The days of putting a sign in the yard and throwing a home in the local Multiple Listing Service are long gone. With the advent of the internet, and technology in general, the real estate industry has changed dramatically! Do you have an agent that's marketing your home to its fullest potential?
Here are 10 Questions to ask your Realtor to make sure your home is getting the right exposure.
Most importantly, how will your home be marketed? Agents today should be offering a full color brochure for your home along with a virtual tour available on CD. Your home should have a HUGE presence on the web. Advertising still plays a key role; your agent should be running full page ads in the local paper.
What kind of internet presence will your home have? Top Realtors will now showcase your home with its own website and have someone onsite that works daily with web positioning and marketing.
Does your agent have the resources to make all this happen? Your Realtor should have an entire team to make sure marketing happens. Some may even offer a professional Home Stager to you at no additional cost.
What kind of communication? Realtors should be offering you a 24/7 online report detailing advertising, showing feedback and more. Their team should consist of separate closing, listing and marketing personnel.
How many transactions have they had? You're looking for experience in negotiating here.
Customer service is not only still important, it is all important. The Realtor should have a customer focus with all of your specific needs as a priority.
What kind of value added services does your agent provide? Realtors need to justify their commission more and more these days. Look for an agent that brings more to the table, such as a Home Stager, appraiser and even a free moving truck.
How many buyer agents are on their team? More buyer agents bring in more buyers to sell your home quicker.
Lastly, make sure you find out how many years of sales experience your agent has had.
If you find an agent that meets all of these qualifications, consider yourself lucky. Your home will be marketed to the largest possible audience and allow you to get the highest price for your home!