5 Things to Demand of Your Listing Agent

5 Things to Demand of Your Listing Agent

As a Carlsbad home owner you no doubt have certain expectations of the real estate professional you hire to market and sell your house.  And you should.

Learn more about how to sell a house: 

How to Sell a House Video Tips and Advice

Here are the 5 things you should demand of your REALTOR® when selling your home.

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE VALUE

Your agent MUST be willing and able to tell you the truth about the value of your home in the local market, and not just what you want to hear, and be able to support that truth with facts, not suppositions. You must sell your home several times – to the buyer agent, the buyer, the appraiser and the bank. Your home MUST be correctly positioned in the local housing market in order to sell. Keep in mind…you must be willing to HEAR the truth!

UNDERSTAND YOUR TIMETABLE

Your agent must understand and appreciate the time frames you are dealing with for your move to a new place (school, job, kids), whether nearby or across the country. While there must be some coordination with the buyers of your home, too, your agent should be sensitive to your timing and do what they can to help make this work as well as possible.

REMOVE AS MANY CHALLENGES AND HASSLES AS POSSIBLE

Your agent needs to know how to handle problems and challenges that can, and no doubt will, arise, and be able to negotiate on YOUR behalf. A big part of his/her job is to minimize the hassles, anticipate problems, and provide solutions or alternatives for you throughout your transaction whenever possible. Not all issues can be fixed by your agent, however – they may be up to you and the decisions you make.

HELP WITH YOUR RELOCATION

Your agent should be able to assist you with your move from your current home and help you avoid any surprises, plus coordinate the timing of your sale and your new purchase, if possible.

How about a relocation checklist?

How about a list of questions to ask your movers?

Check out my Relocation Tips and Advice video series for more information on moving.

GET YOUR HOUSE SOLD

That’s why you hire an agent… to help you move on with your life, whatever the reason might be, by getting your house sold. Be sure your agent is willing and able to address any issues with you that stand in the way of getting your home sold so you can accomplish the goal you set for yourself, even if those issues are uncomfortable (e.g., pricing, need for repairs, clutter, contract terms and conditions).

Keep in mind that certain things are out of your control – location and market conditions, for example, but they do affect the value of your home. Your agent will help you understand these issues so the home can be priced appropriately.