Thinking of selling? You'll probably interview one or more agents. You'll have them out to your home, receive their opinion of value, and talk about market conditions. Among these agents may be your next-door neighbor, your sister's friend, or some other family acquaintance, who just happens to have a real estate license. Before you sign a listing contract with anyone, you should ask the following important questions.

Warning: Some agents may not be prepared to answer such straightforward inquiries. Don't be uncomfortable. As a seller you have every right to know these things, and any professional agent should be happy to provide you with the answers. 

Are you a full time professional, or do you have another job besides selling real estate?
Your best bet is to hire someone who is experienced and is active full-time in the real estate business. You won't get full service from someone who's partially occupied elsewhere.

Do you have a specific marketing plan for my home, and will you commit to it in writing? 
Find out, ahead of time, exactly what your agent will or will not do to sell your home. Does the plan include featuring your home on the Internet, as well as aggressively marketing the property in your local area?

How many buyers/sellers did you work with last year? This year? How many of them bought/sold a home through you? 
An average agent closes at least 10-15 transactions a year but that is just average and this all goes back to that saying that 20 percent of the agents are doing 80 percent of the business.

Do you have letters of recommendation from past clients, and may I call them? 
Get the references and make the calls. One of the best ways to discover how someone will perform in the future is to investigate how they have acted in the past.

By having the answers to these questions up front, you can avoid misunderstandings, save yourself some grief and aggravation, and make certain that what you get from your agent is the same as what you expected.


If you are thinking of buying or selling, please call Smitha. 

Need advice on preparing your home for sale in the future? Smitha can help you with that as well. Call Smitha today.