How Do You Pick a Real Estate Agent?
Understanding how to pick a real estate agent when selling your house is vital to your success. The article will summarize the following points:
- Why picking the right Realtor will be an essential part of having success.
- Identifying agents that know how to market online.
- Not picking an agent who posts your home on the multiple listing service and not much more.
- Increasing your odds of success by going through a thorough interview process.
- Avoiding the most common mistakes of picking the wrong real estate agent.
- Identifying you have made a mistake choosing your agent and takes steps to rectify the problem.
- Not selecting an agent based on the market value they give you for your property.
- Understanding the importance of a real estate commission and not choosing a discounter.
Many people wonder how to pick a Realtor. Without a doubt picking the right real estate agent when selling a home is one of the most critical aspects to having success. Unfortunately for whatever reason, lots of people don’t take the selection a real estate agent seriously enough.
It is not hard to understand why there are so many complaints from consumers about bad experiences with the real estate agent they have chosen.
Getting into the real estate industry is far easier than it should be. You would think that when people are dealing with what is usually someone’s largest asset, the bar would be set high for who can do that.
Clearly far too often this is not the case! Knowing how to select a real estate agent remains a low priority for numerous consumers.
You have to ask yourself why someone will put finding a good hair stylist over choosing an exceptional real estate agent. Many people are throwing their hard earned money down the drain because they don’t think who represents them matters. Oh Boy is that wrong!
For this reason, I have put together a field guide for why selecting the right real estate agent is critical.
After reading, you may even decide that knowing how to fire your Realtor is important!
Is Your Real Estate Agent A Post And Pray Realtor?
A great Realtor can be a treasured asset to your home sale, but only if that Realtor is doing his or her job right. Some Realtors, unfortunately, are more of the “post and pray” type, choosing to put up a sign, posting in the multiple listing service (MLS), and then forgetting about you.
But for your Realtor to get the job done, he or she needs to be out networking, getting the word out about your home and drawing in prospective buyers.
You can easily spot the difference between a quality real estate agent and one who is more the post and pray type. A quality agent will have a strong online presence, including a website and blog, and will have plenty of current references that speak positively, will create detailed descriptions of your home for listings, will use video tours and slide shows, and will communicate regularly with you throughout the entire sales process.
Any agent that fails to meet these criteria is probably not someone you want helping you sell your valuable real estate.
I have coined the term post and pray Realtor. This is an article worth reading. Selecting a Real Estate agent is not something that should be taken for granted!
Choose A Realtor By Asking Great Real Estate Interview Questions
There is probably no shortage of real estate agents in your town. While it is nice to have so many different choices, the fact is that many of these agents are not necessarily the best choice to help you sell your home.
You want someone who is excellent at their job, not someone who only works in half measures. This is why it is important that you ask the right questions when you are choosing your real estate agent.
You want to interview some agents using questions that show what they are made of.
- You can ask how long they have been in real estate?
- How many homes have they sold in the last year?
- How many of those sales were near the original listing price?
- How long did each of those listings take to sell?
- If they have an assistant, and if they are confident using the internet to sell a home?
The answers they give will tell you what you need to know.
See what are the best interview questions to ask a real estate agent to increase your chances of a prudent choice. You can also see more ways to pick a listing agent at Realtor.com.
Top Home Seller Mistakes When Selecting A Real Estate Agent
Your agent will be on the front lines in the battle to sell your home, working as your advocate and ensuring that you get the best price for your real estate. This is why it is so unfortunate that many owners fail to select a quality Realtor, leaving them with an agent that may or may not get them the best price.
Some of the most common mistakes when selecting a Realtor center around only using one criterion for selection, like choosing a friend or neighbor, choosing someone that sold a ton of homes – even though those sales were all for far below the original asking price.
Sellers may choose a Realtor because they like his or her personality, which is not bad, but you should be focused on tangible evidence of ability.
You want to select a Realtor that has sold homes recently, quickly, and for close to the price he or she listed them at. If he or she is also your friend, great, but the focus should be selling ability.
Signs You Hired The Wrong Realtor
Sometimes you may have an excellent feeling about a Realtor at the beginning and hire the person. Or maybe you felt like you had no time to interview agents, so you just went with the first option that came along.
Your decision may be a lucky one, and you may get a great agent. But maybe not. There are some signs you can look for to help you determine the quality of your Realtor, and if you might need to get another one.
Some signs you should be looking for in a low-quality Real Estate agent include lack of confidence, failure to use all the resources available – like the internet, folding quickly in negotiations, no communication, being disorganized, offering too little advice, being too pushy, and appearing desperate.
If you notice any of these qualities in your Realtor, you should probably have a talk with him or her – or just hire a different agent. There are plenty of real estate agents out there that have the necessary qualities to get the job done. See how to tell you picked a bad Realtor. Contact one now.
