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Make sure you choose a real estate agent who will provide top-notch service and
meet your unique needs.
- How long have you been in residential real estate sales? Is it your
full-time job? While experience is no guarantee of skill, real estate —
like many other professions — is mostly learned on the job.
- What designations do you hold? Designations such as GRI and CRS —
which require that agents take additional, specialized real estate training
— are held by only about one-quarter of real estate practitioners.
- How many homes did you and your real estate brokerage sell last year?
By asking this question, you’ll get a good idea of how much experience the
practitioner has.
- How many days did it take you to sell the average home? How did that
compare to the overall market? The realtor you interview should have these
facts on hand, and be able to present market statistics from the local MLS
to provide a comparison.
- How close to the initial asking prices of the homes you sold were the
final sale prices? This is one indication of how skilled the realtor is at
pricing homes and marketing to suitable buyers. Of course, other factors also
may be at play, including an exceptionally hot or cool real estate market.
- What types of specific marketing systems and approaches will you use
to sell my home? You don’t want someone who’s going to put a For Sale sign
in the yard and hope for the best. Look for someone who has aggressive and
innovative approaches, and knows how to market your property competitively
on the Internet. Buyers today want information fast, so it’s important that
your realtor is responsive.
- Will you represent me exclusively, or will you represent both the buyer
and the seller in the transaction? While it’s usually legal to represent
both parties in a transaction, it’s important to understand where the
practitioner’s obligations lie. Your realtor should explain his or her
agency relationship to you and describe the rights of each party.
- Can you recommend service providers who can help me obtain a mortgage,
make home repairs, and help with other things I need done? Because realtors
are immersed in the industry, they’re wonderful resources as you seek lenders,
home improvement companies, and other home service providers. Practitioners
should generally recommend more than one provider and let you know if they
have any special relationship with or receive compensation from any of the
providers.
- What type of support and supervision does your brokerage office provide
to you? Having resources such as in-house support staff, access to a real
estate attorney, and assistance with technology can help an agent sell your
home.
- What's your business philosophy? While there's no right answer to this
question, the response will help you assess what’s important to the agent
and determine how closely the agent’s goals and business emphasis mesh with
your own.
- How will you keep me informed about the progress of my transaction? How
frequently? Again, this is not a question with a correct answer, but it
reflects your desires. Do you want updates twice a week or do you not want
to be bothered unless there’s a hot prospect? Do you prefer phone, e-mail,
or a personal visit?
- Could you please give me the names and phone numbers of your three most
recent clients? Ask recent clients if they would work with this realtor
again. Find out whether
they were pleased with the communication style, follow-up, and work ethic
of the real estate agent.
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