Selecting a Realtor to List Your Property
Posted March 15, 2006

Dear Joan:

 My husband has been transferred to Oahu and we will be moving after the first of the year. We really like the realtor who helped us buy our home but we are reluctant to use her now that we are selling because she told us she specializes as a buyer’s agent. Can you give us some tips on how to find the right agent to help us sell our home?

 Signed,

Heading for the North Shore

 Dear North Shore:

 When selecting a realtor to represent you with the sale of your property I suggest that you really want someone with whom you’re comfortable. It’s a good idea to talk with a few agents and select the one you feel would help make your transition successful.

 Having said that, I definitely would have a conversation with the realtor who sold you your home. I think that most realtors are like great baseball players. They can hit, run and field. Since you really liked her, I’d give her the opportunity to see if she can assist you again.

 Here are some sample questions you might ask agents you speak with:

1.    How would you help us get the best price for our home? A good realtor goes through each area of your home and gives you recommendations of ways to freshen things up and make it appealing to buyers. This can involve everything from cleaning out clutter to actually replacing appliances and moving some of your furniture into storage to give a more spacious look and feel to the home.

2.    What experience do you have in selling homes that you’ve listed? Your realtor may have a lot of experience or possibly not too much. If you really like him or her and they don’t have a lot of experience I’d suggest this follow up question:

·       May I call your broker and ask how much support they will offer you if we list our home with you?

3.    What percentage of your business is done representing the seller vs. the buyer? If they represent a much larger percentage of buyers to sellers that could actually be a plus because they have a good idea of what buyers look for and they can highlight those things in your home.

4.    May I look at your references and testimonials? A good realtor will have letters from past clients that address the service they received. Be looking for something where the agent receives a compliment for handling a situation in a way that you’d appreciate if you found yourself in a similar situation.

5.    How would you go about pricing our home? You want the best price you can get but since you are leaving the island it also sounds like you may need to sell within a relatively short period of time. Listen for an answer that sounds logical and realistic to you. Also, you will want to see up-to-date information on comparable sales and listings.

6.    Do you prefer to show the homes you list in person or do you usually use a lockbox? If the listing agent is present for the showings they can answer questions on the spot or give explanations that might be missed if the buyer’s agent was the only one present for showings.

7.    How many listings do you currently have? Most realtors get a portion of their business from referrals. If an agent has a lot of listings, that’s probably a sign that they’re good at what they do. If the number of listings is a large number, you may want to ask if they will have time to do the job needed to sell your home.

8.    What specific steps will you take to sell this property? If the realtor you’re speaking with has taken the time to think through the steps they will take to sell your property it shows they have done their homework. You too will be doing homework by comparing the different plans you hear and selecting the one that gives you the most confidence.

9.    How often will I hear from you? No one wants to sit by the telephone waiting for a call (don’t ask how I know). I’d ask my realtor to give me a phone call or an e-mail update once a week, preferably on the same day each week. Also, I’d want an update after each showing. Whatever the two of you agree on will help make the transaction go smoothly.

 Good luck with your move. I know you’ll hit a home run with the realtor you choose.

Reprinted from The Maui News