Rating Agent Performance 

Selling a home is one of the biggest financial transactions a person will make in a lifetime.  The enormity of the process can be made easier or more difficult by a Realtor® depending on what type of agent you choose to represent your interest.

While everyone has to get their foot in the door somehow, choosing a Realtor® with little to no experience or without a proven track record can be a costly mistake.

Finding a winning agent involves a bit of searching but is worth the effort.  When conducting your search, there are a few things to look for when interviewing agents.

1.   Length of Time in Real Estate

An agent doesn't have to have years of experience to be good but you do want to hire someone who has experience and can guide you through the process.  You don't want an agent who is still learning.

2.   Full Time

Selling a home in a short amount of time requires a full time Realtor®. About half of all agents in Omaha work on a part time basis. Agents who work on a part time basis are usually trying their hand a real estate and therefore not working the business to the fullest extent.  Part time agents are working for extra money while they have another job that provides their main income. Full time agents, on the other hand, depend on the income they generate from real estate sales as their sole source of income. This makes full time agents much more committed.

3.   Track Record of Success

Does your Realtor® have a proven track record of selling homes?  It's important to find out statistics on how many homes a Realtor® sells a year. The average agent in the Omaha area only sells between eight and nine homes a year. Anything less than twenty sales a year is considered part time. You can also ask for information on how many price reductions they made on listed properties and what the average time their listings were on the market.

4.   Expertise 

While most home sellers want a Realtor® to work for them, they are actually paying for an agent's experience and guidance.  A Realtor® has the knowledge and numbers to best advise a client on such things as home prices and marketing.  While a good Realtor® will listen to what a client has to say, an experienced agent will take the time to research and then explain what they believe to be in the client's best interest.

5.   Reputation Among Past Clients and Other Agents

While it may be difficult to assess an agent's reputation with other agents, it is not difficult to find out what past clients think about a Realtor®.  A good agent will provide a list of past clients you can contact to find out how they were represented.  When asking for a client list, make sure to ask for clients who were selling or buying in the same price range as you or close to the range you are in.  Homes at different price points are sometimes marketed differently by some agents.

Having criteria to judge agent is important in making sure you find someone who can perform above average.  Experience and a proven track record found in a full time agent skilled in the art of negotiation translate to a successful agent who will go above and beyond for a client.

Troy Trumm

Trumm Team

Omaha Homes Currently Represented

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