Choosing The Right Realtor

Choosing The Right Realtor to Sell Your Home
By Freddie Santiago
When you're looking to sell a home, naturally you want to find a real estate agent with integrity and your best interests in mind. You need someone you genuinely like because you are about to spend a lot of time in their presence. You can start by asking,family,friends or neighbors,especially ones that have sold a home in the past year.

You want an agent who is familiar with the neighborhood and somehow understands your tastes so he, she can focus in getting you to the properties that best suits your tastes. We all know someone who has spent endless hours driving around with a chatty, agent only to end up looking at houses that are not suitable for the family dog.

Finding an agent who can assist in the onerous transaction process is just as crucial. They should be able to recommend a mortgage broker and real estate lawyer to get the deal done. Knowledge of the latest trends in mortgage loan products and property taxes are certainly helpful, too.

Once you obtain a few names, set up an interview with each agent try to keep it to 30 minutes or less. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recommends asking the following questions before committing to working with a Realtor:

How long have you been working in residential real estate sales? Is it your full-time job? Real estate, like many other professions, is mostly learned on the job. And keep in mind that experience is not a guarantee that the person is successful.

1. What are your credentials? The agent should be licensed by your state, which means the agent has met minimum levels of education, training, and testing. Designations such as Graduate Realtors Institute,( GRI) and Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), which require the agents to take specialized real estate training, are held by only about one-quarter of real estate pros.

2. How many homes did you sell in the last year? How many homes did you find for buyers? Ask the agent for the addresses and selling prices for the homes bought and sold recently.

3. How many days did it take you to sell the average home? How did that compare to the overall market? This information also determines the agent's track record of marketing homes. Remember that real estate markets vary by location.. Make sure the Realtor's record is in line with local conditions

4. How close to the initial asking prices of the homes you sold were the final sale prices? If there are very large discrepancies between asking and final sale prices, ask for the reasons behind that. As a seller, you should listen to the agent's advice about what the competitive price is so that you're not over pricing your home. The first tow weeks of your home being on the market is when you are going to generate the most traffic, so it is important that your home is reasonably price or else your traffic will be slow. When you're a buyer, the realtor will provide the current price ranges for that local market. And it's not always just about price. Agents need to know how fast you're able to close the deal. And in the stringent lending environment, they also want to know if you're pre-approved for a mortgage.

5. When I'm selling my home, what types of marketing approaches will you use? Look for someone who has aggressive, innovative approaches. You don't want someone who's going to put a sign in the yard and hope for the best.

6. How will you keep me informed about the process? Decide how you want to communicate, email, phone or personal visit;and how often. Finally, references are crucial. Ask for the names and phone numbers of the agent's three most recent clients. Make sure to call these references to find out their experience with the agent.

7. Finally, references are crucial. Ask for the names and phone numbers of the agent's most recent clients. Make sure to call these references to find out their experience with the agent.

Looking to sell your home or to buy a home? visit my website: http://www.eastkendallrealestate.com and sign in to requst information or email me at: freddiesantiago12@gmail.com

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