Selling a House With an Agent
The majority of home sellers take on the task with an ally: a Real Estate Agent. They feel that it is better to entrust the sale of their biggest investment to a professional, rather than attempting to learn about selling a house in a trial and error method. In addition, many people would rather use an Agent due to the complexities of modern Real Estate transactions since they usually incorporate legal and financial attributes, which takes them well beyond more simple transactions, such as the sale of an automobile.
So how do you choose an Agent who will be effective? What is important to know about an Agent to determine whether you feel they will do a good job? The following questions should be asked of any prospective Real Estate Agent in order to assess their capabilities and philosophies.
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What to look for in an Agent |
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1 |
A sense of professionalism. |
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2 |
A full time Agent who is committed to the profession (and who will be committed to getting your house sold!) |
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3 |
A familiarity with the area in which your home is located. |
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4 |
A familiarity with the price range in which your house will be listed. |
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5 |
Evidence of advertising and marketing ability. |
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6 |
References from previous sellers. |
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Where to find an Agent |
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1 |
Ask family, friends and co-workers about Agents they have used–for selling a home, not buying–to get positive (and negative) input. |
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Check your local newspapers and homes magazines. An Agent with a number of advertisements most likely has a fairly extensive marketing budget and experience. Be certain, though, that the Agent does not have too many listings to service the sale of your home effectively. |
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To find an Agent in the area in which you are interested, click here. ( You will be able to compare a selection of top-performing Agents by years in the business, marketing plans, qualifications and fees and remain anonymous throughout the search process.) More information. |
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1 |
Are you a full time Agent? |
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How long have you been in the Real Estate business? |
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Are you an MLS (Multiple Listing Service) Member? |
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How familiar are you with the area where our home is located? |
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How many homes did you sell in this area in the last year? |
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Can you supply 3 names and addresses of recent clients for whom you sold a home that we can contact for reference purposes? |
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7 |
How did you arrive at the suggested listing price for our home? |
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8 |
What is your specific marketing plan for our house? |
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9 |
How do you plan on keeping us informed of the progress of the sale of our home? |