Real Estate Agents Misleading Sellers On Market Value
When an agent tells you that your house is worth a lot of money, it can be a great feeling. They are supposed to be the experts, after all. But the price the real estate agent tells you may not be what your home is worth, especially if the agent is trying hard to get new clients.
It is an unfortunate reality that some agents will over inflate a home’s value to draw in customers, then when the home does not sell, will drop the price to something that is more competitive.
The owner is desperate at that point, and the Realtor gets a sale.
This is a strategy some agent have to get business. In fact, it is the reason why Realtors will take an overpriced listing. This is the worst type of real estate agent for a lot of reasons but the most important one being they are DISHONEST!
Consumers should understand that intentionally misleading a seller on market value is one of the worst things a real estate agent can do.
In fact, it is expressly forbidden in the code of ethics all Realtors need to follow. Here is the language we are bound by as Realtors.
- Standard of Practice 1-3
REALTORS®, in attempting to secure a listing, shall not deliberately mislead the owner as to market value.
This is why it is so important for home sellers to talk to multiple real estate agents before they hire anyone. Even if one Real Estate agent over inflates the price of your home, others may be more conservative and base the price on real evidence.
These are the kinds of agents you want because it is tough to recover from overpricing a home when you first put it on the market. Real Estate agents who mislead homeowners on value should be avoided at all costs!
Hiring A Top Producing Realtor Can Make A Big Difference
When you go to sell your house, you naturally want to make as much money as you can from the sale.
But what many homeowners do not realize is that getting a sale, and selling for a decent price, is not usually something that happens with no effort.
It takes a lot of hard work, which is what a real estate agent is for. When you try to cut costs by going with a cheaper Realtor, you may be damaging your ability to sell your house – especially if you want it sold quickly and for a high dollar amount.
A top producing Realtor is where he or she is at for a reason. This person knows how to sell, and even if he or she charges a higher commission, the work was done by the Realtor more than makes up for the increased cost.
You can go with a lower commission agent, but that agent may not do what needs to be done to accomplish your sales goals and get you a great price on your home.
See why hiring the best real estate agent makes a difference.
Why a Real Estate Commission Split Matters
The split between a seller’s agent and a buyer’s agent is not set in stone, which has allowed some cheaper brokerages to start cutting corners and offering lower payouts to agents.
While every agent is happy to work for their money, the fact is that no agent is willing to work for virtually free. When a property comes on the market with a low commission, there is a good chance that some Realtors will avoid showing the property to their clients. This is bad news for everyone.
As a seller, you should be aware of the commission that agents are getting from your sale, and you should make sure that it is competitive in your market.
If it is not, you risk running into major problems when you try to move your home. If no one sees the home, no one will make an offer.
Even if the home is shown, the agent may talk the buyer out of purchasing it. This doesn’t happen because you don’t have a desirable property – it happens because the agent doesn’t want to make less money!
When selling quickly and for a good price is important to you, make sure the commission is always reasonable. Weak Real Estate agents will often cut commission for no other reason than they have no business and are in desperate need of acquiring some!
See why the real estate commission offered matters quite a bit in the overall success of selling a home as well as what you ultimately put in your pocket.
Hopefully, all of the above resources have been helpful in understanding how to choose a real estate agent!
Other Resources From Top Agents on Selecting a Realtor
- Mistakes made when choosing a Real Estate Agent via Rochester Real Estate Blog.
- Hire a family member only if they are the best choice via Great Colorado Homes.
- Is your Realtor a trusted adviser via Frederick Real Estate Online.
- What successful real estate agents avoid via Immoafrica.
- What to look for in a real estate agent via RIS Media.
- 16 ways to know you hired a real estate clown via Buzzfeed.
- Why should I pick you to sell my home via Imagine Your House.
- Why you need a Realtor Via Selling Warner Robbins.
- Things to consider when selecting a Realtor via MADHomesUtah.com
Use these additional helpful resources to make sure the Realtor you choose to represent your best interests is the right one! If you have not figured it out by now, the real estate agent you want can go a long way to the success you have in selling your home.
About the Author: The above Real Estate information on the how to pick a Realtor was provided by Bill Gassett, a Nationally recognized leader in his field. Bill can be reached via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-625-0191. Bill has helped people move in and out of many Metrowest towns for the last 32+ Years.
Are you thinking of selling your home? I have a passion for Real Estate and love to share my marketing expertise!
I service Real Estate sales in the following Metrowest MA towns: Ashland, Bellingham, Douglas, Framingham, Franklin, Grafton, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Natick, Northborough, Northbridge, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Sutton, Wayland, Westborough, Whitinsville, Worcester, Upton and Uxbridge MA.
It seems to be a principle in this world that you get what you pay for. If I pay for the top realtor it’s almost a guaranteed victory in my mind. When I was younger my parents weren’t that well off. When we had to move we had to hire cheap. It took a long time to sell our house because of that.
