Don't Hire a Real Estate Agent Because ...

The first really bad reason for hiring a real estate agent is that you feel sorry for the agent.

I can't believe it but I hear it over and over again from sellers of property. They tell me that they had their properties listed with agents who did nothing to market the property and the property never sold. So I asked, "Why did you choose that agent?" The client tells me that the agent had given him a sob story about how much the agent needed the business and the client felt sorry for him.

My next questions is, "Would you hire a brain surgeon because you felt sorry for him?" I don't think so! So the response is, "This isn't brain surgery." That's right. The sale of your home is NOT BRAIN SURGERY. The sale of your home is just the sale of your most valuable asset and you entrusted it to someone because you felt sorry for him? Would you entrust your stock portfolio to someone because you felt sorry for him? Or the education of your children?

Another bad reason is to take the agent who charges the least commission. Often that is the first question out of a seller's mouth. "How much is your commission?"

It would be more important to ask, "What is your marketing plan?" Do you have broker open houses? with a sit down lunch for the agents? Do you have your own website? How many websites will my home be on? Do you do a visual tour? How about Youtube? Does your company have national exposure? Are you a full time agent who can focus on the sale of my property or do you work somewhere else and just do this "part time".