Should You Hire an Out-of-Town Realtor to Sell Your Home?

So you've made the decision to sell  your home. You may have interviewed a few agents, and you seem to feel that one agent stands above the rest.  Only thing is, their office is not located in your town. Is it a good or bad idea to list with an agent that does not specialize in your town?

Years ago, that would have been a bad idea. I mean MANY years ago, before the internet was such a driving force in home sales.

There are many more reasons today why you should  list with an agent who you truly feel will get your home sold, rather than just  settle for  one who is local. The talent pool is much larger  with a  bigger radius, and so is the buyer pool.  For example,  if your home is in upper Fairfield County, you may be aware that buyers come north from New York or Stamford looking for the home of their dreams. So the question becomes, "why limit yourself?"

That's not to say that all listing agents in your town are not professional, or good at what they do- they  just will not have the same buyer pool as an agent from another, more expensive town- it is inevitably much larger.

The type of home you can get  for a particular price in Westport, for example is unattainable in Greenwich for the same money.  Two similar homes in Fairfield and Shelton will have also have a  great disparity in value.

So who do you list your home with?

Let's say that you  hired an agent from out of town. I have had homeowners tell me that very few, if any local agents showed  the home.  That doesn't mean your home has a "local boycott" because you listed with someone from another town.  The local agents will show your home if they have a buyer - they work on commission. If they think their buyer will like your home, they will show it- so take that thought out of the equation. If your town is  not a large one, remember the buyer pool coming to that in-town  agency won't be as big, either.

There may also be local agent perception of your street,  neighborhood, or lack thereof, where these agents put your home on the bottom of the list to show. I know that sounds harsh, and I am sorry for that.   In some instances, that particular perception becomes reality.

On the flip side, there are certain instances where I would suggest listing with an agency based in town. They are few and far between, though. Take for example, a highly exclusive enclave in a very tight knit community. That may be a consideration. Also take, as an example, whether or not the agent you choose  to work with is associated with a small in-town agency from another town.  The power of name recognition cannot be stressed enough, as  it widely understood that out-of-town and out-of-state buyers  have a heightened level of trust in a company that they have heard of before- even if it's just a lcoal franchise.

If your home is especially unique in some way, it is important to expose it in its best light to as many potential buyers as possible, without crossing the fine line of sacrificing  enhanced marketability, especially in today's market.  The most important task at hand is finding an agent that knows that they should market properties effectively to the masses, and is skilled at it.

And a note From Judy: If you have a question about buying or selling Real Estate in Fairfield County, and are in need of an Realtor to represent you, I invite you to contact me, and if you have an idea for a topic that you would like to see on The CT Realty Blog, please include it in the "Post a Comment" section link below this post. We appreciate the feedback and look forward to providing you with the best real estate content, advice and service in Fairfield County, Connecticut.