Finding the right real estate agent to sell your home is important if you want to get the best price in the shortest amount of time. Of course, there is a lot more to selling your home than simply placing a “for sale” sign in your yard or posting a listing on the Internet. A professional Realtor will employ many methods to attract potential buyers to your property and will guide you through the complicated legal process of transferring ownership to the new buyer.

Selecting an agent to represent your property can be confusing. However, there are a number of things you can do to increase your chances of finding the best real estate agent to sell your home.

Here Are 6 Tips To Help You Get Started:

1. Conduct Interviews. The best way to get to know potential real estate agents is by talking to them personally. Remember, whoever you choose is going to be handling one of your most important assets – so make sure your feel comfortable with this person! Ask them how your property compares to competing properties in your area and what their marketing plan would be to get it sold in that environment. Also, be clear about what kind of communication you are expecting from them. Then, really listen to their response to determine if they will be able to meet your expectations in that area.

2. Examine Their Qualifications, Work History and Expertise.Before signing a contract, make sure your real estate agent has enough experience and expertise to adequately represent your interests. All professional real estate agents have to meet certain licensing requirements. However, not all agents are created equal and personal experience is not something that can be bought. In addition, the agent you choose should be very familiar with your local real estate market. It is important to work with a real estate agent who understands the competition in your area, your neighborhood’s transaction history, and current price trends. Finally, it may be a good idea to check the State Board of Realtors for any complaints that may have been filed against your potential agent.

3. Ask for Referrals.Ask your friends, family members and work associates for recommendations. Before you accept a referral at face value, be sure to ask the individual making the referral about his or her personal experience with that particular agent. While you are at it, don’t forget to inquire about the agent’s communication style, marketing methods and fees.

4. Learn about Their Approach to Customer Service.Open communication with your real estate agent is important, so you’ll want to make sure they are responsive to your concerns. It is okay if your agent has an assistant who communicates with you, as long as your agent is available to take your calls, reviews all contracts on your behalf, and is present for important transactions. How the agent communicates with you says a lot about how much they value your business and how serious they are about getting your home sold.

5. Attend Open Houses. Attending open houses allows you to see your potential real estate agent in action. This will give you a better feel for how they interact with potential buyers and how actively they promote their listings. Also, keep in mind that not all real estate agents are willing to host open houses at all. However, you want to find an agent who is willing to do whatever it takes to find the right buyer for your home.

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Maybe you are relocating.  Or getting married. Or you already bought another house and are facing two mortgages. Whatever the reason behind that panicked “I need to sell my house quick!” feeling you have – you will need a solid game plan if you really want to sell your house fast.

I was actually in this position myself a couple of years ago – I needed to sell my home fast in order to buy my dream property.  But, I needed the equity out of my current home to make it happen.

Unfortunately, this occurred right as the bottom was starting to fall out of the real estate market.  Although my real estate agent warned me that it might take up 8 or 9 months (or more) before it sold, I was very lucky in that my house sold in… 3 days.

For almost the full asking price.

While I certainly think luck played a part in this (i.e., the right buyer saw my house at the right time), there were also a couple of more controllable factors that helped my house sell fast, including:

1. Selecting a top-rated real estate agent. I chose the my real estate agent because she had been a top-producer in the area for years and she did a lot of marketing for her listings.  I figured she would do the same for mine. My buyer was one of her clients – my agent had already shown her nearly 40 other houses and knew immediately that my house would be a good fit for her.
2. Cleaning up interior clutter. No need for the whole world to know I like to keep things in piles. ‘Nuff said.
3. Finishing interior projects. This included repainting a couple of rooms, fixing a broken door knob, and replacing some worn window treatments. Simple stuff to do, but helped the home appear “move-in ready.”
4. Focusing on front yard curb appeal. I am an avid gardener, so I really enjoy working in the yard. Before putting the house on the market, I put down fresh mulch, weeded wherever was necessary and added a monochromatic color scheme of annual color to bring it all together.

By themselves, none of these things are that monumental. However, hiring the best sales agent I could find – and polishing my “product” before it went on the market – made a huge difference. That is how I was able to sell my house quick!

Til Next Time,

P.S. For more curb appeal ideas to sell your home fast – check out the Real Estate Guide in the sidebar to the right!

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