Selecting An Agent

INTERVIEW THE AGENT

Finding the best Agent requires doing a little research and asking a few questions.  You need to know everything you can about the selling process. The following questions will help you to choose the best Agent for you.

What does the Agent do to improve his or her skills:

Attend yearly conferences, regular training throughout the year, have a Sales Coach?

When was the last time the Agent did any of these things (conferences, seminars, trainings) and what were the topics: communication and rapport skills, negotiation skills, marketing training, and Internet sales etcetera?

What prices are homes like yours selling for in your area? Ask for a Comparative Sales Analysis.

What is the Agent's success rate in recent times? You can measure this by number of listings, number of solds and average number of days taken to sell the property.

•  Does the Agent manage buyers or do they ignore buyers until they have a home to sell?

•  What is the marketing strategy? 

•  What kind of advertising will be done? 

•  Who pays for the advertising?

•  Is the Agent capable and willing to communicate effectively? 

•  Does the Agent understand your situation?

•  Can they provide contacts of recent Clients who you can talk to?

•  Can the Agent effectively present and sell the less-noticeable assets of the property?

Is the Agent pleased you are asking these telling questions, or very unimpressed? Your Agent may be very good, but lack insight into the benefits of keeping up to date with improvements in communication and technical skills.

Local Knowledge

Real estate professionals also need to be “connected” with and knowledgeable about the community. They need to have a feel for the approximate price that people will be willing to pay, based on their prior experience and knowledge of sales. Also, real estate agents should know what else is selling in the area, and how much that competition will affect your sale.

What to Watch Out For!

Is the appraised price much higher than other Agents? (Some Agents try to buy your business by promising a selling price that can't be met. Then they will talk you down over the next few weeks! See my free report Engaging an Agent or Buying the ListinG” ) NEVER choose an Agent on the appraisal alone.

Remember that an Agent cannot magically raise the selling price of the house. Buyers won't pay too much and it's most likely that the buyers will know what the market price is, and will try to beat that price.

Selling Problems

If your property doesn't attract quality buyers or offers within several weeks, the most likely reason will be one of these three factors:

•  Location

•  Condition

•  Price

The location obviously cannot be changed. However, you can examine the condition of your property and make sure that your home is well prepared. (See my report TOP 10 TIPS FOR MORE $$$$ WHEN YOU SELL YOUR HOME! )

Pricing of your property should have been one of the first considerations and it may be necessary to revisit this point.

You may also need to re-evaluate the marketing strategy. Ask your Agent to discuss the reasons for their choice of marketing and what can be done.

WORKING WITH YOUR AGENT

Many sellers believe that they are entitled to call the shots with their Agent. And to a certain extent, you are! However, it is also important to work with your Agent so that your Agent can achieve the best result for you.

OPEN HOUSE

For example, if you don't want to have Open House showings, you will limit your prospects of selling your home. Why? Your Agent has limited amounts of time to show people through a property, and needs to manage their real estate business in a time-efficient manner. By holding an Open House, the Agent is able to focus their efforts on your property much more effectively.

Imagine that you are in the middle of doing something, and suddenly the Agent wants to show people through your home, because these are good solid prospective buyers who won't wait until tomorrow. What if you are up to your elbows in the garden, the house is a mess, and you really don't want to stop what you are doing?

For an Agent, it is not much different! He or she may be in the middle of doing something else, and may upset another prospective client, through having to drop everything and run!

However, if the Agent offers a professional service, instead of reacting to the buyer as though this was a crisis, the Agent will offer the buyer a pre-scheduled Open House.

An Open House which you will have prepared for and allows the Agent to be totally focussed on one thing and one thing only: getting the buyer for your home.

ADVERTISING

Many sellers are reluctant to pay for advertising. Yet, from a professional standpoint, why shouldn't you pay for your advertising? Advertising is an add-on expense (and very expensive it is, too), and a service that the Agent cannot perform themselves. Additionally, if you are not prepared to pay for your advertising, or at least contribute to the cost, how will the Agent know that you are genuinely committed to selling your property?

This Report is aimed at helping you learn more about selecting an Agent and how to get the best result for you. Thank you for calling on me for help. If there is anything further that you require (such as those other free reports I mentioned), do call.