It is so true when it comes to picking a real estate agent. So many sellers do not take the necessary time to go through a thorough interview process. They then make mistakes like picking the agent they like best or gives them the highest value instead of treating it like a business transaction.
This is some great information, and I appreciate your suggestion to choose a Realtor based on more than one criteria. I know how to pick a real estate is really important. My husband and I are going to be selling our home, and this is our first time doing so, so we need someone to guide us through this situation. We’ll definitely find a well-rounded individual instead of picking someone based on only one thing, like personality. Thanks for the great post!
You make a great point about the work it takes to get a good price for your home. I know there are areas of focus like the kitchen and landscape that make a huge difference. These are things a real estate agent does for a living and can help you with.
I like your tip on finding a realtor that is a top producer. I would imagine that finding someone who has done a lot of successful business would be a really good way to ensure you get the best price for your home. My husband and I are looking to sell our home so when we find a real estate agent we’ll be sure to find someone who is a top producer.
Not a lot of people take the time to actually interview their real estate agent before they actually go and hire them, so it’s great that the article gives some advice on what kinds of questions people should ask. I especially like the question about how many homes they sold in the last year that were close to their original listing price. After all, if you’re going to go through the effort of selling your home you want to make sure that you’ll get the money you want out of it, especially if you put money into it for upgrades and remodeling.
I appreciate your idea on how a strong Realtor will have a good online presence. I would imagine that finding someone who has a good website and blog would be really helpful for selling your home. My husband and I are looking fro a real estate agent to help sell our home so we’ll be sure to find someone who has a strong online presence.
I always thought I could handle selling my house or buying a new house by myself. But I’ve recently discovered that I don’t have enough time to do it all by myself. I like how you mention that you’ll want to choose a real estate agent by interviewing them and specifically asking them how many homes they’ve sold in the last year. Finding an agent who has sold a lot of homes will increase your chances of selling your own house.
My cousin and his wife have been trying to sell their home for a couple of months now and haven’t been having any luck. You stated that when you try to cut costs by going with a cheaper Realtor, you may be damaging your ability to sell your house – especially if you want it sold quickly and for a high dollar amount. Do most real estate agents or realtors have a network set up to help them find eligible buyers? Hiring an experienced realtor could be very valuable.
Thanks for the tips for hiring the best real estate agent. I like how you described the “post and pray” kind of agent. I would definitely not like having an overpriced house on the market for months without selling!
I really like how you mention that your real estate agent will be on the front lines in the battle to sell your home. Since I have no real estate experience, I know I will have a hard time selling my house on my own and it will probably take twice as long than if I had an agent on my side. It will also be nice to get advice from someone who has sold a lot of houses. Thanks for sharing this helpful article!
I agree that a lack in organization or communication can help us to be more cautious when finding a Realtor. We are all so different and work better with different personalities but we need someone with the essential qualities. When it comes to house hunting, it’s especially important to feel like you can talk with your Realtor comfortably and effectively to find what you’re looking for.
My brother is trying to find a home big enough for his family and needs some help. Thanks for the advice about how a quality agent will have a strong online presence. Another thing to look for is a real estate agent is local to the area. That way, they will be able to find the right homes for you to look at quickly.
This article rightly points out the general tendency of the seller to over price the property, what sellers tend to forget is that such a proposition may end up wasting a lot of their time without selling the property. Also liked the reference made to ‘post and pray’ realtors who do exist.
I agree that it’s important for you to have good questions to ask your real estate agent so that you can find someone who has the amount of experience you want. Along with that, I think that having these good questions to ask can help you see what it’s like to communicate with your real estate agent. It’s important you learn this early on as you will be working closely with your agent and it helps to have someone that you are more comfortable sharing your concerns and expectations with.
I do like that you caution people against choosing a realtor that just posts your house and then forgets about you. A good realtor will be invested in getting your house sold and will actually have a strategy to do it. They’d also ideally keep in good contact with you so that you can remain updated on the status of your home.
It’s great that this article explains how asking the right questions when you meet with your real estate agent is a great way to learn what they are made of so you can choose one that is excellent at their job. Creating a list of potential questions beforehand would probably help you be prepared for the meeting so you can be calm while talking to them and not forget anything important. When creating your list, it would probably be a good idea to make sure you add things that are specific to the home you’re selling or what you are looking for to purchase in order to make sure you choose a real estate agent that offers the services you need for your situation.
I think it is awesome that you caution people against choosing a real estate agent based solely on one criteria. Instead, there should be multiple factors you look at when choosing the real estate agent that will best work with you. In particular, things like experience and trustworthiness should be on the top of your list of things to look for.
My parents left me a house when they passed and I want my family to live there that’s why my wife and I decided to sell our own, have the old house renovated with the money, then move in. I agree that making an agreement about the sale commission would be a good place to start. It is not good to have a huge chunk of money taken from your house’s payment to pay for a realtor but further consideration needs to be taken into account for that. Thanks for the great tips!