What to Look for in a Realtor when Selling
Let's discuss how to choose the right realtor to sell your home! While most realtors help clients buy and sell homes, interviewing a listing agent is a different process than selecting one with which to buy. Don't worry, an agent can be great at both. We want to make sure you know what to look for. This is part II to Episode 39, where we talked about how to select the best buyer's agent. Even in a hot market like the one we're in today, the best listing agent is going to sell your home faster and for more money. Let’s get into it!
1: Finding a Good Listing Agent
The first step is you need to make sure that you find a good listing agent. A good place to start is by calling the agent that helped you buy, if you had a good experience with them, of course. They’re going to be very knowledgeable about the property from the buying process and are going to have a leg up on already knowing you, how you like to work, and specific things about your house that others may not know. On the flip side, we definitely want to encourage you to see what else is out there and interview some others so that you can make the right decision! A great way to find someone is through referrals and, as always, we are more than happy to help you! The Remax network is worldwide and it’s an excellent source for connecting people with agents.
2: Schedule a Listing Appointment
After finding the right agent, regardless if you’ve used them before or not, they will need to come to your home for a listing appointment. The appointment is typically 1 to 1.5 hours long, during which you will discuss updates you’ve made, major events while you’ve been living there, and your honey-do list. Your agent will then tell you what they think needs to be done to prepare your home for market and get it sold. They will present a listing presentation where they will break down what they’re going to do to get your home prepared for market and get it sold.
3: Signing a Listing Agreement
So now that you've done your homework, you either have all the confidence in the agent you've previously worked with or you've interviewed a few and you've chosen one that you like and trust. Once you've chosen that agent, you'll sign a listing agreement, which really puts the wheels into motion. Even if you're not selling immediately, maybe you're selling six months from now, there are still things they’re going to be working on with you once the listing agreement is signed.
4: Setting Expectations
Make sure that during this process you are being transparent and realistic. If you have expectations on price, definitely don’t wait to discuss that with your agent. Or if there are other factors for when you move such as wanting your kids to be able to finish out the year. All of this will factor into what is the best strategy of how they will approach going to market and how they will approach negotiations. It’s all about finding someone that is aligned with your mission and priorities when it comes to selling your home.
5: Market Analysis
When it comes to pricing your house appropriately, your listing agent is going to put together a market analysis for you. This is going to include data about homes that are similar and nearby that have recently sold, not only homes that have recently sold, but also homes that are currently on the market that are your active competition. It’s important to remember that people who overprice their homes typically stay on the market for longer and end up getting less for their house. That is due to people assuming that longer days on market means that there is something wrong with the house. This means way more showings and likely selling your house for less than you had hoped. It really goes to show just how important it is to work with your listing agent on the price and making sure they’re doing their research. People that know their market are going to be really well versed in what is a good comparable and what is not.
6: Marketing Your Home
We would say the biggest differentiator between a buyer's agent and a listing agent, is the marketing know-how. The two biggest reasons a home sells are the price and the exposure. This all goes back to your listing agent’s strategy and property prep. Listing agents will be meticulous about photos, because that is the first impression a buyer gets. So maybe they will suggest bringing someone in to stage the space or have specific ways they will suggest you prepare for photo day. Home buying feels a lot like online dating, if people don’t like what they see they will move on. After they pass the photo test the next big thing is property description. You want to make sure you’re making a good first impression! Since most people are searching for homes online it is crucial that your listing agent has an excellent strategy.
Just like with any real estate agent you work with it is a team effort!
7: Negotiations, Negotiations, Negotiations
We always say the most important thing to a seller is not just the price that you're giving them, but can they actually close and give you that price? They need to be a great negotiator because that is going to help you when offers start rolling in. This agent should help guide you to the best offer, because it's not all about the price point. If you're just comparing all the price points, you're going to miss a lot of other details that might make one offer much stronger than the other offers. That could cost you money at the end of the day, or it could put you at a higher risk for that buyer backing out. They're going to advise you on negotiating and quantifying those details. We want to get you the offer that is the most secure for the most money, so that you can move on in your buying process and whatever's next for you!
WE‘RE HERE TO HELP YOU FIND A GREAT AGENT!
A great agent is going to make it clear what both of our responsibilities are and they'll do regular check-ins to make sure you're hitting the timeline to get the house to market. I always say our job as agents is to raise the flare when something's urgent and has to be done right away. They're going to make sure that you're on time so that you get the desired result. If you’re looking to sell and buy at the same time then we definitely recommend using the same agent for both due to all of the moving pieces. It will relieve so much stress having one partner you trust handling everything for you!
If you're thinking about selling your home, please reach out to us via wherewelivepodcast.com. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you choose an agent you like and that you trust and then trust them through the process. Don't forget to listen to Episode 39, What to Look for in a Realtor When Buying a Home and let us know if you have any further questions!
Until next time,
Brianna and Keelie