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How
To Ask The Right Questions Before You List Again!
Interview With Confidence....Make A Choice That Will Help You Sell Your Home Faster
And....For More Money!
Your listing has expired and now you’re wondering what to do. The most important
question you must ask is, "Where did I go wrong?". The answer is not
usually within you, but with the agent you entrusted. Be prepared with the right
information so you can interview your prospective agent with confidence and assure
you make the right choice this time.
With hundreds or even thousands of dollars at stake and weeks of time invested,
don’t risk making the same mistake twice. Make sure your next agent is eminently
qualified to sell your home. Don’t risk this decision out of obligation to
a friend, family member or acquaintance. Your listing has expired and it’s
easy to develop the identity of having a problem property in the market place.
Therefore, it’s vital important to choose the right agent this time around.
Typically, most people will ask business associates, family or friends to recommend
someone they’ve had good luck with... someone they can trust. Other sellers
will watch neighborhood real estate signs to see who is listing many of the homes.
Still others rely upon the reputation of the major national franchise companies.
Then, of course, there’s always the yellow pages. All of these methods
could prove to be disastrous!
Trust Your Instincts First!
When selecting an agent, he or she should be someone you feel good about, someone
you’re willing to trust with one of the largest financial transactions you
may ever make. This report is designed to empower you with the information necessary
to make the right decision before you arrive at the place where you’re ready
to sign on the dotted line again. Don’t allow the prospective agent to dictate
your time table. If an agent is impatient you should immediately consider them
suspect. Be careful.
Do Your Homework!
Ask For References From Past Sellers - Before you sign another listing
agreement, check out references from past sellers. Flattering letters praising
the agent’s work in a presentation book are a great start, but dig deeper.
Ask for telephone numbers and names of the past three sellers and names of at
least two current listings.
Know The Companies Reputation - Ask your business associates, family and
friends about the company or agent and listen carefully for the very first thing
they say. A company has a reputation in the community. Listen closely for it!
Call The Real Estate Commission - Call and ask about consumer complaints.
Be sure and take note of the number and nature but don’t base your entire
decision on this information. In a slow or declining market, agents will get more
complaints because the sellers are frustrated that their home isn’t moving
and they want someone to blame when it’s simply poor market conditions. Therefore,
always allow your prospective agent to explain any complaints and if their response
seems reasonable, take that into consideration. One other note: if an agent does
a large number of transactions per year, they will naturally be exposed to the
potential for more of these kinds of comments. If an agent isn’t doing anything,
they obviously won’t generate a complaint.
Call The Better Business Bureau - See if the agent has had any bad dealings
with his or her customers.
Ask For A Record Of The Agent’s Marketing Innovations - How are they
dealing with the current market conditions? Is there a plan to beef up their advertising
and marketing efforts to benefit the seller? Residential real estate has a long
history of economic cycles. The market is either hot, improving, static or declining
and with each cycle there has to be a plan to cope with the current market conditions.
Don’t Stop Asking!
Ask for a comparison chart of last year’s sales to this year’s sales.
How is the agent and company doing? Ask for a history of the agent; how many companies
have they been with and why did they change? If the reason is always money there
may be something wrong! Be careful because if your agent changes, companies your
listing belongs to the broker and you may get a new inexperienced agent as your
replacement... this could be very costly!
Final Questions
Ask For A Detailed Marketing Plan – Request a step-by-step plan of
the first four weeks, eight weeks and twelve weeks your home will be on the market.
Make sure your agent is utilizing the latest innovative technologies for generating
sales leads. There are now ways to literally generate leads 24 hours a day! These
new marketing tools will help sell your home faster and for more money!
Define Planning Times - Establish a time with your agent to go over the
marketing results within the first 15 days. Ask for all showings and feedback
from other agents. Help the agent understand that any news is good news because
it can help you make adjustments in your marketing plan.
If you follow these suggestions you’re sure to avoid the mistakes of the
past. Make sure you’re dealing with a competent professional... making the
right choice is worth thousands of dollars and a great sense of "peace of
mind."
We sincerely hope these tips and ideas are of value to you. If there is any way
we can be of service please contact our office. |
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your Real Estate Specialist, our job is to help you..... help you find a
home that meets your lifestyle, location and budget requirements within
the time frame that you need to purchase and occupy the home. 
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