Selecting A Listing Agent

Hiring a professional REALTOR to represent you in a real estate sale is the most critcal decision you will make, but often it is made in the most haphazard way possible for the poorest of reasons. Would you select a medical, legal, or accounting professional to assisit you because they discount their fees, they live in your neighborhood, they're a relative, or you saw their face on a bus bench or a shopping cart? Worse yet, would you enter into one of the most important financial decisions of your life without any representation?

All REALTORS are not created equal nor are the companies they work for, but how can you sort the wheat from the chaff and select an agent that is both qualified and will work well with you? The practice of real estate is simultaneously technical and intuitive, so the best agents are multidimensional and the selection process needs to be thoughtful.

To start an agent selection process, the first step is to understand what kind of client you will be. Do you want a purely straight-forward business relationship with updates on an as needed basis? Do you need your hand held and to be constantly updated on every aspect of the process? Will gender, age, or years of experience make a difference to you? How do you want to be communicted with: phone, e-mail, text? Can you take honest direct feedback when it may differ from your views?

After doing a self assessment the agent selection process begins. Most clients do business with the first agent they contact. This is not advisable. Prior to listing a property for sale, a professional agent will always do a thorough analysis of comparible properties that have recently sold or are on the market currently. The quality of the analysis may vary but by comparing the work of two or three agents you will have a better grasp of a competitive cost per square foot and the kind of properties an appraiser will use in determining the value of your home after it is in contract. Some agents will try to ‘buy’ listings by suggesting a listing price above what is warranted, called ‘testing the market'. Over pricing at the outset of a listing is the worst thing you can do and a good agent will explain why. If an agent does not do a comparitive analysis run as fast as you can.

Ask how your property will be exposed to the broadest possible audience of qualified buyers. Will the listing be syndicated to multiple web sites? Will it be held open for potential buyers? Will there be a broker open house? Will a visual tour be prepared?

Will the agent consult with you on how to best prepare the property for sale, commonly called staging? Is the agent honest enough to tell you your cookoo clock collection or family photos are a distraction, that the green shag carpeting must be replaced, or that the bright pink walls must be repainted? Are there deferred maintenence issues that must be corrected prior to listing? Ask the agent for their opinion of how your property will present to buyers.

Will the agent be giving you regular feedback on the number of people viewing your property on line? How and when will you get feedback on showings? When will you do an assessment of what the market activity has been and what price adjustment or property modifications might be called for?

All these issues demonstrate agent skills and technical proficiency but chemistry is an issue as well. Remember that this can be a very stressful period of time and you want to be dealing with a person who will not magnify the stress and a person you can trust. Client testimonials can give you some insights and some agents are Quality Service Certified with client survey results from an independent reseach company. Agents may have designations showing additional training they have completed which may give you some additional comfort.

When an offer is received, you need to have your agent in your corner in the negotiation process and be sure they are skilled at that. The agent's role is to facilitate transactions coming together and they recognize that their's is an advisory role only and that you are the client who makes the decisions. Can the agent demonstrate their ability?

Finally, an agent must facilitate the process from contract to closing and advise you on all the requirements to close in the time frames you desire. The agent must be on top of any potential problems and keep you regularly informed. You need to be clear on your expectations.

A professional agent supported by a quality brokerage company is worth every cent of commission charged. Hiring a good agent can help you sell you property for the most amount of money, in the shortest possible time, with the least inconvenience to you. Make the agent selection process a deliberate one and you will be happy you did.