You Want To Sell Your House. How Do You Choose A Broker? Logic or Luck?

Choosing A Broker To Sell Your House Can Be Tricky?

Should you choose a friend? Should you use the agent who sold you the house. Should you ask a trusted friend for a recommendation? Spin the bottle or throw a dart? Go with the lowest commission?

Start by defining what your goal is. For most sellers, the goal would be, “When I sell my house and I sign the closing documents, I want the escrow agent to hand me the biggest check possible!”

Or, let’s hope not, but it happens, depending upon your market, if you’re upside-down you want to write the tiniest check possible.

Is this your goal?

Selling For Top Dollar

This isn’t some lame sales pitch, spewing hot air, smoke and mirrors. It’s simple. Everyone you interview is going to tell you they are great and famous. We do this and we do that! In fact, you might think you’re listening to a chorus, all the agents singing the same tune.

How Can You Tell If A Broker’s Marketing Play Will Achieve Your Goal – Netting More Money At The Closing Table?

This is the hard part made simple. Everyone talks a good story, but, if someone is REALLY doing a better job, there should be a way to document it. Guess what. There is. Take a look at the Broker’s “Original List Price To Sales Price %”. The higher the percentage, the more net proceeds for the seller.

For example, in The Woodlands TX, the average Sold Price for November of 2009 was $332, 094. The difference between one broker at 93.2% and the leading broker (us:-) at 96.8% = $11,955.38

$11,955.38 would be huge, right? And what if the Broker who had the highest Original List Price To Sold Price % also had a Guarantee in writing — “Anytime you want, if you’re unhappy, you can terminate on the spot?

The Logical Choice

Everything a broker commits to doing is designed to net the seller the most money. Evaluating the Original List Price To Sold Price % is a way to determine if what you’re being told will help you achieve your goal — which is to sell for top dollar and net more money. The no hassle, terminate at any time, guarantee is assurance that you’re not taken for ride.

In our market, The Woodlands TX, here’s a comparison average from January to November 2009. My eyes are old so this graph is a bit difficult to read, if I click on the image it blows up to a readable size.

If you’d like to look at more market data – check this out.

What Next?

So. If you’re gonna sell your house and you’re goal is have the escrow agent hand you the biggest possible check at closing, then we might be able help you. Give me a call if you have any questions: Ken Brand 832-797-1779

Cheers.