Don't even think about listing your home!
Not until you ask 15 critical questions to qualify your potential agent!
Just knowing what to ask gives you the power to make an informed decision. And making an
informed decision now will save you valuable time and precious equity. You may be
surprised, even shocked, at the responses you will get.
Put yourself in the best possible position to sell your home.
Hire the agent who will sell it, not just list it!
Are you a full-time realtor? How many hours a week do you work on average? ("Yes" is the only answer you should accept.)
Do you work independently or do you have an assistant or team of specialists working for you? (Most agents work alone. Some will have a part-time assistant. A rare few will actually have two or more assistants.)
Do you have a specific Home Marketing Plan that will put my home in front of all prospective buyers?(Don't just settle for a "yes". Have the agent explain how their plan will work.)
Is your home marketing plan designed to create a competitive demand for my home? (Again, have the agent explain how their plan will work.)
Does your home marketing plan include extensive internet exposure? (If you get a "yes" ask for specific web addresses and check them out.)
Do you use a professional photographer with wide-angle camera equipment and proper lighting to show off my home's best features? (Again, ask them to explain it.)
Are you or is someone from your team always available to answer questions about my home and show my home? (With a team of professionals, you're more likely to have your needs met sooner. If the agent without a team is ALWAYS available, she/he can't be doing that much business! Beware of someone with too much time on their hands.)
How often will I receive a comprehensive progress report that will show me where my home is being marketed and show me the feedback from the showing of my home? (Your agent should be proactively calling and mailing you reports - not waiting for you to call to respond to your inquiries. Ron Evans Real Estate sends marketing and feedback reports to their clients every week.)
Do you have an effective system for following up on all the showings of my home? (Feedback from agents who have previewed or showed your home is invaluable. It gives you objective information as to how your home appears to the public. Your agent has to get that information for you.)
Do you have an aggressive plan for attracting buyers to my home? (Once again, don't just settle for a "yes". Make him or her explain it.)
Do you have a transaction coordinator who will work on my file everyday and keep me updated until the close of escrow? (The escrow process is time-consuming and detail oriented. If your agent works alone, he or she will not have the time or energy to properly attend to your file when it is in escrow.)
Will you provide me with the names and contact information of at least three recent clients? (Get this list and call the folks. Listen to what they have to say. Ask them what kind of service the agent provided, how long it took to sell their home, how frequently did the agent communicate with them, etc.)
What is your list-to-sale ratio? (A low list-to-sale ratio indicates that the agent could not sell the house promptly or could not keep the client happy.)
How many homes did you sell in the past 12 months? How many homes did you sell in the past 3 months?
Do you attend professional courses and seminars on a regular basis (Agents who regularly attend such courses often learn things that other agents use in other markets. They develop contact and share good ideas that can benefit you.)
I'd love to and answer these, and all of your, questions. If you're considering selling your home, let's connect today.
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