What You Should Expect From Your Listing Agent
There are many things a listing agent needs to do to market your home for sale, but some things are most important in today’s real estate market. Here are the real estate marketing tasks or tools that we believe are the most important at the Highland Group, things you should expect from your listing agent:
📷Marketing Expertise
- You should expect a Hi Definition home video, showcased on the MLS and on YouTube, where many buyers are looking. With today’s technologies, the availability and moderate price of video for real estate agents, there is no reason why a listing agent should not showcase your home at the highest level.
- Hi Resolution, professional photos. Photos are the first impression; often making the difference between a showing or a pass. You only get one chance to make a first impression.
- Your listing will automatically appear on all the large syndication sites, like Zillow and Trulia. But ask your agent if they take advantage of other hi profile sites, like Pinterest, and ask about their own website. You should expect your listing agent to have several online resources to market your home.
📊Local Market Knowledge
2. Your listing agent should have Local Experience. They should know the home values as well as the market trends for your neighborhood, for your city, and for Frederick County. Don’t be tempted to choose an agent from some other part of the state because they offer you a discount, or because they know your Aunt Sally. What can they do to serve you when they don’t know the local market? It can end up costing you thousands, more than can be made up with a discount.
2.5 Your agent should give you advice on your home’s condition and pricing, based on the local experience that they have. This is so very important when it comes to things like home improvements and renovations. You don’t want to over-improve for your neighborhood or price range…nor do you want to under-improve, so that you cannot compete in your market. Having an agent with local know-how can be valuable when it comes to your property’s condition.
💼Hire A Professional
3. Ask for a Referral. Statistics also say that 4 people you know or are acquainted with will have a real estate transaction this year.* Talk to someone who has done business with the agent, seek out reviews, do your due diligence. You wouldn’t pick a professional in any field without a referral, why should the biggest investment of your life be any different?
4. Your listing agent should be an excellent communicator, with listening skills as well as the ability to explain things to you. If your agent doesn’t return your calls, or keeps rigid hours that make communication difficult, this can be hard to work around. You should never feel like you are a bother to them…after all, you, as well as your home, are their business.
📣Communication is Everything
5. Your Agent, whether a buyer’s agent or listing agent, needs to be a great negotiator. That usually comes with experience, but some people just have it. Either way, make sure that your agent has the skills to negotiate well on your behalf in a competitive market.
6. Last, and most importantly, your listing agent should have honesty and integrity. It almost goes without saying, they need to have a good reputation, and you need to be able to trust them to communicate with you everything you need to know to help you make good decisions. My Dad used to say, “If someone is going to lie for you, then sooner or later they are going to lie to you.”
The listing agent has a fiduciary responsibility to you, the seller, to represent your best interests. Make sure that the skills and tasks mentioned fall in line with your best interests.
Consider these points when deciding whether or not to work with a listing agent to sell your home. Be sure to ask plenty of questions during the agent interview, including “what if” scenarios.
Find Out What Your Home is Worth
Chris Highland with eXp Realty
Broker eXp Realty – 888-860-7369
Real Estate and Internet Marketing