Looking for a real estate agent to sell rural Oregon Property

Everyone seems to know someone with a real estate license in Oregon.

• There is your brother's wife who does it part time for the last few years
• Your co worker's friend who just got their license
• Your best friend that sells real estate in a town an hour away, in a different MLS system
• Zillow has a highly rated (rated how, you are not sure) agent, but they have only sold houses in town

Who do you call?  Who do you trust to sell your country real estate?  Does the agent you hire really matter?

These are all great questions, some of which a few home owners fail to consider. Here is my 2 cents, for what it's worth.

Hiring a Part Time Agent to sell your Oregon Rural Property:  I just had an experience with this yesterday.  A buyer called on one of my listings that is pending.  They love the looks of it online, and think it is perfect, but, like I said, it's pending.  We got to chatting, and it turns out, they just found the listing on line (it has been on the market for 3 weeks, pending day 2).  I of course pointed out that if they had an agent working for them, they could have found it the second it hit the market, giving them a better chance to write the winning offer.  That's when they confessed that they have an agent, who is now partially retired and only selling part time.  They have been looking for a home for a year!  I wonder why?  Needless to say, I have a new, pre approved buyer.

Hiring a Newly Licensed Agent to sell your country real estate:  I know, we were all new at some point.  But, there are a few extra steps, forms, procedures and pitfalls when selling rural property.  If you really want to help out your newly licensed relative and not screw up your transaction, perhaps they can co-list your farm or rural property with a more seasoned agent in the office, so as not to cost you money/stress/legal time down the road?

Hiring Your Best Friend that works an hour away, in a different MLS system: This one is rarely understood by home owners. Let's say you live Albany, Oregon.  Your best friend from high school is a real estate agent, living and working in Portland, Oregon.  You really want to use your friend.  And they agree to, because, after all, they are licensed to work anywhere in the State of Oregon.  Here is the problem.  Albany, is covered by the WVMLS.  Portland, where your dear friend lives and works, is covered by RMLS.  Two different MLS systems, two different markets.  So, your friend, is only a member of RMLS, lists your home in Albany.  NONE (or very few) of the Albany agents even see your listing!  Because, they are a member of WVMLS, most are not a member of RMLS, where you sweet friend listed your house.  Major problem, if you want the locals that are searching in your area for a house.  

Online 3rd party sites rated a certain agent with 5 stars, or 5 smiley faces, or whatever:  Here's the thing about online rating systems.  We are all different, and what you prefer in customer service, maybe rated very poorly by someone else, or visa versa.  I would also have to question ratings that are all 5 out of 5 stars.  Really, EVERYBODY thought the same thing?  Come on.  Look at our political views in this country, we can't agree on anything.  

So what do you do?  Now that I have you feeling even more hopeless than before you read this article, let me give you some sound advise.  I have been selling real estate in Oregon for 20 years, so I have seen what works, and what doesn't.

1. Get a reference or two from a friend you trust.  The responsible friend, someone you respect.
2. Google- yes, search online for an agent that specializes in the type of property you have to sell.  If I was going to sell a grocery store, I wouldn't hire an agent that sells homes.  Don't hire a city slicker that shows up in there Mercedes and high heels to sell your 20 acre horse farm.
3. Interview the 2-3 agents you find.  We are not all the same, some of us will mesh, some will not.  And that's ok, there are plenty of agents to go around, and plenty of people to help buy or sell property.  Find one you like, because they are going to be a huge part of your life over the next several months.

That's it!  You can do it.