Gather referrals, but take them with a grain of salt
There are a lot of agents out there. So how do you choose? Go ahead and ask your pals for referrals, but don't fall into the trap of picking an agent purely because of rave reviews. The old mantra of location, location, location applies to real estate agents as much as homes.
“You want a Realtor who is very familiar with your area—and not just what he can pull up online," says Wendy Flynn, a Realtor in College Station, TX. The reason is simple: If they’ve spent time in the area, they’ll know how to market your house there.
So a better question to ask your friends than “Know any real estate agents?" is, “Know a real estate agent who's sold any properties in my area in the past few years?"
Test their communication skills
Once you have some potentials, email them or call their office, then sit back and wait. This is your first test of a key component: how responsive will your agent be? Ideally, she should get back to you that same day.“If it takes longer than four business hours without a decent explanation, I would be cautious,” says Chandler Crouch, broker for Chandler Crouch Realtors in Fort Worth, TX. Imagine if you've got competing offers on the table, or if some problem comes up with the home inspection. You don't want to wonder where your agent is and whether you'll hear back from her!
Probe their experience
Your initial conversation with a prospective listing agent should be like any job interview: Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions right off the bat. A good agent should know his stats, and any dancing around these numbers could mean he's hiding something. According to Crouch, you should ask the following:
- How long have you been in business? Aim for Realtors with at least two years of experience, enough time to learn the ropes and finesse their marketing and selling plans. Time (on the job) is money (in your pocket).
- How many houses did you sell last year? Look for agents with double-digit sales. “I wouldn't consider an agent unless they had 20 or more sells a year," Crouch says.
- What percentage of your listings do you sell? Ideally you want an agent who has sold an average of 60% to 80%.
- What is the average list price to actual sell price ratio for your listings? This can fluctuate by market, but you should still look for high numbers. “I would set a low bar of 95% to be acceptable for even the worst market conditions," Crouch says.
