6 Questions to ask when trying to pick a fantastic real estate agent:
1. How long have you been in business.? Experience matters, greatly in this job and many other jobs...Confidence is gained in any profession by doing the job daily and solving all the issues that come up during the transaction. I know I would rather have a heart surgeon that is known for his/her success in the procedure I am having, than someone who is "new" to the field...They may be as good as the seasoned doctor, but my confidence level and feeling of well being is higher with the veteran. Inexperienced agents may not know the best way to prepare and stage a home, may miss important details, may not know all the nuances that are important in today's market...They may also over or under price your home, as they do not have the years of experience and hundreds of transactions to help in their decision.
2. What's your track record in this area? How many sales and listings have you done in the area in the last year? List to sale ratio in the last year...(Also always ask to see how many times the homes has been relisted, as days on the market start at one...The history is online, but in the MLS, it is only the last listing that is used for list to sales ratio and days on the market...Many agents relist NUMEROUS times to make their statistics look better than they really are). Recommendations on Zillow, Trulia, etc., (reviews) are another way to see comments on performance and also how many clients took the time to fill one out)...You can ask for current or past client reviews, but remember that the agent is only going to give you "positive" ones...Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com reviews cannot be "controlled.
If your perspective agent is not from your general area, how can they field questions on locations of schools, churches, parks, benefits of your subdivision compared to others, etc. and authentic knowledge of homes they have listed and sold in the area...Our main target areas are St Charles IL, Geneva IL, Batavia, IL, Elburn IL, Wayne IL, and South Elgin IL.
3. Negotiation skills and familiarity with contract requirements---Experience and unusual circumstances aid an experienced agent in the art of negotiation, if they are the listing agent...The key to a good negotiator is for them to find out what you want (price, terms, closing date, etc.) and then structure all responses to the selling agent to ultimately get you to the desired end result, without seeming overbearing, and maintaining the spirit of working together to accomplish the end result. Good questions to ask BEFORE listing your home would be: How long is the listing period...Is there any fee to cancel or a certain time you have to wait BEFORE you can cancel...I have seen many listing contracts state they need one month's notice to cancel...Commission rate and how much of the commission is going to the selling office and how much is retained by the listing office? What is included in the listing commission--professional pictures, drone photography, listing brochures in the home, what internet websites will your listing be on? Your list may be longer depending on what your home has to offer and what you wish done by the agent.
4. How will they communicate will you and how often? After a showing, how long will it be to get feedback on that showing? Do you want it sent to your email, text, or call? Will they be honest about the feedback and let you know when something is not right---strip wallpaper, etc.
Will they update you on the general market area where your home is located? How often will they let you know when a competing home is listed or reduced...Will they let you know when one gets a contract and possibly if that means your home is overpriced? Keeping up to date on a daily basis is very important, so your home does not get lost in the inventory...
Good agents, which are usually top agents, work together with sellers to do whatever it takes to sell the home...Does the agent take calls at all times or texts? Some agents return calls for 2 hours in the middle of the day and 2 hours at night...Is that what you are looking for? Do you get to talk to the listing agent, or one of the others on the team? All of these are just some of the questions that are really important to the successful sales transaction.
5. Are they willing to tell you the truth? How to stage for pictures, what you need to do to sell (strip wallpaper, etc). Remember, you are working with your chosen agent as a team to sell your home...Just as in football, frequent huddles are necessary to "win the game."
Will your Realtor let you know if homes on acreage or selling better than in-town homes? Do they know and keep up with the current buying trends...Do they show homes in the area, or do they have buyers' agents who do that---harder to know the inventory if you are not showing it...
6. Marketing Strategy---Some of this is also in paragraph #3, but the pictures should be changed if season changes, so the listing does not look "old." Will agent be honest and let you know if some issues need to be updated or changed? If prices are dropping and sold homes have gone down, it is important to present all of this data to the sellers, so they can make constant, informed decisions on the pricing of their home...Marketing is a continual daily process of keeping everyone informed...Does this agent agree to do that? Exposure online is the way consumers search for real estate now. Top Agents have HD YouTube videos http://www.suburbanilhomes.com/blog/39w750-crosscreek-lane/, Facebook ads, Zillow premium marketing, HD 8 page property brochures, active blogs, etc. Internet marketing and exposure are the keys to getting your house seen, and hopefully, getting a showing due to what they see.
Also, do you like the agent and do you feel that you could work with their style? Selling homes is just like a marriage---you have to like each other and work together to the end goal! We at the Purcell Group offer all of these advantages to help you successfully sell or buy a home.
Eric & Lynn Purcell, CALL US 630-327-2570 or 630-380-6427
