Remember . . .
Selling your home is probably the largest financial transaction of your life.
You don’t want the agent with the most compelling “sales pitch” or the highest asking price.
You want an agent who will tell you the truth, even if it’s not what you want to hear
Here are some important questions you should ask your listing agent before listing your home:
1. How long have you been in real estate?
Do you really want to hire an inexperienced agent to sell your most valuable asset? Look for an agent with at least 5 years of full-time experience and a proven track record of results.
2. Are you full-time or part-time?
We have an amazing number of part-time agents in the real estate profession. A part-timer will not be able to take your call while they’re “at work” (on their real job), and they will not be able to respond quickly because real estate isn’t their primary occupation. Most part-timers close a couple of transactions a year.
You want a dedicated, full-time professional to handle the largest financial transaction of your life. Real estate is not a profession that can be done well on a part-time basis.
3. How many homes has your team sold?
Experience matters ~ big time! Do you really want to list your home with a team that lacks the knowledge required to guide you to a smooth closing?
4. Do you have your own website or just a web page on your broker’s website?
Many listing agents claim to have their own website, but they really only have a web “page” on their broker’s website. Your listing agent’s web page cannot be found by buyers unless they search by the agent’s name, which obviously does not happen when a buyer is searching for properties of interest. Look for an agent who has their own website with its own domain name.
5. How many visits did your website receive in the past 30 days?
A good real estate website will generate substantial traffic and buyer inquiries. Look for a listing agent who understands the importance of internet marketing. You should list with an agent who has a professional website that ranks highly for the most popular property search keywords for your home.
6. Will you provide a virtual tour of my home on your website?
7. Will you provide a written marketing plan for my home?
A written market plan can be as simple as a list of things your listing agent will do.
8. Will you obtain showing feedback from buyer’s agents and forward it to me?
Our MLS provides agents with a free feature to solicit e-mailed feedback from buyers’ agents after showings. Your agent should forward those e-mails to you so you know what buyers’ agents and their buyers think about your home.
9. Will you provide a weekly update?
10. Will you provide three references that I can contact?
Written by: Anna Belyntseva (anna@jj.team)