Selecting The Best Realtor To Sell Your Home By Don Dowd

Real estate agents are a dime a dozen, and in a buyer's market like we have today, you need to do your due diligence to find one that will get you the results you're seeking. Though you can never know for sure if you are working with the right realtor, there are some questions you can ask to find out if the real estate agent you are talking to is likely to be worth your time. Here are 6 of them:

1. Are you a member of the National Association of Realtors?

Though being a member of this association does not necessarily guarantee you are working with a top real estate agent, not being a member is certainly one strike against them. Make sure the person you are considering has taken the basic step of becoming a member of the nation's largest real estate trade association.

2. How familiar are you with my local community?

Though a realtor can generally operate anywhere in their state, it is far better to seek the services of one that is based close enough to your neighborhood that he/she has extensive knowledge of your local market. If they are familiar with local trends, they will be better equipped to price your home appropriately.

How available are you?

This is one of the more important factors you need to consider when working with a realtor. Is it easy or difficult to get a hold of them? While it's understandable that real estate agents are sometimes unreachable while showing a house or in a closing, it's important that the agent you consider is considerate enough to be available to you as often as possible.

4. Are you well connected?

By this I mean does the realtor have a team of top professionals in other related industries that they can name off the top of their head as partners that they work closely with? These would include mortgage brokers, appraisers, home inspectors, stagers, and even real estate magazines.

5. What kind of marketing methods do you employ?

If you want to know how effective a realtor is, you can often tell by how much time and effort they spend marketing each home. In a buyer's real estate market with so much available inventory out there, sellers need to do everything they can to get as many potential buyers as possible going through their home. There is no shortcut to getting eyeballs on your home. It takes marketing-pounding the pavement. For this reason, it's important to work with a full time realtor that has several different marketing techniques at their disposal.

6. Are you a good negotiator?

When it comes time to negotiate the sale, you want to have a realtor on your side that will skillfully represent your interests. If not, you may not get the best possible price for your home. Ask the real estate agent you are considering what kind of commission split they have between them and their company. For most, the answer will be 50/50. This is the sign of an average realtor. But a select few will answer 70% or more for themselves. If they were able to negotiate a good deal for themselves, then it is far more likely they have the skills to negotiate a good deal for you too.