How NOT to Find the Best Agent to Sell Your Home.

Most homeowners are pretty savvy when it comes to interviewing agents, but sometimes, even the smart home sellers  hire an agent that is ill-equipped to handle the sale of their home, whether it be by that agent's pricing strategies, marketing skills, or their ability to effectively negotiate price and/or terms.

First- Pricing.

Face it, some agents just do not know how to effectively price properties for the market, and if you are relying on one of those agents to give you a price  for your home that suits your time frame, your home may fall victim  to being overpriced for the market. There are many articles on the effects of over-pricing, so I won't get into that right here, and right now.  We've all heard about the dangers of overpricing, but how about this one- I saw an MLS listing last week for a property in town that I had to do a double-take on. I thought the price was wrong. It was TOO LOW. Well, that was the correct price. I brought my client to the property within hours of it coming on the market, went back later that night for  a second showing, and by that time there were already two offers on the house. We came in with an offer $25,000 above asking price, and it wasn't enough to secure the property.  Sure, the home received multiple bids,  and went under deposit within a day, but at what price to the seller? Do you think that if that home was priced properly that maybe that seller could have gotten more money for it? I do. That home was tragically under-priced, and it was a smart seller who thought he had chosen the right agent. NOT.

Some agents intentionally place a high price tag on a home just to secure the listing. We call that "buying the listing" in our business. The agents that do just that have a solid reputation for it, too.  An unwitting seller just gets caught up in it. Don't let it be you.

All of the agents in the area have the same market to contend with, the same  sold properties to compare your home to,  and the same data. Try to let your mind do the thinking when it comes to the house, and not your wallet. If  you seem to like one agent better than another, and the only thing holding you back is the price,  tell them, and negotiate the listing price with that particular agent.

Next - Marketing Your Home.

A lot of agents fall short on the marketing aspect. Don't just assume what the agent will do. ASK! You want, deserve, and need much more than a basic marketing plan. If you don't inquire about it now, and the agent doesn't offer one, it's not a good sign (pardon the pun)

Check out how their listings are presented on the MLS, and that includes photographs. Check out their standard marketing materials, including brochures. The internet is HUGE when it comes to selling yoru home. Ask for and look at what types of an enhanced presence the agent is willing to give your home at no extra cost. That agent has a website, too? great! You do know that there are over 600  million active websites, and unless that site is easily found, and has a high page rank from google, no one will ever see it, and it doesn't matter.  Ask for those internet stats, too. Dare to ask what that agents social media plan is to sell your home, too  It should involve Facebook and Twitter.

Last, but just as Important. Negotiating.

There's a few smart moves you can make when you interview your agent to check out their negotiating skills, and no agent would suspect exactly what you are doing.  Negotiate the price or terms  of your listing- see how the agent responds. Believe it or not, you want that agent to hold their ground. Try and negotiate the commission rate. I will give you a hint- The more that agent negotiates their own commission, the more easily they will be swayed to negotiate the price of your home downward. In both instances, if the agent cannot properly negotiate o their own behalf, how do you think they will negotiate for you?  

A few all too common misconceptions that you should steer clear of:

There is a lot of signs in the area from one particular company- They must be the best firm in town. NOT NECESSARILY! Are those properties sold or languishing on the market?  Lots of listings doesn't mean lots of sales. Same goes with any one agent or even a team. Lots of listings that Aren't sold? Do you want to be one of that bunch?

When you call an office because of their recognizable name, you can get any one of their agents, experienced or not, that answers the phone, and you are pretty much stuck with that agent. In the eyes of the office, you are a "call in" and whoever the duty agent is gets your call, and the listing. They can be brand new to the business. Calling an office blindly is a crap shoot.

Don't leave your biggest investment to a gamble- one that you get the right agent who prices your home correctly, markets your home properly and negotiates the best deal on your behalf.

Don't gamble on your house. Trust a professional, like me :)

Buying or Selling a Home in Fairfield County Connecticut? We'd love to represent you.

Feel free to email us here or visit our main  site at

www.CThomesAndRealEstate.com

If you have a question about buying or selling Real Estate  in Fairfield County, and are in need of representation, I invite you to contact me. I know the market like the back of my hand, know marketing inside and out, am a skilled negotiator- and I'd love to be on your side :) - Judy