What Do You Need to Look for in a Listing Agent?

Congratulations, you have decided to make the big move and sell your home! To get started, you will likely start out with the next two steps – figuring out where to start decluttering and beginning the process of finding a listing agent.

The job of the listing agent is to relieve the burden of selling and market your home so it sells for the best price possible; however, sometimes finding the right person to work with can be overwhelming in itself especially if this is your first time selling a home. So, here are a couple of tips to help make the agent selection process smoother:

Interview Multiple Agents – You do not have to pick the first agent you meet with; it is okay to interview others and find the agent that best suits your needs.
Read Agent Reviews – There is already good chance you started on Google to find the agent you are interviewing, so take a quick second to check out their reviews and website. This will give you a better idea of who you are meeting with.
Ask About Marketing – It is easy to focus on price and comparable home sales as your home is your biggest investment, however, make sure they share their marketing plan with you. What are they going to do to make sure you have the best shot at getting the price you want?
Are the Photos Professional? – Photos are every buyer’s very first impression of the home. This is a very important question to ask (buyers can tell when photos were taken on a phone!).
Think About the Comps – When it comes to price, it is okay to already have an idea of what you want to sell for before the Realtor walks through the door. However, the past comparable home sales are very important when it comes to what the home can sell for. Make sure you listen to the research the Realtor has done and share any upgrades that you have made to the property. You may be able to sell your home for even more than you originally thought!
Go With Your Gut – This is the person that you will be working closely with, likely for at least a month or two. If you do not feel like your personalities are meshing or you are not feeling confident about things, go back to point #1 and interview someone else.

Picking the right listing agent is probably the most important thing you can do when selling a home, and these tips can help you ensure you are working with the agent that is best fit for you and your home. If you think our team can be the right fit for you, feel free to give us a call at 239-898-1841 or contact us through our website. We are happy to meet with you!