Find the Right Listing Agent to Sell Your Home by Asking the Right Questions

Are you ready to list your home for sale? Do you have questions about how to find the right listing agent to sell your home? The successful sale of your home depends heavily on choosing the best listing agent for the job. With so much riding on this decision, it should not be taken lightly.

So, how do you find the right listing agent to sell your home? First, make sure to interview multiple agents from various real estate brokerages. Second, prepare a list of questions before your meeting. Third, take notes when interviewing listing agents so that you can review them when making your final decision.

Not sure what to ask when a listing agent visits your home? Below, you will find a few important topics to cover and questions to ask. Remember, this is a decision that could make or break the sale of your home. Take your time, be thorough and choose the best listing agent for the job.

Successful Real Estate Experience

Start your interview by asking the listing agent about their experience in real estate. More specifically, ask about the agent’s success in listing homes for sale. Ask how much real estate the listing agent sold last year. Also, ask how many homes in your local area or neighborhood the agent listed and sold.

Local Market Performance

There are at least two important performance benchmarks you should ask about in your interviews with listing agents. First, ask the agents what their average market time is in comparison to the local market. This will give you an idea of how quickly they have been able to sell homes in the past. Second, ask what their list price to sales price ratio is in comparison to the market, which will tell you the difference between market prices and closing prices on the houses they have sold. In both cases, the ideal candidate you hire will be a listing agent who outperforms the market.

Setting Your Home’s Listing Price

Pricing your home correctly is a crucial factor to selling your home quickly. You will want to work with a listing agent who has a strategy that takes into account your home selling goals, pricing expectations, and local market data and sets the right price so you’re competitive according to the current market and price trends. During the interview, ask for specifics regarding this listing price strategy.

Marketing Your Home for Sale

The listing agent you hire should have a marketing plan with proven marketing strategies and innovative online tools to maximize exposure to buyers who are interested in a property like yours. Ask to see specifics of each agent’s marketing plan. Better yet, ask to see examples of these marketing strategies in action with homes the agent has listed at the time of your interview.

Innovative Technology and Online Tools

In today’s online world, successful listing agents must have access to innovative real estate technology and tools which improve the real estate experience for both buyers and sellers. Ask each listing agent about the technology, tools, and strategies their brokerages provide. More specifically, ask about to see examples of websites, online search tools, virtual tours, mobile apps, and anything else related to how they utilize technology and the internet.

Communication is Key

Communication is key to establishing a successful relationship between the listing agent and the seller. It is also vital to preventing a pending sale from falling apart. Before your interview, write down your expectations as they pertain to communication while your home is listed for sale. Ask the listing agents how they communicate (phone calls, virtual meetings, face to face, etc.), how often and what type of information (website activity, search results, buyer showings, etc.) they provide during these meetings.

These tips cover the basics of what you should ask when trying to find the right listing agent to sell your home. Remember, don’t feel rushed into making a decision about who to hire. Take your time when choosing your listing agent because this decision is vital to a successful selling experience.

Have questions about selling your home in North Carolina? Do not hesitate to contact us here at Red Door Company. Also, make sure to review our other Seller’s Guide articles.