Your guide to hiring the listing agent who can set you up for success.
Your home is where you’ve lived and loved, where you’ve laughed and cried, where you’ve huddled and snuggled.
You’re the pea, your home is the pod. And you’ve been through a lot together.
Now that it’s time to put it on the market, you’re likely experiencing some sadness, plus plenty of anxiety. Because really: How often does your future depend on selling your past? If you’re a little overwhelmed, we don’t blame you.
But there’s also good news: You don’t have to go it alone. A listing agent (like us) has your back when it comes to the financials, like setting a listing price and marketing, staging, and making repairs to your house. He or she can also help you navigate more personal issues, such as your timeline, and what you’re hoping to achieve with the sale.
For all of those reasons, it’s important to find an expert who is right for you and your specific situation, and who can help you get what you want. Here’s how.
Know What a Listing Agent Can Do for You
Before you start interviewing prospective agents (including us), have a clear sense of what you want to get out of the selling process. When so much money is on the table, it’s crucial to know what your goals are, so that you can find an agent who really speaks to them.
Then, it helps to understand what a listing agent does (other than sell your most valuable asset — no big deal).
The listing agent will:
- Work with you to price your home
- Market your home (we’re talking pretty pictures, 3D virtual tours, social media promo, postcards – the works)
- Negotiate with home buyers
- Usher the home sale through inspection and closing
Now, let’s break all of that down …
Pricing Your Home.
This is the BIG question, right? How do I set the price? The short answer is you’ll need to trust your agent to recommend a smart listing price.
So how can you tell whether an agent — a relative stranger to you — is choosing the best price for your home? You need to do two things:
- Know, generally speaking, what your property is worth. Do your own research on the prices of local comps, (but understand the limits of online property sites). Run your info by your agent for an informed perspective.
- Ask the agent for pricing information on homes he or she has recently sold. Specifically, what the differences were between their listing prices and how much the homes ultimately sold for.
When it comes to the agent’s pricing history, you’re looking for accuracy. Anyone could suggest a high price for your home, knowing it’s what you’d like to hear. But nobody (especially you) wants to have a house languish on the market, or to reduce a price repeatedly.
Marketing Your Home. The listing agent will also get the word out that your house is on the market, using a combination of old-school (but powerful) marketing techniques — such as direct mail, signage,and open houses — and the modern methods we know and love, like social media. Savvy agents will post pics of your house on Instagram, Facebook, and any other platform that can get likes plus the attention of other real estate agents who can bring buyers to the table.
Negotiating with Buyers. When offers start pouring in, your agent will negotiate with prospective buyers on not only the sale price but also on what contingencies (aka special circumstances) are attached to the contract. As with any negotiation, there could be some stressful, fraught moments with the buyers. You’ll want an agent who can step up for you, and who has a negotiation style that you’re comfortable with.
Closing the Sale. Once you’ve signed a purchase agreement with a buyer (woo-hoo!), your agent will help you navigate the sale’s remaining steps. This includes negotiating home repair requests post inspection and dealing with any last-minute surprises before closing.
The average listing agent does all of the above. A great listing agent does all of the above, while also inspiring your confidence — that they’re getting the best price for you, and that they’re representing you and your home in the best possible light.
So, let’s talk about how to find and hire that kind of agent.
Ask These Questions to Find a Great Listing Agent
Here, time is on your side. Aim to hire a listing agent six to eight weeks — or more — before the day your house is listed on the market (also known as the “go-live date”). You’ll be grateful for the cushion, especially if the agent you ultimately hire recommends that you make repairs or upgrades to your home before it’s listed. (That wouldn’t be unusual.)
To find prospective agents, search them on the internet and look for their online reputation. This is especially important in the age of the internet because you don’t want someone who neglect their own reputation online to represent you.
Their online reputation can clue you into important details, such as an agent’s years of experience, number of homes sold, and past client reviews.
During the interviews, ask these questions to help assess whether an agent is the right fit you:
- Do you work as an agent full-time? Like most professions, experience is no guarantee of skill. That said, much of real estate is learned on the job.
- How many homes have you sold in the past year? You don’t need to find an agent who specializes only in your community. Generally, agents that sold more homes and while being active have better idea about current market condition.
- What’s your fee? An agent should be able to articulate their value and explain their commission rate.
- How will you market my home? You don’t want to hire someone who’s just going to stick a For Sale sign in your yard and call it a day. The agent should present a comprehensive marketing plan for your listing — this should include strategies for taking professional photographs of your home, promoting the listing on social media, marketing to other brokers, scheduling open houses, etc.
- Will I be working with you directly, or with a team? Some agents lead or work as part of a sales team. The lead listing agent shares client responsibilities with other agents. Where one agent may handle private showings for a listing, another may host open houses. A benefit is that for the same fee, you get many people working for you.
The bottom-line: It’s in your best interest to pick an agent who understands your goals, fits your personality, and can get your home sold for top dollar. When you meet someone who can offer all of the above, congratulations — you’ve found your listing agent.
