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Simple Questions To Ask Before Selecting a Real Estate Professional
How long have you been in selling real estate in our area?
If
they have not been in local real estate for several years, they may not
know some of the important historical data they need to give sound
advice about the area.
How do you determine my qualifications and when?
This is extremely important. Your Realtor should be interested in
determining your buying power prior to showing you homes. This means he
is a professional and will help you find the homes that are right for
you. (Remember to get pre-approved at the bank, and not pre-qualified.)
How do you prepare information about relevant home choices for me ahead of time?
Your Realtor should have this done for you based on your specified
criteria so that you have a good supply of current information.
What is your negotiation style?
You need to know how you fit in with your agent to better know if he is
right for you and that the agent has the negotiation skills they need
to represent you properly.
What if anything can you do to save me money on the items that regularly come up in the closing process?
Realtors know the costs involved, and a good realtor can save you money through his relationships in the industry.
Can you pre qualify me and help me with financing options?
Every situation is different. Your Realtor should be able to give you
some alternatives. Banks arenÕt the only place to get this
advice.
What kind of properties have you had experience selling?
Find out the detailed knowledge that the agent has of homes that will fit you.
Of course there are always other questions but we have found that these
are typically questions that will help you know you are dealing with an
experienced realtor. Finding the right real estate professional
requires doing a little research and asking a few questions. You need
to know everything about the selling process. What is the marketing
strategy? What kind of advertising will be done? Is the realtor capable
and willing to communicate effectively? Can the realtor effectively
present and sell the less-noticeable assets of the property?
Real estate professionals also need to be knowledgeable about the
community. They need to have a feel for the history of the area and the
approximate price that people will be willing to pay. Also, real estate
agents should know what the competition is and how much it will effect
your sale.
Never choose a realtor on price alone. Remember that a realtor cannot
magically raise the selling price of the house. Consider the buyer. The
purchaser won't willingly pay too much; it's most likely that he or she
will do research on the market and try to find the best product for the
best price. The facts simply cannot be changed, no matter which realtor
you select. In spite of these unchangeable factors, the realtor you
select must still be diligent and knowledgeable.
If your property does not elicit attention within several weeks, the
cause can most likely be attributed to one of these three factors:
location, condition, and price. The location obviously cannot be
changed. You should consider examining the conditioning of your
property and re-evaluating the marketing strategy. Ask your realtor to
offer an explanation of the competition and your pricing strategy.
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