How do you choose a Listing Agent?

That's a question I've often heard. Selling your home for whatever reason can be a stressful and overwhelming time and the key component to an expeditious sale is the right Realtor. Choosing a Realtor to list your property is much like interviewing a candidate for a job. But YOU are the employer.

In my opinion, your best bet is to talk to your circle of friends and relatives and see if they can recommend someone. But you shouldn't just stop there. It's preferable to have at least 3 Realtors pitch their services to you (the 3 quotes rule certainly can apply here!). Interview each Realtor and find out what their services are, what their expected commission is and how they communicate with their clients. Another important aspect to understand is what their marketing strategy for your property would entail -- MLS or Exclusive List? will there be Open Houses? Dedicated property website? What sort of marketing material do they regularly use when they market a property? Although most sales are as a direct result of cooperating brokers via the MLS listing, keep in mind that 84% of buyers do some online home research on their own before they even start touring homes, so make sure you understand what kind of online marketing is planned - and make sure you hire an Agent this is web-savvy.

You also want to be sure that the Realtor you choose is familiar with your neighbourhood mainly in a pricing perspective. The #1 reason a property doesn't sell is that it is priced improperly -- if you can get it priced right, it will sell. That is not to say you need to undersell the property, but a house is only worth what the market is willing to pay -- over price it and buyers don't see the value -- price it right and the property becomes very desirable.

I would say, though, that the MOST important aspect of hiring a Listing Agent is trust. You have to feel comfortable enough with your Realtor to trust the advice they give. Ultimately decisions made are done solely by you the homeowner, but hopefully done so with the right information at your disposal.

A Realtor's job is to get your house sold for the highest price possible in the most reasonable amount of time and keeping your best interests in mind.

If you're looking to sell or buy a home in Brampton, I'd love the opportunity to assist you. Visit me at www.coriendrody.com and see what I can do for you. I look forward to hearing from you!