Start off by talking with any new neighbors about real estate agents they used. A real estate agent with experience in a particular local market is a plus. They know the kinds of buyers to look for, market trends, and the best price points to start a listing.
This is one area where quantity can give you an idea of quality. As long as a real estate agent’s been in the business for a while, they should be able to give you as many references as you’d like to see.
Each state has their own licensing bodies for agents working with their jurisdictions. To find the one for your state, just use your favorite search engine to search for “disciplinary against real estate agents” in your state. The information needed to look up a violation may vary from state to state, but as a rule of thumb, get the real estate agent’s name and license number. As an example, you can browse the disciplinary actions against real estate agents in California at http://www. dre. ca. gov/Licensees/EnforcementActions. html.
You can view a listing of the various specialties at the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) website, located at https://www. nar. realtor/education/courses. Consider hiring a Realtor. The trademarked name Realtor is a sign that the agent is a certified member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
Most commentators agree that five years’ experience is long enough to have learned the ins and outs of the business, but your mileage may vary. Some agents will learn far more quickly than that. Most states have 2 levels of real estate licenses. The higher level is called a broker or managing broker. Usually, it takes 2-3 years to advance to the upper level. If you see someone who has been a managing broker for only 1 year, remember that they probably have at least 3 years of experience overall.
Go to https://www. realestateagent. com and search for the agent to find their online listings.
One reason why thorough knowledge of the local market is crucial is pricing. While you have ultimate control over the selling price of your house, the real estate agent’s expertise should help you understand if you’re pricing too low or too high.
A commission of 6% is typical, but is negotiable.
For example, you might pay a flat fee to get listed on the MLS and https://www. realestateagent. com (which overlap), the MLS, https://www. realestateagent. com, and a for-sale-by owner website, or by all of the above, plus Trulia, Zillow, and national real estate brokerages like Keller Williams and Re/Max. If you are paying to get your property listed on the MLS, you will need to state what the cooperating broker commission fee is. This fee is paid to a real estate agent if they show and sell your home. Include showing instructions so that the real estate agent can show the house according to your specific instructions. If you do not include this fee, agents and brokers may not show your home. The fees increase in proportion to the amount of coverage you get. While you may be able to negotiate a listing on only the MLS and https://www. realestateagent. com for less than $100, you might have to spend as much as $800 to get coverage on all available platforms. These fees can vary based on geographic region and brokers.
Although all of the flat-free listing services promise better results the more money you spend, it’s nearly impossible to find independent verification of these claims. Your best bet is to find a flat-fee company doing a lot of business in your area and checking their reputation with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The BBB is a nonprofit funded by businesses that rates, reviews, and credentials businesses in order to ensure consumer confidence. You can look up a business at http://www. bbb. org/ by entering the business’ name, URL, or phone number, and narrowing down the geographic area as much as possible.
A descriptive and succinct heading. Instead of listing the address and the price in the title, be a little creative. For example, instead of “123 Red Robin Lane, $100,000,” try something like “Charming turn of the century craftsman home in the popular Red Robin neighborhood. ” As many pictures as possible. Humans are visual creatures, and the more pictures you have on the listing, the more likely you are to sell the home. Specific details about the house. Be sure to include details like number of rooms, square footage, size of the lot, and any amenities that come along with the house—sunrooms, porches, a fenced-in yard, attractive interior styling, etc. The price. Make it as easy as possible for someone to buy your house. Don’t be the person who creates a listing without a price, or worse, “inquire” where the price should be. Be sure to include a description of the neighborhood. List any amenities that might attract a potential buyer, such as parks, public swimming pools, or local schools.
In most areas, listings on the MLS are added to sites like Trulia and Zillow, but not every locality’s MLS shares information with these sites. Make sure to check with your flat-fee listing service to find out. If the listings aren’t automatically shared, you’ll need to upload your listing yourself.
