The majority of homeowners choose to use a listing agent to assist them. Moreover, people who don’t use an agent often lose thousands of dollars on the deal. That said, not every listing agent is going to work as hard or know enough to get you a really good deal or even sell your house at all. How do you choose a good listing agent? Ask them these 4 questions.
1. What is the average price of the homes you have sold?
If you are looking to make a particular profit on the sale of your home, it matters whether or not your listing agent typically sells homes in that price range. For instance, if you are selling a luxury home but hiring a listing agent used to selling farmland, they may be out of their depth.
When choosing a listing agent, find out what the average price is of the homes they’ve sold. If they are in the ballpark for what you are looking for, you’re on the right track.
2. What is your marketing strategy?
The internet is littered with homes for sale and MLS sites for homebuyers to sift through. How you stand out from the crowd depends on your listing agent’s marketing strategy. However, not all listing agents have a good strategy that incorporates both online and mobile advertising with good old fashioned marketing.
Before you choose a listing agent, talk to them about their approach to marketing your property. Is it a strategy that would reel you in? Do they seem competent and capable of marketing your property to the best-suited audience? Be detailed and don’t be shy about asking them how they would market your home specifically.
3. How many homes have you sold this year?
A listing agent can have a knockout website, a killer pitch, and an outstanding market strategy, but how many deals have they closed? The reason homeowners choose to pay the commission to allow a listing agent to help them sell their homes is largely for their negotiating abilities.
If the listing agent you are thinking about choosing has all the bells and whistles but nothing to show for it, it’s only wise to ask about it. It could be that they are new agents or that they just left a brokerage to go it alone. Whatever the reason, you want to make sure that it’s not because they are bad negotiators.
4. Are you familiar with my neighborhood?
How well your listing agent markets your property depends on how well they can sell your neighborhood. Your home could be great but what about everything around it? Has the listing agent you are thinking about using even been in your neighborhood?
As you interview listing agents, make sure that they are familiar with the area. The more familiar they are, the more knowledgeable they should be about the local market and how best to advertise to potential buyers.
