Facebook
X
Pinterest
Copy Link
There are lots of people who "sell" real estate for a living. Being a Realtor is a very rewarding career. The availability of 
Realtors allows you to choose someone who you connect with and trust very easily. Connecting with your Realtor is a very important step towards selling a buying a home, and having someone you trust makes that decision much easier. There is a very fine line between a Realtor who "sells" a home, and a Listing Agent. You can't focus on both fields as a Realtor. Once you become a "Seller's Agent" (the industry term for someone who focuses on listing homes for sale) it directly changes your focal points. I personally do work with buyers as well, but my marketing and years of experience lend themselves to the nuances of being a Listing Agent. In this article, I wanted to give you a few questions that help differentiate buyer agents and seller agents, and hopefully it will help you make the best choice when finding the Realtor to sell your home! Following are some of the questions you should ask the agent your interviewing to sell your home (some of my inspiration for this article came from Hgtv.com)
1. How much? The BIG one. Oftentimes, the highest price isn't always the right price! After the agent gives you 
their CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) have them explain why they priced your house accordingly. If you were to ask 3 agents for pricing on your house, and 2 agents price your home at 250k and the other agent's price is 350k, you need to know why they priced your house so high. Your not in a competition to charge the most for your home, you trying to SELL your home and pricing too high in the market is a sure way to not selling.
2. How has the business changed in the last five years? This question will help you identify the listing agents marketing strategy. Our market in Pullman is very relational. People often do business with each other based solely on referrals. It is how we do things out here and trust is typically a non-issue. How we each use marketing is the differentiator. At Windermere, we have started several advice columns (like this one) and are working with our sellers to build individual websites for all our listings, while also working on our social media presence to reach more buyers. Steps like the above and asking about market changes will help you find the Realtor that identifies with your "kind of buyer."
3. What about your last deal surprised you? An easy way to find out about your Realtors personality. You want to make sure you get along and like how they answer this question!
4. May we contact your previous clients. Everybody knows at least a Realtor or two, but not everyone will recommend
a Realtor! Transparency is the name of the game, and in a small town like Pullman it is easy to check references about a specific Realtor. Do your homework! You won't make many decisions that are more important then buying or sellingyour home.
The above tips should help you develop a closer relationship with the Realtors your interviewing, helping you be more sure of your decision. If you have any questions about real estate and our market, please feel free to contact my office. Everyone knows that Chris Clark has one focus: Helping you List it, Sell it, and get on with your life.
