As a home seller, you have many options as far as choosing an agent to sell your home.  Hopefully this article will help you in deciding who you would like to hire to sell your home.

First of all, you should always interview a few agents before you select the agent you intend on hiring, at least two.  It is always best to get a "second opinion".  Invite them over and give them an opportunity to discuss their services and what they plan to offer you and ask good questions.

While you are interviewing a prospective real estate agent make sure to get a feel for who they are.  You are going to want to choose someone you really connect with, have trust in, and someone you feel will take care of you in the best possible manner.  Remember, you are hiring this person to perform a job for you, ask your self these questions.  Is this person qualified for the job?  Is this person truly interested in my well being or are they just interested in their paycheck?  Can I see myself working well with this person to get my home sold?

Referrals are worth their weight in gold.  Ask a trusted family member or friend to see who they hired for their last real estate transaction.  Ask them if they would recommend that agent or not.  And regardless of which agent you choose, if your agent impressed you, refer that agent to your friends and family.  Most of a real estate agent's business comes from passed happy clients who cannot stop talking about how great they were.

Make sure to ask them what kind of hours they typically work in the real estate field per week.  Selling real estate is not a hobby, it is a profession.  Choose someone whom has made a career out of selling homes, not someone who just does it as a second job.

The biggest complaint I hear about real estate agents is that they don't keep in contact with their clients.  Make sure you know that they will answer their phone and/or call you back in a very timely manner.  It's frustrating when you have a question or concern and you cannot get a hold of your real estate agent.  Make sure you ask him or her how often they plan on updating you on how things are going.  Constant contact and re-evaluation of marketing and pricing are imperative.

Bigger doesn't always mean better.  Just because an agent or office sells more homes than another agent or office, doesn't mean you are going to get the service and results that you desire.  Buyers don't care what company's sign is in your yard, they only care whether your home fits their needs and your price fits their budget.  In some cases you aren't going to get the personalized service that you want by hiring the agent with the most sales, you will be communicating with his or her assistant most of the time.  It is best to find a happy medium here, find an agent that has sold enough homes to have the experience to deal with bumps in the road, but is also going to have time to provide you the customer service you deserve.

Choose someone who seems to know their stuff.  Don't be afraid to ask them what kind of training they have received, or what sorts of things they do in order to educate themselves on an ever-changing industry.  Continuing education is the key to keeping abreast of the current market, changes in laws, new marketing ideas, and new technology.

Don't choose and agent if they only tell you what you want to hear.  One of the best reasons to hire an agent in the first place is to add an unbiased, unemotional opinion to your team.  They aren't doing you any favors by telling you everything you want to hear just to land the job.  Now, on the same token, don't get mad or frustrated at an agent who expresses an opinion based on hard facts that you may not agree with.  If you don't agree with an agent, ask them to back it up with facts.

The bottom line, choose someone that shows a genuine interest in you and your situation.  Someone you completely trust to look out for your best interests.  Choose someone who you see yourself getting along with. Choose someone competent.  Choose someone knowledgeable.  Most importantly, choose someone ethical.

Be on the lookout for my follow-up blog titled: Choosing an Agent, From a Buyer's Point of View

If you would like more information regarding real estate or homes for sale in Saint Charles County including Saint Charles, Saint Peters, O'Fallon, Lake Saint Louis, and Wentzville, please visit my website at http://www.snarzyk.com/ or feel free to call me at (314) 210-1996.

© This article is copyrighted material written by Steve Snarzyk, Realtor®.  You may not duplicate, print, or copy and paste this report without the permission of the author.