Choose your REALTOR wisely.....
_What makes a good REALTOR ? and how do you find out?
So you are planning to sell your property and now you are asking yourself: "How do I go about picking the right REALTOR ?" Here is a quick 3-Step guide that helps you make an informed and educated decision.
1st Step: The Research
Ask neighbours, friends and family what REALTOR they know and most of all have personally dealt with already and if they were satisfied with the services that the particular Realtor provided.
Remember: If a Realtor gets referred by a neighbour, friend or family member you should be all ears. A personal referral is worth a 1000 Newspaper ads!!!.
Realtors that are spending thousands of Dollars on newspaper ads, billboards and local bench advertising just to bring their message and marketing gimmicks out into the public space are not necessarily the most qualified for the job. Should someone refer a Realtor to you, that person not only has had a positive experience and is very happy with the job the Realtor did for them, they are also putting their own name behind that Realtor. Try to contact Realtors referred to you and pick the one that is the most appealing to you. Now pick 2 other Realtors that seem to be most professional and trustworthy to you from other sources.
2nd Step: The Job Interview
Invite the 3 Realtors you picked over to your home to give you a FREE home evaluation to find out what your property is worth. Ask them to outline their marketing plan for your home as well as their strategies and methods for the marketing, negotiating, and after sale procedures for your home. Tell them that you want to interview each of them for the job. To be fair and square I would even tell them that you are planning to invite two other Realtors to interview as well and to compare services. If a Realtor reacts in a negative way when you are telling him/her about the competition you should consider that as an alarm signal. Confident and professional Realtors will engage and embrace this healthy challenge and will probably go the extra mile for you to come out on top of the competition.
3rd Step: The Decision
Choose a REALTOR you feel most comfortable with; one who will handle the sale of your home as if it were his or her own. Be wary of real estate people that keep bragging about themselves and about their achievements and why they are "The Best", "The #1" etc.. You have got to ask yourself the question " Are they really interested in my needs, my home and if they are capable of acting in my best interest " or if they are just after another commission cheque or another real estate trophy. Of course you should ask about the Realtor's track record and experience but first and foremost the question is ? What he/she is going to do for YOU??
Make the Realtor point out exactly what the benefits of choosing him/her will be. Also be conscious about Realtors that are estimating your home higher than everybody else. It might sound great to you that a particular Realtor is telling you that they are able to sell your home for way more money than anybody else can but get a reality check! The price of your property is not decided by the Realtor that you are interviewing, it's dictated by the local real estate market and the buyer who eventually buys it. The Realtor that has the guts to tell you the truth about your home's value up front from the beginning is likely the better choice. Other Realtors might give you a higher listing price figure for your home just because they want the business. They will quickly turn on you and ask you for a price reductions once you are stuck in the contract for a couple of months.
A good REALTOR is a very interested in getting to know you and your family first to determine your future real estate plans and your needs and wants in detail before doing business. The Realtor should ask you why you are selling your house. Your REALTOR should also explore any time constraints you may have, your financial situation and your exact future plans in detail. Remember you are going into a business relationship with the Realtor you choose, so choose wisely.....
Compare price and value! With Realtor's services it's the same decision as with all other products or services out there. What do you have to pay and what do you get for it? Do not shop for the cheapest REALTOR out there. If you are hiring a person and you are going to entrust him/her with your most valueable asset or your biggest financial responsibility, you most likely do not want "Mr.Cheap" to handle your transaction.
In the end it comes down to : price vs. value, experience, professionalism and most of all likeability. You will never make a wrong decision with choosing the Realtor that you feel most comfortable with and that meets your other criteria as well.
So you are planning to sell your property and now you are asking yourself: "How do I go about picking the right REALTOR ?" Here is a quick 3-Step guide that helps you make an informed and educated decision.
1st Step: The Research
Ask neighbours, friends and family what REALTOR they know and most of all have personally dealt with already and if they were satisfied with the services that the particular Realtor provided.
Remember: If a Realtor gets referred by a neighbour, friend or family member you should be all ears. A personal referral is worth a 1000 Newspaper ads!!!.
Realtors that are spending thousands of Dollars on newspaper ads, billboards and local bench advertising just to bring their message and marketing gimmicks out into the public space are not necessarily the most qualified for the job. Should someone refer a Realtor to you, that person not only has had a positive experience and is very happy with the job the Realtor did for them, they are also putting their own name behind that Realtor. Try to contact Realtors referred to you and pick the one that is the most appealing to you. Now pick 2 other Realtors that seem to be most professional and trustworthy to you from other sources.
2nd Step: The Job Interview
Invite the 3 Realtors you picked over to your home to give you a FREE home evaluation to find out what your property is worth. Ask them to outline their marketing plan for your home as well as their strategies and methods for the marketing, negotiating, and after sale procedures for your home. Tell them that you want to interview each of them for the job. To be fair and square I would even tell them that you are planning to invite two other Realtors to interview as well and to compare services. If a Realtor reacts in a negative way when you are telling him/her about the competition you should consider that as an alarm signal. Confident and professional Realtors will engage and embrace this healthy challenge and will probably go the extra mile for you to come out on top of the competition.
3rd Step: The Decision
Choose a REALTOR you feel most comfortable with; one who will handle the sale of your home as if it were his or her own. Be wary of real estate people that keep bragging about themselves and about their achievements and why they are "The Best", "The #1" etc.. You have got to ask yourself the question " Are they really interested in my needs, my home and if they are capable of acting in my best interest " or if they are just after another commission cheque or another real estate trophy. Of course you should ask about the Realtor's track record and experience but first and foremost the question is ? What he/she is going to do for YOU??
Make the Realtor point out exactly what the benefits of choosing him/her will be. Also be conscious about Realtors that are estimating your home higher than everybody else. It might sound great to you that a particular Realtor is telling you that they are able to sell your home for way more money than anybody else can but get a reality check! The price of your property is not decided by the Realtor that you are interviewing, it's dictated by the local real estate market and the buyer who eventually buys it. The Realtor that has the guts to tell you the truth about your home's value up front from the beginning is likely the better choice. Other Realtors might give you a higher listing price figure for your home just because they want the business. They will quickly turn on you and ask you for a price reductions once you are stuck in the contract for a couple of months.
A good REALTOR is a very interested in getting to know you and your family first to determine your future real estate plans and your needs and wants in detail before doing business. The Realtor should ask you why you are selling your house. Your REALTOR should also explore any time constraints you may have, your financial situation and your exact future plans in detail. Remember you are going into a business relationship with the Realtor you choose, so choose wisely.....
Compare price and value! With Realtor's services it's the same decision as with all other products or services out there. What do you have to pay and what do you get for it? Do not shop for the cheapest REALTOR out there. If you are hiring a person and you are going to entrust him/her with your most valueable asset or your biggest financial responsibility, you most likely do not want "Mr.Cheap" to handle your transaction.
In the end it comes down to : price vs. value, experience, professionalism and most of all likeability. You will never make a wrong decision with choosing the Realtor that you feel most comfortable with and that meets your other criteria as well.
