Questions to ask a listing agent

If you are thinking of listing your home for sale, there are some questions you should ask the Realtor you are thinking of using before you sign a listing agreement. Here are five important things you should check out ahead of time:

Do you answer your phone? If an agent calls wanting information about my home, and has to leave a message on your cell phone, will you call them back in a short time?

Is there someone who answers the office number that you list on the MLS information sheet? If someone sees my home on the internet and calls the office to inquire about it, will they have to leave a message? If so, will someone return their call quickly?

If an agent leaves a message on your cell phone saying they have a client who wants to make an offer, but they have a few questions, will you call them back before they give up and move on to another house?

Do you answer emails from other agents? How long does it take you to reply to an email that someone sends you asking about my house?

If you put the showing service number on the MLS for appointment requests, will you actually set up the details with the showing service, or will agents get a message saying “Your search returned no results” when they try to schedule an appointment? If you don't use the showing service, and put your own phone number on the MLS for appointment scheduling, will a buyer's agent be able to reach you? Will you answer the phone?

You may have noticed a theme to these questions. It’s about communication! Believe it or not, there are a lot of agents who don’t answer their phones, respond to voice mail, return calls, answer emails, or make it easy to schedule appointments to see their listings. It’s crazy! Those agents are NOT the agents you should use to list your home!

When you meet with Realtors to discuss listing your home, be sure to find out how easy it is to contact them! And, if you want an agent who takes communication seriously, and will do everything possible to be available for you, other agents, or possible buyers, then you should talk to me – Rose King!