If you are thinking of selling your home and are beginning to speak to some real estate agents, you may be feeling a bit confused about what you need to be looking for in a good agent. An agent that works well with you and is professional can make a huge difference when it comes to selling your home quickly, so read on for a handy guide to ensuring that you have the best agent for the job.
Some Overall Guidelines for Finding an Agent
- Do they have experience in your area and with selling homes similar to your home? You should quiz your neighbors about their own experiences, and ask the agent about previous sales similar to your home when it comes to features and price.
- Is the agent a full-time agent or part-time? You might surprised at the agents who have a regular day job and do real estate work at night or on the weekend. You should consider how important it might be to be able to get in contact with a part-time agent and how much time they would be able to devote to selling your home.
- Do they seem to have some good networking relationships with other agents, home appraisers, lenders and home inspectors? These relationships could help smooth out the home-buying process for you.
- Do they seem to have a good grasp of what you expect of them when it comes to what they will do to sell your home? You need to have a meeting of the minds about what their duties before you agree to a contract.
- Are they licensed? Real estate agents who have meet the state-mandated standards for education, testing and experience are considered licensed. At this level, the agent works under the auspices of a broker.
Interviewing the Candidates
Try to speak to more than one agent, but don't overwhelm yourself with too many interviews. Narrow down the list by asking your friends, neighbors and family members for recommendations.
- Plan on allowing from about 30 to 45 minutes for each agent.
- Ask some probing questions about their experience, to gain information about how many homes they've sold lately (past year), the selling prices and their experience with homes in the same price range as your own. Ask for references from past sales, and follow up on them.
- Ask about communication preferences. You don't want any misunderstandings about the contact frequencies and methods of contract. For example, you may want to hear that the agent will text you or email you every other day with updates.
- Understand the commission plan, which is the percentage of the selling price that goes to the agent.
Go with the candidate that you like, trust and that inspires your confidence.
