Preparing to sell your home? Assemble a top-tier team to optimize your chances for a swift and profitable sale. This indispensable trio should comprise a seasoned home stager, a skilled real estate photographer, and a Realtor whose top commitment is your interests. In Part 1, we delved into choosing the perfect home stager. Now, let’s navigate the search for the ideal Realtor. Drawing insights from two Realtors I’ve collaborated with, we’ll explore the hallmarks of a commendable Realtor. These professionals not only recognize the worth of staging but also prioritize their client’s needs above all els
Robin Smith- Ten Tips for Choosing Your Realtor
Robin Smith, REALTOR®, RE/MAX Dynamic Properties, Anchorage, AK 99503907.903.8808, ak.robinsmith@gmail.com
- While years of experience often equate to increased skills, it is certainly no guarantee that a long-time agent is skilled or, unfortunately, adheres to a Code of Ethics.
- An agent with less than five years’ experience can be very skilled if they have had past work experiences that required the same kind of skills as selling real estate.
- Less experience often equates to a smaller client base, so the agent will have more time to devote more attention to you, the buyer or seller.
- A great Realtor®, regardless of how long in the business, is one that conducts his/her business with the aim of connecting with clients and developing a relationship with them – it’s not just about the immediate transaction. Important qualities are:
- honesty
- integrity
- concentrates on the client’s needs (above and beyond the minimum)
- communicates regularly with the client
- Ask the agent what their marketing plan/strategy is and what kind of activities or events can be expected (e.g. Agent and Public Open Houses, Staging Consultation, online & social media marketing).
- If you’re interviewing several agents, don’t be swayed by the one that says he can list your home for more than the other agents – this is known in the industry as “buying a listing.” You as seller will pay the price for this as the property will likely sit unsold on the market longer than necessary because it is overpriced.
- A good Realtor® will be knowledgeable about the current real estate market and the trends.
- Is it a Seller’s or Buyer’s market? Are prices increasing or decreasing?
- The agent should be up on community neighborhood areas and the types of homes and price ranges typical in those areas.
- If credentials are important to you as buyer or seller, look for designations that are earned through performance and productivity.
- CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) It takes some time to acquire the CRS designation, so agents in the business for less than five years may not yet have accomplished the required components.
- GRI (Graduate Realtor Institute)
- ABR (Accredited Buyer’s Representative)
- SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialist)
- There are many more designations out there, but these are the most sought after.
- If the agent calls herself a Realtor with a capital “R”, that means she’s a member of NAR (National Association of Realtors).
- By hiring a Realtor®, you get an agent who formally pledges to support the NAR’s stringent Code of Ethics – this is very important! Honesty and integrity in a Realtor’s character are the foundation for trust.
- Ask the agent to provide a list of properties they have sold for past clients and their contact information so you can verify client satisfaction for this agent. If the agent won’t do that, then move on to one who will.
- Ask business associates, friends, co-workers, or family members (i.e. someone you trust) to refer a Realtor® or real estate licensee to you and ask the person referring what their experience was like working with that agent.
- Personality! Skills are not the only attribute that’s important. As a buyer or seller, you will be working closely with an agent for several months so you want to choose someone that you like! Two–way communication between Realtor® and client is essential for managing expectations, outcomes, and the future of this relationship.
Kris Bohman
Real Estate Brokers of Alaska. Sales Associate
Cell Phone: (907) 250-6238. krisbohman@hotmail.com.
Kris Bohman is a licensed agent with Real Estate Brokers Of Alaska and a local entrepreneur.
“Real estate agents, politicians, lawyers, insurance agents – are among the least respected professions on earth. But the reason why certain people in certain industries are not respected is because they have wrongly tried to master a craft that does not serve their audience. Take my industry, real estate, for example, since I see it daily and have an intimate understanding of what takes place. Real estate agents work their tail off to master the craft of self-promotion. They practice and practice and practice scripts and dialogues, to use when cold-calling homeowners. They spend thousands of dollars on websites to market themselves, etc., all self-interest orientated, but when it comes to their customers – where the majority of their time should be spent – why have they not worked equally as hard to master the craft of achieving a superior result?
Kris advises home sellers watch out for Realtors that use some of the typical approaches that have given the industry a bad name. He outlines some fundamental mistakes not to make when selling your home and looking for a good Realtor including:
- Not taking the time to learn how to protect yourself from the biggest threat to your home sale profit and the greatest source of unnecessary risk: Real Estate Greed and Unethical Agents.
- Don’t fall for gimmicks or bait and switch advertising.
- Don’t assume an agent is good just because they do alot of full color advertising or sell alot of homes
- Don’t make pricing decisions based on a “free home evaluation
- If it sounds like “hot air”, it probably is
- Not taking the time to diagnose the proper route of attack
“Here is what I have come to learn: Those who are respected, regardless of industry or person,…, are those who have focused on mastering the craft that will yield their audience a superior result first, not on their own self-interest. Then utilize that mastered craft… to serve only those who can most benefit.”
“To achieve something special for my clients, I want to work with clients who are as committed to the success of their home sale as I am.”
A great Realtor should be doing some of the following for you:
- Get an accurate and comprehensive diagnosis to determine the best prescription to maximize the return on your investment.
- From the diagnosis, make an informed, educated decision about how to prepare your home for sale, not based on hype but on research and common sense.
- Recommend home staging, super-cleaning, professional photographs, great social media advertising, eliminating negotiations and low ball offers with a pre-listing inspection, and increasing your negotiating power with a home warranty.
Helpful Resources
Hereare some publications you may find helpful related to home staging.
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Great information Mary Ann. Gives people a solid starting point.
Thanks Doreen!
So much good advice here. Being proactive in communicating with clients can truly set one apart. I find it strange that people today seem to be so scared of bothering someone and so they wait for the phone to ring. Which gets you nowhere.
Thank you Christina!
Great advice – so much goes into selling a home!
Thank you Christie!
Such a great roadmap, Mary Ann! Excellent advice to get the right team for the best outcome!
Thanks Janet, it takes a village when selling your house. Selling is stressful enough, why try to do it all yourself? The goal of doing that to save money often backfires.
Great post Mary Ann,
I especially like your interviewing realtors to find out who is right for you. It has to be a perfect fit for the best results! Well done.
Thanks so much Amy!
Awesome tips on finding a good realtor Mary Ann. One thing i would like to share is that when looking for realtor look for someone who is willing to put in the effort to sell your house quick and at better price. Someone who has a team of professional stagers and photographers and virtual tours. It all just helps a lot in selling the house faster.
Thank you, I agree. My other articles in this series talk about how to find a great home stager and photographer, as the combination of the three professionals are so important to hep the seller get a fast sale and the best price. Virtual tours are also a really great tool.