How to Pick the Right Listing Agent

If you have decided that the time is right for you to sell your home, the first step in the process is to partner with a Realtor. Picking the right listing agent can be an interesting journey for homeowners, one that sometimes evolves over many years. If you are an established homeowner and have owned your house for a long time, you’ve probably met a few Realtors at open houses in your neighborhood. You may be familiar with an agent who specializes in your area because you’ve seen his or her face on for sale signs around your home. Most agents will choose a neighborhood to “farm” – meaning they focus their marketing on that specific area and try to meet as many homeowners as possible. If you live in an agent’s “farm area” you’ve probably at least heard their name. So should you just go ahead and list your house with that agent? Maybe. But it’s important that you choose an agent that you feel can best represent you and your interests. That’s what good listing agents do – they get to know you and your personality and they strive to honor that as they communicate on your behalf throughout the home sale process. You will need to pick an agent who is a good fit for you. Here are some tips for making that decision.

Get recommendations

Do you have friends who have bought or sold a house recently? If so, their experiences can be extremely helpful. The ideal listing agent is not only professional and experienced, but also someone who you trust and enjoy being around. It can be hard to get a strong sense of an agent’s personality after only one meeting, so talking with someone who has worked with that realtor before can help to give you a better idea of how they typically approach the process. You should always ask for client testimonial letters when you are meeting with an agent you aren’t very familiar with – many agents will give you the contact information of their previous clients so that you can talk with them to get a seller perspective before signing a listing contract. And don’t forget – if you worked with an agent previously to buy your house and are still in contact with that person, give them a call! You are your own best recommendation. If you had a positive experience with an agent previously, it’s likely that they will work just as hard to sell your home as they did to help you buy it.

Meet with multiple agents

It’s a good idea to meet with a few agents before signing any listing contracts so that you have something to compare against. Start by setting up appointments with any Realtors who have been recommended, or who you have met and liked in the past, even if it was only for a brief conversation at an open house. If you got a good vibe from someone and they stood out in your mind, give them a call. Make sure that you also include any recognizable agents who specialize in your area. What you will find by talking with multiple agents is that Realtors often have distinctive styles, whether it pertains to marketing, negotiating or general communication. You are not necessarily looking for the agent who has sold the most homes in your zip code, but rather someone whose professional philosophy is in line with your needs as a seller.

Ask the right questions

When you meet with an agent for a listing appointment, make sure that you get as much information as possible about his or her particular methodology. What kind of pricing strategies do they employ? How do they handle setting up showings and communicating with other agents? What are their marketing methods – do they use professional photography in their marketing? Do they personally hold open houses? How and when will they present offers to you? Will they be present for your home inspection and appraisal? What can they do to help you coordinate moving to your new home? Will they “double end” your sale (meaning that they may represent both you AND the buyers)? It’s important that you find out from them exactly what they will do for you and what they won’t do. Some agents are more hands on when it comes to helping you prepare and stage your home to get it ready to go on the market. Likewise, some agents will handle showings and open houses themselves and some will hand those duties over to other colleagues. Make sure that you find out as much as you can about how the agent will communicate with you throughout the process and how much personal attention you can expect to receive.

You may find that you need to meet with an agent more than once before you are ready to make the decision to list your home with them. That’s ok! Listing appointments are often split into two parts – the first consisting of you giving the agent a tour of your home and you getting to know each other a bit, and the second being a more formal “interview” where the agent presents their value estimate for your home, talks through their methods of marketing, and presents you with a listing agreement to sign. Ultimately, you will probably find that you base your final decision less on what an agent has to say and more on the overall feeling you get about that person. Selling a home can be a stressful process, so remember that in the end, you are choosing the person that you want to spend that chapter of your life with. The more comfortable you are with your listing agent, the easier the process will be!