HOW TO CHOOSE AN AGENT
Agents Agents Everywhere……..So, Who’s Right for Me?
Selling:
You have decided to sell your house... .. The first question most likely to cross your mind is “I wonder how much my home is worth.” The second question would be “Which agent do I call to list my home with?
Well, you can call a friend or relative in business. You could open the yellow pages or you can pick a name from an ad in the paper. Although any of these approaches are easy, are they smart?
Considering the impact on your lifestyle, that the outcome of the sale of your house will have, a more methodical and sophisticated approach is required. There are specific qualifications you should look for in your representative:
A) Product Knowledge
B) Marketing Ability
C) Client Service Attitude
Product Knowledge:
If as some people believe an agent is an agent is an agent, then theoretically one could enlist services of an agent from Moose Jaw to sell their home. This statement is of course an extreme exaggeration but it is intended to make a point. When this agent is faced with questions from a prospective buyer such as, “How old is the neighborhood?, Who built the house ?, What are the local services ?, Where can my child go to school ?, which bus do I take to work ?”, etc., the inevitable answer will be “I do not know but I will find out.”
THE agent you want should have the answers to these questions and many more at their fingertips. Agent’s product knowledge not only influences the promptness of a response from the buyer, it can actually make or break the sale.
Marketing Ability:
A “For Sale” sign on the lawn and a listing on M.L.S. are standard, minimal marketing tools. However, to get the most for your home, you will want to attract as large a crowd of prospective buyers as possible. This can only be achieved through creative marketing. A good product coupled with good advertising will elicit a good response.
Client Service Attitude:
The anxiety of a move is unsettling enough. If after your home has been listed, feeling of abandonment by your agent compounds this stressful situation, the selling experience can be quite unpleasant.
Your agent should demonstrate a responsible CLIENT - SERVICE ATTITUDE. You will want an agent who keeps you informed through regular progress reports – what interest is being shown in your property, what other competing properties have been listed recently, what other agents thing of your house and what actions are being implemented to market your home more aggressively. Being kept abreast of the situation not only enables you to contribute in the decision-making but it enables you to maintain some control over your house and your life.
