May 10
10
How to Find a Good Realtor
Author: Lyle Evans
Real estate is a huge market with many agents signing up
regularly. Picking the right agent or deciding if you should
use a realtor at all are decisions that can affect your
bottom line.
Things to consider before signing up with a realtor?
Time frame for selling your home can be a determining factor
in deciding if you need a realtor or not. If you are in a
hurry to sell because of a change of job, etc., you may want
to list with a good agent, after doing your homework. If you
have time to sell your home, you may consider selling it
yourself if you need the equity money for a down payment. If
you do decide to sell it yourself, you will want to put even
the smallest details into the contract. This will help avoid
problems later.
Doing a little homework to find the right agent can help
you sell more quickly and help you have a positive
experience. Always interview several agents before deciding
on one. Here is a list of potential questions to ask:
* Where do they do their marketing? How will they get your
home the exposure you need to sell? Do they advertise in the
real estate magazines, TV, radio, newspaper or other
publications? Ask them to give you specific details and
describe successes they have had with their advertising.
* What is their background? How long have they been an
agent? How many houses have they sold?
* How long does it typically take them to sell a home? What
price range of homes do they list? Are they generally within
the same price range or do they go after the really
high-priced homes in order to make a higher commission? How
many homes do they represent at one time?
* Have they sold homes similar to yours before and what
success have they had? Get names and address of satisfied
customers from the agent.
* Is the prospective agent with a reputable agency and a
member of the state and national Realtor Associations?
* What is the commission percentage they are willing to
accept? See if they will list your home at a lower
percentage. (A word of caution to the seller. Don’t list
with an agent who has really low commission percentages.
They will not focus or give your property the necessary
attention to sell it.) Most realtors want six or seven
percent commission. If you can get them to work for a
percentage point or two lower commissions, that is money in
your pocket.
* Will they refund part of their commission if you also
purchase a home with them? Some realtors will give you up to
one percent of their commission back if you use them for
both selling and buying.
The key is to find the agent that will work with you, give
you good service and has a good track record. Again beware
that some agents list lots of properties but have a very low
success rate.
Tell the prospective agent that you will only sign a
contract that gives you the ability to cancel the contract
if you are not satisfied with their progress after a
predetermined amount of time. If the agent tells you that
that’s not possible, ask whether you can list the property
for three or four months instead of a year. Listing the
property for an entire year with one agent is not
recommended. If you list for a year with an agent that does
not work your property or get you results, you are locked in
for a long period of time. Avoid agents that require you to
lock in for a year. Remember you, the seller, are in control
because you are hiring them. There are lots of real estate
agents and you can find one that has good credentials and
will be flexible on the length of time required to list with
them. Also be sure that when you finish listing with an
agent that they will release your property so that you can
pursue other options if your property has not sold.
These tips should help you if and when you need a real
estate agent. Remember you as a seller call the shots. If
you find the right agent, you will increase your chances of
selling your home and should have a good experience.
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© Simple Joe, Inc.
Lyle Evans is a quality control specialist for Simple Joe,
Inc., makers of the popular Simple Joe’s Expense Tracker PC
software. Expense Tracker is a quick and simple way to keep
track of your expenses and stay within your budget. Ex
pense Tracker is ideal for tracking personal, business, home
and club expenses.. This article may be freely
distributed as long as the copyright, author’s information
and an active link (where possible) are included.