4 Tips for Choosing a Listing Agent

I’m sharing four tips for how to choose the right listing agent for your home sale. 

Today I want to discuss how to choose a listing agent to sell your home. Selling your home is a major life event, and while there are many different factors to consider, four main things will help you best differentiate one agent from the next. 

1. Personality fit. Don’t simply choose the first person you find. If you don’t connect well with your agent, chances are you’re not going to have a good working relationship. That includes making sure your communication styles match, you feel understood and heard by them, you feel good about the process, and they know what’s important to you. If you say “no” to one of these, then this isn’t the right agent for you. 

2. Marketing and sales plan. Most agents will place a “For Sale” sign in your yard, put your home on the MLS, then wait for the phone to ring. This is not an adequate strategy for getting top dollar in this market. Basic items for a sales and marketing plan include brochures, staging, photography, and a digital video tour of some kind. You want to be sure your agent takes the extra step of launching an email and phone campaign so they’re getting your house in front of as many buyers and agents as possible.

3. Valuation and negotiation skills. Valuing a property is an art form, and unfortunately, most agents aren’t very good at it. Be sure they’re comparing sales of homes similar to and close by yours. They should be looking at sales as far back as six months. That will give you an accurate estimate of what the market will provide for your house. 

You also need to make sure whatever agent you choose has a positive track record of high-level negotiations. This will be crucial when it comes to multiple-offer situations. You want an agent that can put together a deal that works for both sides. 

4. Pricing. Beware of the agent that offers you the highest sales price with the lowest commission. Like in every other area of life, you get what you pay for. If you don’t want to spend much in commission, don’t expect much effort or a marketing plan. Paying commission ensures the full range of services. 

If you have further questions about choosing an agent, or if we can help you in any way, please reach out by phone or email. I would love to hear from you.