How To Find The Perfect Seller's Agent
If you’ve decided to sell your home, you’re going to need a seller’s agent. Someone who has sufficient experience and the market knowledge to sell your home quickly and for top dollar. Additionally, a seller’s agent can help you avoid any real estate blunders and legalities that could potentially get you into trouble.
But it’s not a good idea to settle for the first seller’s agent you find. You should take some time to ask questions and research the best possible seller’s agent for you. Here are a few questions you should ask in an effort to find the best possible seller’s agent in your area.
1. Do you sell real estate full time? This is the first question you should ask. Some real estate agents only sell homes part-time. That doesn’t mean they aren’t good agents; however, it’s best to find someone who will have the time to properly market your home. On that same note, if you find a part-time agent with great credentials and you want to hire him, as long as he has a large enough support staff that can pick up the slack when he’s not available, then by all means go ahead and contract with him.
2. How many homes have you sold in this neighborhood? You’re going to need a realtor who knows your neighborhood inside and out. One who knows the different types of floor plans out there and the positive and negative features of each one. This knowledge will allow him to effectively overcome any objections that may arise. If you find an agent you really like, but one that doesn’t have much experience in your neighborhood, that doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t use him. If he has fantastic marketing skills and a good network of other agents he can call on when needed, you may consider him as a viable option
3. How do you handle mistakes and complaints? The real estate industry is one that deals with many different people of all personality types and anything could go wrong at any time. An experienced realtor will know exactly where to go and what research will need to be done to get the problem resolved calmly and intelligently. How your potential seller’s agent answers this question will give you a good indication of his personality and if he’ll truly be able to handle a tough situation.
4. What is your fee? Fee’s are sometimes negotiable. However, you’ll need to remember that if you negotiate a lower fee, you may not get all of the services you would have gotten if you were a full-paying client. That’s just how business works. If you pay less, you generally get less. So you’ll have to decide if it’s worth it or not.
5. What marketing techniques do you use? A skilled realtor will know exactly what works and what doesn’t when it comes to marketing in your neighborhood. Additionally, you should expect him to talk about things like quality pictures and virtual tours, as well as, open houses and how he will use social media marketing and the internet to sell your home.
When looking for the perfect seller’s agent, asking lots of questions is the best way to determine which person matches the skill set needed to sell your home.
