How to Find a Great Realtor (agent, Realtors, listings, sellers)

[jco]

We have a bad market, and it seems that a lot of realtors list and wait for people to come. Many people on this forum mention getting a realtor who finds the buyer is a great strategy for selling. How do we find an aggressive realtor like this? What things should we look for?

[palmcoasting]

We have a BAD market? We have an excellent market for buyers...low interest rates, pricing on homes lower than last year, good inventory. What's bad about the market? It's a challenging market for sellers, especially if their expectations are high, but it's not a bad market.

[yellowsnow]

Originally Posted by jco

We have a bad market, and it seems that a lot of realtors list and wait for people to come. Many people on this forum mention getting a realtor who finds the buyer is a great strategy for selling. How do we find an aggressive realtor like this? What things should we look for?

I agree the market is horrible for anyone wanting to sell. I'll pass along things I was told. Get an experienced agent. Someone who has worked in this kind of market before. Someone who has ties and connections in your community. Be aware, it's going to take time. The inventories are huge and that doesn't count all the failed listings. The only way you are going to have a quick sale is to practically give the property away.

[shellytc]

ask friends, relatives, coworkers for referrals. then interview. Ask really good questions: How long in the business. How many listings last year. How many this year. How many days on market to sell. What is your marketing program. How will we communicate and how often. and other questions you may have.

Also, work with your REA. they are giving you their best advice. Once you have interviewed and chosen the one you believe is the best and worked into your relationship, you are now in partnership together. Each partner needs to pull their weight for a successful outcome.

Shelly

[bande1102]

I second the asking for referrals.

Also, I think the most successful realtors are those who have networked and have established relationships/are well thought of by other realtors and also have a presence in the community. In my area, there are a few realtors that consitently have a high # of homes sold (they're published in our local paper) and they also happen to sponsor charity events/give back to the community. There are other, cheaper realtors, but when I sell I'm going with the ones that I see out there working and giving back. Incidentally, they're all with different companies, but they seem to work well together. I think they can shorten the gap between me as a seller and potential qualified buyers and that's definitely worth it.

Another question that I'd ask is who exactly is going to be handling your house? One of my neighbors went with a real estate agent who's new and inexperienced assistant ended up handling her house. It was a disaster.

And I'd ask how they're planning to market my house. Especially in this market, they've got to have a plan that involves more than a sign in the yard and an mls number. For example, lately the houses in my neighborhood that are for sale have their own websites. As in 123mockinbirdlane.com. My hat's off to the agent(s) who thought of that. I thought it was a great idea and the websites are very well done.

Good luck

[2bindenver]

A good Realtor understands that the marketing is done for two groups;

1. Another Realtor with a ready/willing/able buyer.

2. A Buyer unrepresented by another Realtor.

People buy houses that are in good condition in a good location for a good value, in any market.

[jco]

Quick reps to you all... thank you for your advice!