Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
IF I manage to ever get a contract on the house I want, I will have to sell my house. So in looking for a realtor, what should I be looking for? What questions should I ask?
Hopefully your buyer agent can also be your listing agent. Do a quick forum search. There's been quite a few threads on it.
I will search. I do not want to hire the agent I have been working with to sell my house. She got her license to sell houses for her husband and she is mainly a builder. She sees everything through that lens. I want to hire someone who does it full time.
Selling a home should be like any other business transaction, but all too often sellers make emotional or impulsive decisions that cost them both money and time. Choosing the right Realtor to market your property and negotiate the sale is the most important step in the process.
So how to find the right agent? Start by looking at agents that list and sell in your neighborhood/price range. Look at their websites, the photos used (are they professional looking?), the other Internet marketing. Internet marketing is very important as a majority of buyers do "shop" for homes on the Internet.
Interview several agents before making a decision. Your agent friends should not be offended if you ask them to do a presentation for your listing, that way you can fairly compare their marketing skills against those of agents you do not know personally.
When you interview agents, here are some suggestions for questions to ask:
How long have you been selling real estate?
Are you a full time or part time agent?
How many homes have you sold recently? What were the sales prices vs original list prices?
Have you had any expired listings recently? If so, why do you think the home(s) didn't sell?
What specific marketing plan do you have for selling my home?
Do you have your own website? (Look at their site, see how homes are being marketed.)
What list price do you suggest for my home? What documentation do you have to support that list price?
Do not pick an agent solely because the agent agrees with you on the price you wanted for your home.
Some agents tell you what you want to hear when it comes to a listing price. This is known as “buying a listing.” The agent is more concerned with getting your listing than with pricing your home properly as a part of an effective marketing strategy. Overpriced listings generally sit on the market and eventually the price will have to be reduced to attract buyers. However, by that time, your listing will be "stale" and you may find it selling for less than it would have sold for had it been priced properly at the beginning of the listing.
Marketing of your home should be tailored to the specifics of your home, your local market and customs of your local real estate market. But in general, a good listing agent should:
1) take at least 20 quality photos of your property, inside and out, that highlight the best features of your home
2) post those photos to various Internet real estate sites (plus social media sites), with a well thought out description of your home that invites buyers to come see your home, not merely list details such as 3 bdrm, 2 baths, etc.
3) set up a virtual tour of your home if it warrants it
4) set up at least one agent/broker open house, plus as least 1 or 2 public open houses
5) advertise your home in the local newspaper if it's customary in your area
6) direct mailings to your neighborhood regarding your home for sale
7) feedback on showings -- Will the agent ask other agents who have shown your home about what the buyers and agent thought of your home? Honest feedback on showing condition and price?
8) answer any buyer or agent inquiries regarding your home for sale quickly, in a helpful manner. You may be surprised at the number of agents that ignore yard sign calls by potential buyers.
Generally a home is sold through a variety of marketing tactics, not just "putting it in the MLS."
The best agent is the one who will do the most effective job of marketing the property, negotiating the most favorable terms and conditions, and communicating with the seller to make the process as smooth as possible.
Thank you!! I will read through this. It might be a moot point though because I just got the happy news that my brilliant husband did in fact, sign a buyer's agreement with this realtor.
HOWEVER, she completely understood my wanting to interview realtors and says she will not go to arbitration but must talk with her listing broker about it all. I told her I wanted to hear her sales pitch (as I had planned to do all along). Didn't seem fair not to give her a chance but.....she has only been a realtor for three years. I feel like given what is going on with the overpriced house and houses in my neighbor dropping and not much selling going on, I need a more experienced agent. But I have to say, she was so nice about me possibly using someone else and that kind of thing goes a long way. Or maybe I need someone who is more cutthroat?
Thank you!! I will read through this. It might be a moot point though because I just got the happy news that my brilliant husband did in fact, sign a buyer's agreement with this realtor.
A Buyer's Agreement and a Listing Agreement are two different forms. Does the Buyer's agreement stipulate that this agent has to also be your listing agent?
You could have different representation for Buying and Selling, but it would complicate matters.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grlzrl
HOWEVER, she completely understood my wanting to interview realtors and says she will not go to arbitration but must talk with her listing broker about it all.
Thank you!! I will read through this. It might be a moot point though because I just got the happy news that my brilliant husband did in fact, sign a buyer's agreement with this realtor.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HokieFan
A Buyer's Agreement and a Listing Agreement are two different forms. Does the Buyer's agreement stipulate that this agent has to also be your listing agent?
You could have different representation for Buying and Selling, but it would complicate matters.
I think you mean her managing broker.
As mentioned, a Buyer's Rep agreement is not the same thing as a Listing Agreement. Also, it takes both of you to sign a contract for a contract to be binding. If you didn't sign anything, you don't have an executed anything. You have a half-signed proposal.
As mentioned, a Buyer's Rep agreement is not the same thing as a Listing Agreement. Also, it takes both of you to sign a contract for a contract to be binding. If you didn't sign anything, you don't have an executed anything. You have a half-signed proposal.
I know it wasn't a listing agreement and I was wondering about the fact that I never signed anything. She probably knew that when she said she wouldn't pursue arbitration.
It's harder to sell than to buy. Get a professional agent for both.
Would you be comfortable with someone who was a part time realtor for three years? Normally I would agree but with a house that's overpriced by 20%, this will be hard, too.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
