Choose Your Marketing Method

First you must decide upon a marketing method. If you decide to take the traditional route and list your property for sale with a real estate agent, we highly recommend that you interview several agents before selecting the one that you choose to represent you. Some important questions and issues that you should address before signing a listing contract with any prospective agent are:

1) How will you determine the listing price of my property?

2) What is your experience level as an agent in this market?

3) Ask the broker/agent for some client references.

4) Ask them to detail what their marketing plans for your property will be.

5) Be sure that you fully understand the cost of the services the agent will provide. If they are working in the typical commission based sales program, what is the total commission fee?

6) Discuss with the agent the current market conditions in your area. A good agent will know the current local market conditions.

7) Discuss and negotiate the length of the listing contract that the real estate agent's company requires. From the seller's perspective, you should remember, the shorter the contract period the better. Try to limit the contract period to 6 months at a maximum. That way if your property does not sell and you are not happy with the marketing efforts that your agent has put forth, then you are not tied up in a long-term contract and can change real estate companies if necessary

8) Make sure you understand exactly what type of representation your agent will be offering. Some brokers offer transactional brokerage. In this arrangement an agent provides limited representation to a buyer, a seller or both in a real estate transaction, but does not represent either in a fiduciary capacity or as a single agent. A fiduciary is a broker involved in a relationship of trust and confidence between the broker as an agent and a seller or buyer as a principal. What this basically means is he will represent you exclusively.

9) According to the National Association of Realtors, 4 out of 10 homebuyers will shop on the internet for their next home purchase. So be sure that whatever company you choose to list your property with has the ability to place a listing of your property along with all the basic factual data regarding your property on the internet.

We recommend that you use the information above to interview several agents. You can then select one that you feel the most confident in and comfortable with. By asking the questions and addressing the issues above, you should be able to get a good feel for the agent that is best for you.

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