Should Sellers Choose a Friend or a Stranger as their REALTOR®?
This is a terrific post.
And I do a whole lot of work for friends and family members. They are my sphere of influence - mmy base!
But when you are looking for an agent, your criteria should be experience and competence, not only that the agent is a friend of your second cousin who just got a licnese.
Should Sellers Choose a Friend or a Stranger as their REALTOR®?
In one of the Facebook groups I’m a member of, home seller asked questionsabout selling her home and finished with;
“I have a friend who just got his real estate license and I have to let him list my home but need advice from an experienced agent who knows the area, my friend is in ..... area(over two hours away from Clermont)”.
I was glad to offer my assistance, looked at comps quickly and private messaged her with the market statistics of the subdivision for the past 180 days. I noticed this morning she actually went to my website and liked it, looked at homes, which is perfectly fine with me. I will not contact this Clermont home seller unless she asks for my assistance. As a REALTOR®, I take pride in my work and do my best to exceed my clients(s) expectations. If I’m not familiar with the area, guess what? I won’t take on the listing, that would be in the best interest of the seller.
So how should you choose your REALTOR® when listing your house for sale?-Some sellers choose their real estate agent based on their suggested price. Higher the better, they think..That would be wrong. A good real estate agent will prepare an honest market analysis and provide the home seller with a realistic market value based on comparable sales. So be sure to interview at least three agents and ask them to prepare a market analysis.
-Check their social media presence. Check their Facebook posts, you will find out a lot about the person you’re about to enter into a contract with.
-Check to see how they market their listings. Do they write blog posts? Sellers, this is work. If a real estate agent is constantly going above and beyond providing information to buyers and sellers they don’t even have a relationship with, imagine what they would do if they were to list your home for sale. Though there are many sites, check to see if they’re members of ActiveRain which is one of the BEST blogging platforms made up of thousands of professional real estate agents, this site encourages their members to be the best they can by offering webinars, valuable posts by ActiveRain staff as well as it’s loyal members.
-Ask how long they’ve been in the business. There are many great real estate agents who have been licensed for a short time and if you find one, hold on to them. There are also agents who have been in the business over twenty years and don’t do a good job..stay away from them. You’re probably asking how you would know. That’s easy. Read their ActiveRain blog posts(if they do this), go to their website, read their Facebook posts, check them on Twitter, Pinterest, just Google their name.
-Last but most important, meet with them in person and see how you feel. Listen to that little voice, can you trust this REALTOR® with one of the largest investments of your life? If not, move on to the next person.Helping friends, socializing with them and actually doing business with them look a lot different. Do you want to remain friends with this person even if they’re not able to get your house sold? Can you be open and honest with a friend REALTOR® if you don’t think they’re doing a good job marketing your home? If you answered NO to these questions, then using a friend or a family member as your REALTOR® is not in your best interest.
Choosing the right agent can make all the difference when it comes to getting your house sold. Though we all have the same tools available, we don’t all utilize them. Do yourself a favor and avoid all future headaches of not working with the right real estate agent, work with one who is able to deliver results. Choose one you can trust. Choose one who’s recommended by previous buyers and sellers. You deserve to work with the right REALTOR®. Don't gamble when it comes to choosing the right agent to list your house!
Should Sellers Choose a Friend or a Stranger as their REALTOR®?
Beth Atalay, Broker/Owner
Cam Realty and Property Management
407-929-1852
Wheretoliveinorlando.com BethAtalay@Gmail.com
Your Orlando Agent - Where to Live in Orlando
Comments(10)