How to Pick Your Real Estate Agent when Selling

Planning on selling the house? Then you’ll probably need the help of a good listing agent. Hiring a listing agent can streamline the sale process for you, can improve your profit, and definitely help in diminishing the stress of selling.

A listing agent is a licensed real estate agent who will represent you, the seller, in the sale of your house or property. They are responsible for helping you through the process. They will be able to provide you with a comparative market analysis to accurately price the house that you are selling, as well as create listings online and other strategies to market your property. They will also take care of guiding prospective buyers during open houses or walk-throughs. Finally, they negotiate, on your behalf, for the best price and payment terms.

How do you find the right real estate agent for you? Should you go with the listing agent who guarantees the highest list price for your property? Or do you pick the one who will sell your house for the lowest commission? Read on to learn why there is more to picking the right real estate agent than just these two factors.

The Highest List Price

It is not accurate to say that listing agents will be able to tell you the price that your house can fetch. Instead, a good listing agent can provide you with comparable, pending, and active sales reports. You, the seller, can choose your selling price and your listing agent can guide you along to the right price. In other words, you and your listing agent will work on determining the “sweet spot” in terms of sale price. From there, negotiations with the buyer can begin.

A listing agent who presents you with the highest listing price will need to be able to support their guarantee with credible reports gleaned from your location. A good listing agent will be able to present you with a price range and be able to explain the several factors that affect it, such as location, market health, and home improvements.

Steep-priced properties may encounter difficulties drawing potential buyers, thus you will be compelled to reduce the price. Doing so is counter-intuitive, as buyers may now wonder if there is something wrong about the property, drawing them away again.

Low Commission

Bear in mind that real estate agents are unique in terms of marketing techniques and budget. A named, full-service real estate agent may charge a higher commission, but if a large advertising budget comes along with them, then you can benefit from this, too.

However, it is possible to negotiate for a lower commission with your agent under certain circumstances. You may agree to do all the documentation leg work, advertising, and cover all sale-related expenses instead of assigning such to them. Or you may negotiate a pro bono or pay-when-sold arrangement. Or if you are selling more than one property, you may agree to let them handle all other sales, as well.

What to look for in a good listing agent

Choose a real estate agent you feel comfortable working with. They need to be someone who fully understands your buying situation. Below are the important characteristics you should be looking for in a good listing agent:

• Experience. A proven track record of multiple, successful sales.
• Education. Degrees and, more importantly, certifications and affiliations.
• Sincerity. Instinctively, you would know if your listing agent is trust-worthy. Do their actions match their words?
• Connections. A solid network of peers and referrals help a successful sale along.
• Skills for Negotiation. Someone who works for you – aggressively negotiating for your gain and not just theirs.
• Responsiveness. A successful listing agent is able to efficiently manage his time, communication, and availability, no matter how busy they are with multiple projects.

Don’t just decide on a listing agent based on their guarantee of the highest list price or the lowest commission. Find out their marketing plans, expertise, and network and how they can make all these work for you. Most of all, pick a real estate agent you can trust. communicate with, and are comfortable working with in selling your home.