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Since October 2009
There may be many determined Realtors for you, but the first question is where are you?
I recommend that you ask family and friends who have used a Realtor. If they are happy with their Realtor and the Realtor services your area, that is your best bet.
When you do decide to move forward, here are a few things you may want to to ask the agents you interview:
-What percentage of your business focuses on sellers and listings? (as opposed to buyer driven transactions)
-How much did you spend advertising your listings last year? (All Realtors will know this, especially since it is approaching April 15th. Be wary of those who rely only on free or inexpensive routes..you can do "free" yourself!)
-Where do you spend the bulk of your advertising money, and how has that source proven effective for you?
-Do you have your own website? How many hits do you average per month? (Not a company website with your photo. A website such as "RealEstateCompany.com/agent name" is a giveaway that it is a company site!)
-What is your specialty? Ask for proof in the form of listings and sales.
-What is the most recent marketing change you have made, and why? (A good Realtor should always be on the lookout for the next best thing in terms of marketing. Tracking marketing results lets you know that the agent is on top of things, a leader rather than a follower.)
-Where did you rank last year in terms of sales (in your company)? A top producer will know this number and be happy to share it with you!)
-How many listings do you market at any one time? (Make sure they have enough to make you feel comfortable, but not so many that your home gets lost in the shuffle and becomes a number.)
Whatever you decide to do, good luck! I hope this information is helpful to you.
Thanks for the kind words rockinblu.
Stew235, I think you took my comment to suggest a listing agent does nothing when in fact I simply stated it is the seller who is selling. My point is don't blame the listing agent when you cat litter box is full during a showing or you leave your dog tied up in the back yard. One of my favorites are all those cute drawings by the 4 year old stuck on the fridge. Or what about the "No today won't be good for us." answer when I try to set up a showing. Then of course there is the denial about a problem discovered by the home inspector.
All too often seller and listing agent can be at odds with each other. An agent can do everythng right and still hears, "But Joe down the street sold his for a lot more two years ago." when presenting a suggested price.
It is the agent that exposes the property, it is the seller who has to put on a show every day. I think the biggest mistake listing agents make (and I am guilty much of the time) is not taking sellers out to look at half a dozen homes so they can see things like a buyer sees them.
Since October 2009
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Need a determined realtor
tone3982
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