ABA Family Legal Guide

Buying and Selling a Home

Meeting the Players

Selecting a Real Estate Agent to Sell Your Home

How do I choose an agent to sell my home?

Choosing an agent requires you to do some homework, both on the qualifications of the real estate firm and on the individual agent you engage. In order to find a person who is knowledgeable and interested in selling the property, you may want to interview several agents from various local firms and ask them a few questions. For example:

• Is the firm a member of the National Association of Realtors, a national voluntary professional organization whose members exchange information and hold seminars in order to enhance their skills and improve the services provided to buyers and sellers of real estate?
• What is the record for sales for the last six months or one year? How do these figures compare to the sales figures of other real estate agencies?
• How long do homes stay on the market?
• How much and where does the agency advertise?
• How close is the actual sale price to the listing price for homes sold over the past six months or year?
• Are the agent and firm familiar with the geographic location of your home? How well does the firm know the area's schools, facilities, and public transportation?

You should ask to see the Multiple Listing Book and compare the listings of various firms and agents. A large firm may offer more varied expertise, but may also have many listings. It is important to get assurance that a large firm's agents have the time and energy to devote to an additional listing. A small office with fewer listings may not have the breadth of a larger firm, but may give better, more personal service. The possibilities opened up by the Internet may help smaller offices compete effectively with larger ones.

Once you settle on an agency, you should interview potential agents.

• Does the agent work full-time in residential real estate?
• What is the agent's experience?
• Ask the agent about plans to market the home. Who does he or she think are the best potential buyers, and how should they be targeted? For example, retirees and young families are usually interested in different amenities. If the property is a natural fit with a particular age group, ask each prospective agent how he or she intends to show the home's advantages to its target market. Agents are licensed by the state in which they do business; in many states, you can check the website of the state agency that licenses agents to determine if any complaints have been filed against a particular agent.

Finally, you should be comfortable and have confidence in the agent you selected. The agent should be responsive to you, communicating all expressed interest in the home and following up on the visits of potential buyers. You might want to know how many buyers have seen the home and why no offers have been made. Is the agent trying to discover why? Is the price is too high? Does the decor detract from the home? Should you make some minor repairs?