When selling your home, engaging the right agent can make all of the difference. By focusing on three key factors before the hire, you can help ensure you get it right.
Finding a real estate agent to sell your home is simple.
Radio ads are flush with Twin Cities “experts” touting success while issuing guarantees and promises. Google can spit out 100s of names in fractions of a second.
Yet a recent study conducted by the National Association of Realtors noted that while 91% of sellers worked with a real estate agent, only 64% say they were “very satisfied” with the process.
Why the disconnect?
Because while finding an agent may be easy, finding the right agent takes a little effort. Luckily, agents that deliver satisfaction frequently share three common characteristics.
Local Experience
The Twin Cities metro area includes seven counties and over three million people. This makes “Twin Cities Real Estate Expert” a true misnomer. Aspiring home sellers should not seek Twin Cities resources, but a depth of experience within their own region, city and neighborhood. Values are variable, geographically specific, change frequently and are influenced by many factors. By selecting an agent with local expertise (backed by a transaction history there) you can help ensure your home is not only priced properly, but also marketed aggressively.
When vetting suitors ask them:
- How long have you been selling homes?
- What is your geographic sweet spot?
- How many homes have you sold in my community in the past year?
- Can you provide examples and referrals?
Comprehensive Services
When selling a home, you are paying a fee (typically a percentage of the sale price) and it is important to ensure you know what you will get for this fee.
Service levels vary greatly among agents as relates to promotion, marketing and even the preparation of your home. While it is intuitive to understand precisely what you are buying, many home sellers fail to ask before hiring an agent and are ultimately underwhelmed.
A few basics that you should mandate:
- Detailed listing on the local real estate listing service(we can't say the 3 letter acronym as it is copyrighted)
- Professional photography, no iphone pictures. True pros use lighting, multiple angles, drones, etc
- Comparative Market Analysis showing how your home stacks up with current offerings
- Recommendations for upgrades including the impact to list price
- A virtual tour
- Post-showing feedback reports, it is imperitive to get feedback from agents and buyers that view the home
- Email blast of your home’s details to top performing local agents
- Social media posts about your home
- Broker previews to highlight your property to selling agents
- Staging advice
- Open House plans
- Periodic market updates on local market changes and positioning
Strong Communication Skills
While listing your home begins with a valuation and ends with a hassle-free close, there are many important steps between the two. The success of these additional components hinges greatly on communication between you and your agent. A strong agent will be available, engaged and work hard to demystify the process. This begins with a thorough explanation on the front end. Once engaged, there should be a regular cadence of updates to keep you appraised of what’s now, what’s next and how things are progressing.
When meeting with prospective agents be sure to ask for a process overview. Note the touch points that are built into the process. Share your goals for the sale, taking note if the agent appears to listen well, asks follow-up questions and if you ultimately felt heard. If the answer is no, this is a major red flag.
If a prospective agent passes the initial communication screening ask them:
- If I engage you as my agent, how often can I expect to hear from you?
- Will I be working directly with you or delegated to staff?
- How prompt a response can I expect to phone, email and text inquires?
The Bottom Line
Finding the right agent is integral to success when selling your home. While this step is important, it need not feel overwhelming. By focusing on local expertise, services provided and communication, you can make an effective hire.
Zachary Adams prides himself on a depth of experience in the west metro of the Twin Cities that is unmatched. He couples that experience with an aggressive list of services and a laser focus on communication that truly sets him apart.
If you have a home to sell in the west metro and value honesty, integrity and results, Zach would love to sit down and earn your trust. Contact Zach today to get started at 612.656.9647.
