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How
to Select a Real Estate Professional -- and Why
For most people the sale of a home represents one of the most important financial transactions they will ever be a party to. While there are more than a few real estate experts who encourage sellers to “go it alone” and keep the sales commission for themselves, only a small percentage of home sellers actually take that advice. According to the National Association of Realtors, fully 87% of homeowners who placed their home up for sale in 2005 engaged the services of a real estate professional. Even despite the number of online services that enable homeowners to list and sell their own properties, more often than not they will ultimately outsource the real estate marketing effort to an experienced real estate agent.
So, how do you go about finding the right real estate professional to sell your house? Here are a few tips to help you in your search.
- Ask family members and friends to recommend a competent agent – preferably someone that they have had personal experience with in real estate matters. Real estate professionals depend heavily on favorable word of mouth to sustain their business, so the best ones will make it a priority to cultivate a highly satisfied base of clients.
- Visit a few Open House events and notice the agent on duty at each location. Does the agent express a sincere interest in you and present you with their business card? Does he or she have a professional manner and appearance? Would you feel completely confident having the agent representing your interests in a real estate transaction? In short, do you get a good feeling from the agent after spending a few minutes in conversation with him or her?
- Drive through your neighborhood
and see which agents are listing homes nearby. Take special note of agents who are listing more than one home in your area because there may be a good reason why the agent is so popular. Agents listing in your neighborhood will likely have a better handle on how to price and market your home compared to an agent who hasn't listed a home in your neighborhood recently.
- Search through local newspapers and real estate publications to get an idea who the “hot” sales agents are in your community.
Once you have found a few candidates for the job of marketing your home you should interview them as though you were hiring them for any other job. The following are a few interview criteria that will help you in choosing the right professional for the job.
- Is the real estate professional a full-time agent or only part-time?
- How long has the agent been selling homes?
- Has the agent sold homes in your area before? Or, is the agent familiar with your neighborhood or area?
- How many homes did the agent sell last year?
- What percentage of the agent's sales come from repeat clients or referrals?
- What percentage of the agent's listings sold during the listing period?
- Will the agent provide you with a written marketing plan?
- How often will the agent provide you with a progress update – even if there is nothing to report?
- Will the agent use online marketing strategies as part of the overall marketing plan?
- How will your home be advertised?
The real estate professional that you ultimately select should be someone who offers a high-quality marketing plan and exhibits the willingness to execute that plan in the most effective manner possible. Marketing your home on your own may seem to be an attractive option on the front end, but the real cost of this decision may only become evident months down the road when your home is still unsold or you've settled for a lower price than expected.
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This helpful guide was produced by Prudential Ballard Realty, Inc. -- a leader in residential sales and leasing in the greater Montgomery, Alabama area. You can contact Prudential Ballard by calling (334)
277-8920 or by visiting the web at
http://prudentialballard.com . You may also contact Prudential Ballard via e-mail at
info@prudentialballard.com . Prudential Ballard Realty is an independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential Financial company. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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