Questions to Ask before Hiring a Realtor
As a potential seller it is always a good idea to interview several agents when you sell your home. Not all Realtors in Omaha are created equal, and when you sell your home you are hiring one agent to represent you, all the rest are looking out for the best interest of the buyer. Many sellers make the assumption that all real estate agents from a particular company are the same and nothing could be further from the truth. Here are a few questions to ask when you are hiring that agent.
1) Are you a full-time or part-time agent? If the agent is part-time, what happens if someone wants to see the home while your agent is at their other job? Understand that part-time agents are selling real estate for extra money; full-time agents are doing it to make a living. There is a big difference.
2) How many homes do you sell a year? More specifically, I would like to have a MLS printout of the homes you have sold. You are hiring the agent, not the company. You do not want company statistics; you want that particular agent’s statistics. Company statistics are meaningless, real estate is a 93/7 business. Meaning that 93% of the business is done by only 7% of the agents. Great agents come from all companies both big and small.
3) Do you have any references or feedback from past clients that I can see? Any good agent will provide you with this information before you even ask. A top-producing agent should have at least twenty references of past sellers. Be sure to contact a number of these references.
4) Can I have a written copy of your marketing plan? Most agents will promise a quick sale and “professional representation” but when asked for a marketing plan they do not have one. A strong marketing plan includes much more than just a yard sign and an MLS listing. It should include color flyers, a virtual tour, home staging, and most importantly, a substantial Internet presence. Ask to see a sample flyer. Is it professional looking. View a virtual tour of one of the agent’s current listings on their website. Is it impressive or mediocre?
5) What is your commission? You should never hire an agent solely on the commission. According to the National Association of Realtors, the average real estate commission nationwide is 5.1%. If an agent is charging significantly more than that, then that agent should have clear justification of why.
These are some tough, hard-hitting questions. However, you are hiring someone to represent you. If you were in a courtroom would you hire an attorney based on the refrigerator magnet or cherry pie recipe they sent you? No, you would want to hire them based on their competence. Real estate is no different, you want to hire someone on their competence to price your home right, market it effectively, and to represent your best interests.
