Rowland Fellows

Whenever you buy or sell real estate, you may be like millions of other people out there, in thinking that you don't need a real estate agent. There is a tremendous amount of information about real estate listings available to consumers on the internet. If you are a buyer, having all this information available to you is a great way to get started. Once you're ready to look at homes in person, an real estate agent can significantly improve your productivity. If you are a seller, not hiring a real estate agent can severely reduce your chances of find a buyer within the time frame that you want to sell your home.

One great way to select an agent is to solicit referrals from friends, lenders, and even family. Lender referrals for buyers can be a great choice because it is very important that your agent and lender work together well so that most common problems in the home buying process can be averted. For sellers, you'll need someone who can do more than put a sign in the yard and convince you to lower your price! Agents have a lot of tools and technologies available to them to help them promote their listings. You'll want to explore how your agent can utilize the tools available to market your home.

Here are some tips for buyers in selecting a real estate agent:

Proactivity. Is the agent going to actively engage in helping you find the right home vs. waiting for you to find one and asking for your agent to show it to you? In the today's market, the best, lowest priced homes are gone in a matter of days after being listed. A proactive agent will improve your chances of snagging one of these homes.

Availability. Will the agent be available, based upon your schedule, to view homes. I you are available primarily in the evenings and weekends, then an agent that does not work at those times will probably not work out for you.

Communications. How well will the agent communication with you. If you are heavy in to email and/or text messaging and your agent is not, then you may not communicate with each other too well.

Sellers should consider:

Traditional marketing tactics. The for sale sign, open houses, flyers, agent tours, advertising are all traditional activities that should continue to be performed. These activities are necessary, but not sufficient.

Internet promotion. Three-quarters of buyers start their home search well before they start working with a real estate agent. Many times buyers start to look seriously once they see something they like online. Will your home be promoted effectively on the dozen or more property websites that buyers use? Will there be a website dedicated to promoting your home?

The marketing plan. How comprehensive is your agent's marketing plan? Is it documented? Here is one to consider: my marketing plan

Communications! I have heard a lot about agents who list a home for sale and then don't communicate well with the homeowner. Regular communications with your agent is extremely important. Some of the things you want to know are: a) what is the feedback from other agents and potential buyers that have viewed your home; b) new listings, price changes and sales of homes that are competitive with your home; c) are you apprised of what your agent is doing each week to market your home?

Once you select a real estate agent, you will see that person on a regular basis until you buy or sell your home. The process could take 60-120 days or more, depending on your situation. You'll need a proactive, available, strong marketeer that communicates well. Above all, you will need to be able to count on your real estate agent to work in your best interests.