Hi Tanner
I agree with the mind set of going with the one you are comfortable with regardless of the 35 miles difference. If she brought you a plan you like, you communicate well with her and believe in her abilitites..these qualities are what count the most in your "team" approach to marketing your home for sale. You and the agent have to be on the "same page". Good luck with it - Geri

You should choose your agent because of their ability to market effectively, but more importantly, be able to communicate with them when needed and get your questions answered promptly and accurately. Where they personally live or where their office is located should have no relevance. If you feel like you can work with this agent, and they seem like they have the ability to get the job done, thats what matters.

Interview more agents who live in your immediate vicinity. You might be disappointed by the lack of attention that your property will receive. 35 miles is indeed quite a distance. I have seen many properties who get very little attention because the listing agent lives in a totally different part of town. I am not saying that the agent you like won't do the job property. If it were my house, I would list with someone who works my neighborhood. Tough call. Good luck.

Hi Tanner,

If you like the agent and feel she will do a good job for you, use her. There is no reason the agent needs to live close if she is good at few things. Times have changed and 80%+ of people begin their home search online. That's why all of the agents are here answering questions. If your agent has a good online presence, meaning you can find her properties easily by address, she has a good website where it is easy to find her listings, and if you do a google search for homes for sale in whatever area she is currently marketing, you should see her name or website in the first 2 pages of Google. If not chances are she will be lost in the bunch.
The most important thing is the communication that you have with her. If you can communicate well chances are you will be able to brainstorm well when offers are presented and you want to try to find a way to make the offers work. If she answers your phone calls every time you call or returns your calls promptly chances are she will do the same thing when people call her from the yard sign. Most people will not leave a message when making a "sign call" and they may be lost forever.

Follow your gut!
Good Luck!
Mike Schwiebert REALTOR
Watson Realty Corp.
Oakleaf Plantation Homes for Sale!

Check your realtors track record and her office to see if she has sold in this area. Check out the signs in your neighborhood, does she have other listings? The more signs, the more calls. The bigger the chance your house will a topic, when a buyer calls on your listings or others in the neighborhood. I get several calls a week off my signs, when the buyer says it isn't exactly what they want at least I have others to turn them on to.

Check your agents track record. How many homes has she sold in your area, how many have other agents in her office sold. Check out the yard signs in your area, does she have many others. Buyers call agents when they drive around, the more signs, the more listings, the more calls to turn a looker, into a buyer. I get several calls a week off my yard signs. If its not what a buyer wants, I turn them on to other properties in the same area.

Check your agents selling record, has she sold other homes in your area? Have agents in her office. Do they advertise in the area. 35 miles in my area doesn't work well for me, or offices in my area. Most buyers stop in because we are visable on the highway and they want to live in the 15 mile radius. A refferal from your agent to someone she could recommend cloaser to you would have them both working for the sale.

If you like her and she has a good marketing plan I don't see why not. It doesn't matter how close you are if you know how to market a home.

You will get a variety of answers on this as there are different views on this.

I list homes locally and in areas as far as 50 miles away. It sometimes is easier for me to do one locally in that I know all the schools, the stores, what to do, what is coming to the area, and these can all be important in selling a home. However, when I do a listing in a neighborhood I do not know I drive the area, ask questions, preview homes in various neighborhoods in the area and become very knowledgeable about the area. Although the local agents should know their area better, that is not always the case. Sometimes they recently moved to the area, or they just know what they are interested in or like.

The agent you like is correct in that she will unlikely be the buyers agent. She is only one agent, however there is likely thousands of other agents in the area and the chances are that one of them will actually bring the buyer. The one place is does hurt not to be local is in the case of a sign call. If an agent lives or works close to your home, and a buyer calls off the sign, the agent may be able to show it on short notice. The agent that is 35 miles away may have to schedule the showing and sometimes lose a showing because of this. Of course even the local agent may be busy and not be able to show the home, but sometimes will be able to show it on short notice.

My vote is to interview the agent you like along with a few others. Before you even meet them ask them to e-mail you links to all their MLS listings, links to their listings on Realtor.com, links to their websites, and any other info they can. Compare each agents websites and the listings. How do the listings look? Are they professional looking photos? How many photos? Are there virtual tours? Does the agent have any listings? How many?

After you compare all the agents online listings and marketing, invterview those that you are impressed with. Listen to their marketing plan and the suggested price they give you. Ask them how they will get your home sold? Have they been selling homes in this market? Make sure they are full-time Realtors.

I believe it is better to have a great listing agent that knows how to market and get your home sold whether they are local or 35 miles away. Not all agents are great at listing homes. Anyone can list one, but it is much harder to market and price a home to sell.

Jeff Launiere, P.A., e-PRO
Keller Williams Realty
Tampa, FL
813-469-3163
Info@SweetHomeTampa.com

This is a tough one. Normally, I would say go with whom you like the best, but 35 miles is quite a distance. Does his or her office advertise in the area where your home is located?

It depends on what you want from your agent. Being 35 miles away is a bit far--but this realtor may be willing to step up and perform.

Key questions--Does this agent know the area, and the comps? Nothing is more frustrating to a buyer's agent than having overpriced listings to show--I find that the homes listed from out of the area brokers tend to be higher priced, and consequently sit on the market for longer periods of time, and get little to no showings. If the house is not occupied, are they willing to periodically go by and check on the house--making sure that the doors have been locked, the lights have been turned off, and the ac hasn't been cranked down to 60! Are they going to put a lock box on the house, or are they willing to drive the 35 miles and show your home each time they have a showing? Also, have they sold any other homes in your immediate neighborhood recently?

When you say they have the best and most complete plan--what are they willing to do besides put it in the MLS, put a sign out front, and a lock box on the home? What are their "out of the box" marketing ideas? Hopefully, you are not only considering her because she gave you the highest listing price!

Personality is only part of the equation in getting your home to sell, especially in this market. You really need to make your decision based on who can SELL your house.

Go with your gut. 35 miles is not that big of a deal if she has been successful before, has a great reputation, and a good web presence. before you list your house, tell me about it. I have a customer looking in that area.
email terry@marianschaffer.com with some details.
Thanks
Marian Schaffer
The Schaffer Realty Group
877-866-8388