When you’re selling your home, it’s important to pick a good realtor. You want someone
who will market your home well and get it sold quickly for the best price possible. So
how do you go about picking the perfect realtor? Throughout this blog, we will provide
some of the best tips on how to find a good realtor to empower any of your buying or
selling decisions.
Tip #1: Get Recommendations On The Best Local Realtors
One of the best ways to find a great realtor to help you sell or buy a home is to ask
around. Ask your friends, family, and neighbors for recommendations. They will likely
know someone who can help you through their first hand experience or from hearing
about a highly recommended realtor through a friend. In real estate, recommendations
are just as good as an official product warranty. This is because the real estate
profession is a low bar to entry profession with minimal standards. To stand out, agents
have to spend a lot of time cultivating their clients from their communities with perfect
customer satisfaction. The only way to achieve this is to do a good job on real estate
deals, consistently. Thus, if someone is highly recommended in your area, chances are
they have put in a lot of work and done an exceptional job to achieve such a
recommendation.
While getting a personal recommendation is a tried and true way to find a reliable
realtor, you can also look online for reviews of local realtors. Online reviews can be
almost as reliable as getting a personal recommendation from a friend or relative. When
researching online reviews, don’t just look for the most five-star reviews, read the three
and four star reviews. Selling a home can be complex and difficulties can arise, but
knowing how a realtor deals with difficulties can provide a lot of insight.
Tip #2: Check The Agent’s Credentials
When you’re picking a realtor to sell your home, it’s important to check their licensing
and certifications. All realtors must be licensed in the state where they are working. You
can check online to see if a potential realtor is licensed. In addition, many realtors have
certifications. The National Association of Realtors offers a certification called the
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS). This certification is only given to realtors who
have completed rigorous coursework and demonstrated excellence in the field of
residential real estate. So, if you’re looking for a realtor with experience and expertise,
be sure to check for the CRS certification.
Tip #3: Interview Multiple Realtors
Once you have a list of potential realtors, it’s time to start interviewing them.
Interviewing multiple realtors will help you get a good sense of what is out there and
who might be the best fit for you. After all, you will be spending a lot of time with your
agent so make sure it’s someone you feel comfortable enough with to share your
thoughts and feelings so that they can better represent you during the negotiation
process. At CDA Realty, we understand the importance of genuine client relationships
and honesty at every step of the real estate transaction.
When interviewing a realtor, be sure to ask about their recent sales activity. Look for
how long it took them to sell houses they listed and if the homes sold for asking price or
above. You want to see a track record of getting the most value for the seller in the least
amount of time. Another good interview question is to get their opinion of your home.
Answers that include ways to maximize the return on your home indicate someone who
is serious about getting you the most money and taking the necessary amount of time to
get there.
This also leads into their marketing plan. If a realtor has homework for you to maximize
your home value, ask them about their homework to market your house. Selling a home
is much more than just putting up a sign and getting someone to buy it. You want your
realtor to have an effective marketing strategy that will sell your home quickly for the
best price possible. Ask them what they would do differently to get your house sold,
maybe even a few examples of past strategies they have used successfully.
Tip #4: Make Sure Your Realtor Has Local Expertise
When you’re selling a home, it is best to sell with a realtor who knows the local area and
has experience selling homes like yours. If you have an older home that needs work
done on it or just want some advice about what renovations might help increase its
value, a realtor who has worked with similar homes will be best.
It is also ideal to sell your home with someone who knows the local area and market. If you have questions about what types of buyers are looking in your area or how long it might take for something like yours to get sold, you want an expert in the local market. Reach out to CDA Realty today for the most current housing market information in Coeur d’ Alene and surrounding areas.
In summary, when selling a home, it is best to sell with a realtor who:
- Has good recommendations (personal or online)
- Has official real estate credentials and any extra certifications
- Fits your personality and understands what you want
- Has a proven track record of success and an effective marketing plan
- Knows the local area and has experience selling homes like yours
The real estate professionals at CDA Realty are local market experts that are here to help you navigate the home selling process with the goal of maximizing the investment you have made on your home over the years. Give us a call anytime and get set up with one of our amazing agents today!