller (whomever the agent was working with - as sometimes the agent just represents one half of the sale - the buyer or seller) Call 3 of the names and just ask for feedback. Don't forget to ask the crucial question: Would you use this agent again? The answer will tell you everything you need to know.

#10 - Ask the agent what happens if they end up getting a buyer for your home? Will they represent both the buyer and you, the seller? You want your agent to say that they would give the buyer to someone in their office to represent. Any agent who tells you there's nothing wrong with representing both the buyer and seller on a transaction isn't looking out for your best interests. It's not their fault, it's human nature. They can't possibly be objective when representing both sides. Their commitment is to the seller if they took the listing, so the right thing to do is give the buyer to another agent to represent. This way you can make sure your interests are protected.

Since I work with the "best of the best" I'm happy to make recommendations. All of the agents I work with would welcome the questions above, as they are the cream of the crop. If you need to sell your home feel free to give me a call and I can get you the names of the best in the business!