Thinking of selling your home? First of all, you must start from the premise that the Job Description of a Listing Agent is very different from that of a Buyer’s Agent. While some agents wear both hats well, most are better Buyers Agents than they are Listing Agents. Remember Buyers Agents are just showing homes to buyers until they fall in love with what they want. Listing agents have to walk sellers through the tough decisions of negotiating the best deal for their home, oftentimes giving sellers information they do not want to hear.
When was the last time you went through the process? Chances are things have changed a bit since the last time your home was on the market. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 90% of prospective buyers begin their search on the internet. Given this statistic alone, there are several questions that should immediately come to mind when interviewing listing agents for the job.
· What is your presence on the internet?
· On how many sites will my listing appear?
· Who will take the pictures of my home that will appear on the internet?
· Do you have a lead capture mechanism in place so you can follow up with buyers who click on
my listing?
· What are buyers looking for when they are surfing the net?
· How do you plan to maximize my home’s exposure?
Then, some other things you might consider asking agents you are considering hiring:
· Who will you market my home to?
· How do you expect to reach them?
· Will you personally be holding Open Houses?
Another key is communication. In a soft market like the one we find ourselves in today, it is very important to have a listing agent with real sales experience. It takes more than just waiting for an agent to bring a buyer. I use Central Showing Service (CSS), and independent third party company to schedule my appointments. That way I have a log of each and every showing on each of my listings. I have the agents name and contact information. I schedule two feedback request emails to go out to these agents, asking what their buyers thought and if I can provide them with any additional information.
Many agents do not send any feedback and many others return comments like, “early in the process” or “I showed 25 houses and don’t remember this one” or “ this one won’t work for my client”. None of these responses provide any information, constructive or otherwise.
Each week, I call each of the agents who have shown any of my listings. I thank them for showing and tell them I would love to work with them. Then I begin a litany of questions to determine what it was about the house they didn’t care for? What they chose and why, so I can determine who we are competing with? Finally I ask what if anything we could change to eliminate and negativity about the home?
I cannot tell you how important this communication is for all the parties. A listing in this market needs to be worked. If the agent you are interviewing is not capable of doing this, you ought to look elsewhere.
Many sellers choose their friends to list their home. Others choose whoever sent them the last flyer. And still others want someone who lives in their neighborhood. I cannot emphasize how important this decision is. This is one of the most important financial decisions you will make in your lifetime. Take the time to ensure you get the highest possible price for your home, in the shortest amount of time with the least inconvenience, by diligently evaluating your options and hiring the most capable listing agent.
Please call Judy Switzer & Associates for your Listing needs in and around Dallas and the Metroplex. Judy graduated with a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and Advertising. She spent over a decade in sales in corporate America before getting her real estate license in 1989, and her broker’s license a few years later. She can be reached at 214-801-7273 or at judy@JudySellsDallas.com.
