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You Will Ask Your REALTOR® These 3 Questions When It Matters

Reblogger Coral Gundlach
Real Estate Agent with Compass

This is great advice and I sure to wish I had thought of this blog myself.  I will make it a point to have these conversations with my sellers.  And sellers out there, ask agents you are interviewing how they handle these situations.  The ability to negotiate without alienating is key.  Knowing market stats is also important so your agent can advise you when to let a bum offer go.

Original content by Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL 8508880888

Most people who need to sell a home fail to grasp the importance of the selection of a REALTOR® to help them with the sale.

While they figure just about anybody can sell a home, they do not consider the critical questions they will ponder during the "heat of battle" that occurs once a buyer is interested in their home.

In fact, there are three important questions they will want answered when the time comes to make a decision, and it will be at that time that they truly discover the strength and value of the REALTOR® they hired to help them sell the home.

3 Critical Questions You Will Ask Your REALTOR®

Listing AgentTalk is cheap, and most home sellers just hire the first real estate agent with whom they speak about the job of selling their home.

In fact, a National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) survey of home sellers found that 64% of home sellers hire the first agent they interview. I think this is very telling. The results speak for themselves. 40% of home sellers failed to sell their home over the past year, and it is not because 40% of the homes are uninhabitable.

If you find yourself needing to sell a home, make sure you understand that these 3 questions will be relevant to you, and you won't likely consider them until you are under a good deal of stress. Choose your agent accordingly!

  1. What is the best counter-offer to make that won't chase this buyer away? - That's right, for many price ranges, there are more sellers than buyers. If you do not have a great listing agent who regularly negotiates contract terms every month, you could very well chase away the buyer that is willing to pay you the most money for your home. How many home sellers are on the market today, wishing they had accepted an offer several months ago?

  2. How can we be sure this buyer is qualified to buy a home? - Only 36% of the pended contracts in the Tallahassee MLS made it to the closing table last year ... meaning most buyers under contract are not qualified to buy a home. If you have a weak listing agent, this very well could be you in the near future. Can you imagine loading up your belongings and moving to another home with the thought that your home is sold ... only to discover the buyer never should have been allowed into your home? This happens more often than not based upon the poor closing rate in the Tallahassee MLS.

  3. What does your experience tell you about my ability to sell the home if this buyer walks? A great listing agent in Tallahassee will show you supply and demand information for homes similar to yours, and will rely on that information when giving you critical contract negotiation guidance. Don't settle for working with a friend or buddy, only to discover they are not the most qualified for the position.

Choosing The Best REALTOR® To Sell Your Home

I have written many articles on how to choose the best REALTOR® for the job of selling your home. The following are some of my favorites:

So there you have it. More than 100 of my favorite articles about selling a home and how to interview a REALTOR® to help you succeed.

If you would like to go straight to the source on getting the best REALTOR® in your market, just drop me a note and tell me where you are and when you would like to move.

Joe Manausa, MBA
Century 21 Manausa & Associates

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Elizabeth Bouchard
Samson Properties - Arlington, VA
Associate Broker in Northern Virginia, DC and MD

Coral, thanks for reposting this article about questions to ask when selecting a Realtor.  The post is from someone in the town of my alma mater, Florida State.  Didn't you find it interesting that only 36% of the pending sales actually went to closing?  I don't know what the stats are here in our area but I would guess it was in the mid to upper 90s.  Tallahassee must be a very different market.  As challenging as it is with the lack of inventory, I am glad we are working in the Arlington, Virginia area and not anywhere else in the country!

Sep 15, 2013 04:05 AM
Coral Gundlach
Compass - Arlington, VA
Real Lives. Not Just Real Estate.

I did find that odd, Elizabeth!  We do have a wonderful, healthy market here in Arlington.  I feel very fortunate every day to be a Realtor in this area.

Sep 15, 2013 10:31 AM