A recent column in the Wall Street Journal’s “House Talk” posed the question: No sale -- a bad agent or a lousy market?  The person who wrote in with the question said that he’d been having trouble selling his 12-year-old home (it’s been on the market almost three months).  His listing contract with his current agent is about to expire and he wants to know if he should find another agent.  “How we can tell whether our current agent is doing a good job, or if the problem is just this horrible real estate market?”

The column writer responded that agents can fall into a “funk” in this kind of real estate market, and fail to do all they can (and should) to try and sell their client homes.

That said, though, it’s important to be realistic when you’re putting your house up for sale these days.  The first, perhaps most important step in getting your home sold is to make sure it’s priced right.  In the Phoenix area these days, the “right” price may seem depressingly low.  But a good real estate agent will present you with a complete market analysis of homes similar to yours, in your area, that have sold recently -- it’s from that analysis that your agent will derive the best listing price.  Avoiding the temptation to price your home too high (even when the “right” price is less than you paid for your home three years ago) is a good first step to a sold home.

It’s also important to realize that homes in the Phoenix area simply aren’t selling in 10 days like they were two years ago.  Three months, in this market, may not be too long.  The best way to get a realistic idea of how long your home might be on the market before it sells is to have your agent (or the agents you interview) show you the days on market statistics for those comparable homes in your area that have sold recently.  If comparable homes have sold in 60 days, then expecting your home to sell in about that much time is not unrealistic.

In terms of making sure that your agent stays on top of your listing and doesn’t fall prey to “market funk” ask the real estate agents that you interview to write down the steps they will take to help get your home sold.  Make those steps a part of the listing contract.  For example, an agent should have a step-by-step plan for marketing your home.  Where will the agent advertise your listing?  How will the agent target buyers?  How many open houses will the agent host?  How often will the agent communicate with you about progress on your home sale?  They’re all important questions to ask -- and to write into the listing contract, to make sure that your agent follows through on his word.

Are you in the process of selling your home in the Phoenix area?  What’s your experience been like?  Have you worked with an agent who’s fallen into a “stale market funk” or one who’s stayed upbeat and fresh despite a not-so-great market?  Share your story!