What ?'s to ask a realtor when interviewing them?

Question

What are some good questions to ask a realtor before I list a house with them?

Answer 1

1. Are they full time or part time? I would want someone working full time on selling my house - not as a hobby or a sideline.

2. What is their marketing plan, in writing, with examples (see what $$$ they are spending already on advertising, color flyers, etc., for current or past listings - not what they SAY they will do for you in the future).

3. What will they do online to maximize exposure (do they have a company and/or individual website? do they have Enhanced Realtor.com or just the generic, free version with one picture and limited text? what other websites do they use?)

4. Will they do a virtual tour? Every house deserves a virtual tour - and this is extremely important for online shoppers.

5. What sales have they made in the past year? Ask for MLS printouts verifying same.

6. Get a list of references of current and past customers and plan to call one or two of them.

If the agent is brand new and doesn't have any sales or past marketing examples, or references, that's ok. Everybody is new at something at some point in their careers. Ask for a marketing plan in writing and some information about their past careers to see if this is someone who is taking the job seriously and willing to use his/her broker's resources. New agents can be wonderful if they are devoting all their fresh energy to the job and have a supportive broker.

7. Ask for a Comparable Market Analysis for recent like sales in similar neighborhoods in writing and make sure you understand what it is suggesting.

8. Keep an open mind on the sales strategy - particularly competitive pricing. Your house is only worth what someone will pay for it - not what you WISH it could sell for. If you think your house is worth more than a neighbor's listing, make an appointment with your agent to see that house and understand the competition. You could be wrong.

Good luck and best wishes!

Answer 2

1. What will they do to sell your house?
2. What price do they think they can get? (Judge them on their research, rather than the price).
3. How many houses have they sold in the last 2 years?
4. What commission rate will they charge?
5. Can you have the name of some of their previous clients to call as a reference.

Answer 3

Check out www.Zillow.com they have an entire section about what to do to sell your home including questions to ask your listing agent.. here is a link...

http://www.zillow.com/wikipages/Choosing-a-Real-Estate-Listing-Agent

Also I would be happy to reffer you to a few good agents in your area, I work for a National Company and have contacts just about everywhere. Best of luck!!