Hi this is Mary again. In the end, we looked at 1. how many houses they sold last year 2. how many they sold which were similar to ours and 3. how well they communicated. We had listed last fall, and were interviewing to re-list our house. We did NOT chose our original realtor because he wasn't the highest ranking of our three criteria. And his communication was a big disappointment the first time around. He promised more than he delivered. So far, the new realtor is doing very well with communication. We go back on the market next week; let's hope for a quick sale.

Mary,

I'm sorry I missed this post initially. You have probably decided by now. However, if you haven't there might be something in my blog (link below) that might help. Excuse the redundancy as a lot of what is in it has already been covered, particularly by Alan.

http://www.trulia.com/blog/rockinblu/2008/12/i_ve_got_my_fin…

There seems to be a lot of great answers here. The only thing I really want to add or repeat is that pricing the house is very important, but choosing the right agent is most important. I disagree that you have to "like" your agent as liking them won't sell the house. You want an agent that is going to be honest with you about the condition and the price. However make sure they have experience to back up their opinion. So as a few others have stated make sure they have sold some homes in the area recently. It would be best to see that they have sold homes in the area for quite some time as that would help reassure you that they know the market. Something else you should know which comes directly from NAR statistics is that when sellers were polled post sale about whether they would reuse the same agent that they just used if they had to do it over again, the number one reason for those that said no was because ot poor communication. So ask the agents how they intend to communicate with you and how often. The only good answer is the one that satisfies your expectations. So if you want an agent that will e-mail you monthly and that't it, then choose the agent that will satisfy that requirement. However if you want an agent that will provide bi-weekly reports via mail and weekly reports via phone, then make sure you are choosing an agent that will do that. Otherwise you will feel let down if the agent doesn't communicate as often as you would have preferred. In the end that lack of communication will break down the trust you have in the agent which may not be fair to either of you.

I hope that all helps. As mentioned there are many good answers to your question so take them all in.

Good Luck!

Kevin

Who has the lowest commission? You can get a listing for cheap ($500-1000). All you need is to have it on the MLS. If priced right buyers will come.

Good luck.

First - almost all agents will do exactly the same marketing (MLS, Open Houses, Flyers, etc.) You should look for someone that is delivering MORE than the norm. I personally have websites targeting specific areas (ie. Parkville ) that draw users from out-of-state and feature certain homes.

Second - Find an agent that can PROVE to you why they are suggesting the price point for your home. Unfortunately some will tell you your home is worth more than it is, just to get your business. This usually leads to price reductions later and a longer listing period; both of which cost you money in the long run when it appears to buyers there is some 'defect' with your home.

Bottom Line - Find someone you trust to be honest iwith you and have your best interest in mind.

Mary - Many great answers here. Here's some additional thoughts.

1) Make sure it's someone you like. You'll be working together for awhile so I think you should find someone you can connect and communicate with.

2) Makes sure the agent knows the price range your home is in and the area you live in. Also be sure they've recently sold homes in that price range and area.

3) Make sure your Realtor knows how to market to buyers on the internet. National Association of Realtors statistics show that 95% of the home buyers now search the internet to find their next home. Wouldn't it make sense to hire an agent that understands how to market directly to these buyers?

Ron Henderson

Mary,

Pricing and visibility are the BIG TWO factors when it comes to selling property. When it comes to selecting an agent there is much more that enters the equasion. Yes, you must have the home priced right to be able to sell it in a market such as the one we are in, but your agent must be able to convince you they are the best choice because they can sell it.

They need to:

share their specific plan to sell your home
be able to share their persoal comprehensive marketing plan
offer recommendations from previous happy customers
explain their companies marketing plan
show you a competitive internet presence
explain their plan to attract foreign buyers
share their sales volume for the last 6 months, 12 months, etc
explain how they will fend off "low ball" offers
Ask about their special accomplishments, "Top Producer", corporate recognitions, etc.

Your decision is an important one and should be based on your feeling the agent can be successful. This can be determined by asking the "tough" questions.

Don't overlook the fact that this person needs to be one you feel you can work closely with and trust.

Good luck
The Eckler Team

Mary,

Your "gut" feeling should be a good start. Comps are going to be close on all three I am sure, now is the time to evaluate each individual realtor and what they do more then the other two. For instance, are they listing your home on the MLS.. how do their websites compare? Were you given actual marketing pieces to compare to what the other person was doing? Print advertising? open houses? Start to define how much the actual person is going to do for you to sell your home.

And again, your gut feeling is usually the best to go with.

David, I haven't found the CMA portion to be irrelevant, as our area, the homes are dramatically different from house to house, and neighborhood to neighborhood.

So an agent's experience in knowing how to read the listing and neighborhood. Whether or not they've actually BEEN inside the comps, and their base of knowledge in knowing how to interpret the information they've garnered from the MLS database, very MUCH comes into play.

It's not uncommon to have 3 agents with widely varying opinions on price, based on the same closeds, actives and pendings.

This is one of my favorite questions. Of course market comps are the same. This is the misnomer from the general public that thinks the agent determines the price. The market determines what your home will sell for and it's your agent's job to just provide the information that is accurate and strategic. So that portion of the interview is irrelevant so as your three interviewees know how to do a simple CMA (comparable market analysis). Some of the previous questions posed to ask by another poster were good, but some were flawed in my opinion. "Do they do open houses" implies that open houses will sell homes. Seriously, do you really need to even like your realtor if you think that he/she has what it takes to get it sold. Don't worry about liking us, you have friends and so do we. Just hire the person that has the systems to provide your home with the greatest amount of exposure to the market, to potential buyers and to other agents who are working with buyers. Ask them what they do differently to market homes. Listen and choose the one who provides you with the best chance of selling. Last time I checked, personality doesn't sell homes. Ultimately, in this market, are you going to be willing to price your home strategically and work with the agent as well. It goes both ways, but once you select the agent who gives you the best chance of selling, trust that agent and work with them to accomplish the goal - and that is to SELL! Good luck!

I believe one that has proven where they market the homes via website listings and etc.

SOME REALTORS: "stick a sign in yard & MLS" that is it.

EXAMPLE: with our office when we receive a listing for Dallas home for sale, we market in some many different ways attract buyers or agent to our properties create traffic. Every Friday is marketing campaign for listings posted via menu of websites continual

Dallas Real Estate Agent and Mortgage Loan Officer
– Lynn A. Crosby

if the general "status quo" is the same.... (ie: same comps, same marketing plans).. then you want to begin looking at their statistics.

How many of "your style home" have they sold in the last 3 months, or a year
What was the "days-on-market" for those homes (were there any that didn't sell?)
What was their % of list to sell price... (from the original price, not the reduced price).
Are they "technologically sound" (which website will you be on?)
Do they take professional photos... do they post a virtual tour... do they do colour brochures?
How often will they keep you in touch... daily... every other day... weekly... what?
Do they do open houses (yes/no.... how often... why?)
Do they do broker's tours (yes/no... how often... why?)

If all of the above are still equal... then it comes down to personality. Which one do you feel the most comfortable with... go with your gut.

Good luck.