11 Things to Think About When Choosing an Agent to Sell Your Home

Love Selling Your Home Series—Week 1

This series, Love Selling Your Home: How to Sell Your Home with As Little Hassle and Biggest Profit As Possible, is a step-by-step guide that covers everything you need to know to sell your home in today’s market, from finding a real estate agent   to settlement day.

The first step when planning to sell your home is finding the right real estate agent to represent you and your home. You want an agent with processes in place that will make selling your home a positive experience. Your agent should not only get you the most money in the shortest amount of time but also be a partner, keeping you informed and happy throughout the process.

Here’s what you need to consider when looking for an agent to sell your home:

1. Recommended by friends, family, and co-workers. Reaching out to family and friends for their feedback on agents they have worked with is a great way to get an honest description of what they went through. A critical question to ask is would they use this agent again? Other questions to ask your friends are, how does the agent communicate, did the agent keep them updated on where they were in the process, did the agent help resolve issues that may have come up.  Remember to do your research as well, look at the agent’s website, read their blog posts to see if they are passionate about and engaged with real estate, especially working with sellers. You don’t have to go with the first agent you speak with but remember you will have to sign a listing contract that can be for 3-6 months or longer depending on your home and the market for it.
2. Specializes in the type of home you’re selling and your specific neighborhood.  A great agent whose focus is Long Island may not be the best agent for your Westchester home.  It’s better to limit your search to agents local to your neighborhood who are familiar with your type of home. You can always have that out of area agent refer you to someone local to your neighborhood. An agent who is experienced in your area and knows your town will know how to market your home to the buyers who are focused on your location and type of home. A local agent will also know how to help you competitively price your home, so you start off strong attracting the right buyers for a successful sale.
3. Collaborates with other agents to give your home the inside edge. You want an agent who collaborates with other agents to get the word out about your home before it goes live on the market. You want someone who knows how to capture the attention of other agents, so they are aware of your home and bring it to the attention of their clients as soon as possible. When appropriate you want someone who will host broker open houses so other agents can preview your home and identify clients who would be interested in buying your home.
4. Takes the time to listen to you and discover what your goals are for selling your home.  A good agent takes the time to understand your situation. They will ask questions about your reason for selling, is there a life event such as a job opportunity you need to relocate for or have you simply outgrown your current home. They will ask questions about your home, is there an interesting or unique story that will capture buyer’s interest.  These are just a few of the questions that will help ensure the marketing plan for your home targets the right buyers. While this can take a little time your agent will then know what parameters they are working with, what your timeframe is, what your deal breakers are, etc. By gathering this information up front your agent will put together a strong marketing plan and be prepared to negotiate successfully on your behalf.  
5. Provides a specific strategy for selling your home to the right target market. Your agent should be able to layout their marketing plan for your home, from helping you prepare your home for showing it, to attracting buyers who are ready, willing, and able to purchase your home. It’s important to attract as many buyers as possible, but they need to be the right buyers for your home. Do they feel an open house will attract serious buyers or just curious neighbors? Find out how they will use social media and other online resources to get the word out.
6. Gives honest feedback on how to make your home shine for buyers. A good agent will take the time to go through your home with you and identify where updating or a little freshening up is needed, repairs you may need to consider, and if staging is needed to make your home shine. Then they can recommend contractors, painters, and stagers from their network to help you get the work done. They can also help you decide if the upfront costs of updates you were considering will help you sell more quickly and for more money so you understand the potential return on your investment.
7. Communicates clearly and regularly. Your agent should be flexible about communications and willing to use your preferred method of communication, phone, email, or text. They should respond in a timely manner and clearly outline their communication processes.  They should also be reaching out to you with updates on your home, feedback from buyers, and any strategy updates they recommend. A good agent takes the feedback from clients and uses it to discuss changes that may be needed to your home or the marketing strategy. There is nothing more frustrating than having an agent who is hard to reach or does not keep you updated on a consistent basis. It’s important to work with an agent who keeps you informed throughout the entire process, while your home is actively listed, under contract and right up until closing day and beyond.
8. Negotiates well and always has your back. Selling your home is an emotional time. It is also a business transaction, and your agent needs to be able to handle all aspects of the transaction, especially the negotiations that happen throughout. Your agent needs to be able to negotiate a great price as well as inspection issues that may arise. You want an agent who assertively protects your interests while keeping the deal moving forward without alienating buyers by playing dirty. Find out what strategies your agent uses, especially when dealing with multiple offers. Find out about past sales and how close the sale price was to the list price.
9. Makes you comfortable. It’s important that you trust and feel comfortable with your agent. Your agent should encourage and welcome any questions you have as well as any concerns.  You want an agent who understands that opening your home to strangers can be worrying and difficult. Selling a home can be stressful as well as exhausting. It’s important that you pick an agent who not only understands this but helps alleviate the issues that bring on the stress.  An agent with a sense of humor and the ability to stay calm under pressure will help you navigate through the process as painlessly as possible.
10. Views real estate as a financial tool that can empower your life. Selling your home is one of the largest financial transactions of your life and you want to make sure you do it right. Owning a home can change your life for the better and your agent should not only recognize this but understand how it impacts your financial security going forward. Selling your current home can be a steppingstone to building wealth as you move to a larger home or to one in a better location. Your agent should help you realize your dreams while keeping you grounded so you don’t take on more risk than you are comfortable with.
11. Never says good-bye. A good agent will respect your loyalty and may reward you if you’re a returning client or plan to both sell and buy with them. See if they have a loyalty program and what that might include. No matter what, your agent shouldn’t view this one transaction as the end of your relationship but just the beginning — expect them to be there for you over the long-term and ready to work with you when it’s time to sell and move on again. Plus, they should be someone you can trust and turn to with any of your homeownership concerns – a real estate resource for life!

Look out for next week’s article in our series Love Selling Your Home: Minimize Your Stress, Maximize Your Profit. We will discuss if your home is “sellable” and help you determine its “sale-ability factor.” It’s an important consideration in today’s market.