What do we ask/what info do we get from the REA re: selling our house?

We may have 2 realtors come over tonight or tomorrow to talk about selling our townhouse! What questions should we be asking and what will the REA provide us with so we can make a decision on who to work with?

Re: What do we ask/what info do we get from the REA re: selling our house?

if they are both good agents- there wont be major differences

some things to ask- Commission

marketing plan- I offer online marketing - realtor.com, trulia, zillow and about 20 other sites

I have a listing program that feeds to all of them- plus FB (do not under estimate FB- I just sold a $455k house b/c of FB)

MLS- of course

and I also advertise in a magazine that's in every supermarket on LI

Open houses/broker opens

how they handle showings

they should show you comps to back up the price

remember the person who says the higher price is necessarily better- you want it to sell - not sit there

and the major thing- who do you feel comfortable working it?

good luck!

Re: What do we ask/what info do we get from the REA re: selling our house?

I would also add that a good agent should talk to you, not just about what they offer, but about your situation and needs (why you are moving, when you need to move, how much you hope to get out of the house, etc.). Good agents want to understand your motivation and your goals to help you develop the best strategy to achieve them.

When an agent walks through your house with you, they should be engaged, taking notes, asking questions (about any work you've done, the age of certain things, etc.) They need to have all the information to make their pricing recommendation and to later sell the house.

I would also find out how the agent intends to communicate with you. I make a weekly phone call to my sellers to update them on activity and discuss strategy. I also follow up with any agents who show the home and provide my sellers with the feedback from those showings. Some agents will take a listing and you will literally NEVER hear from them again.

Ask them how involved they will be in the process. Some listing agents won't show up for the home inspection, the appraisal, etc. They leave that all to the buyer's agent. I am proactive, and I stay involved in the sales process each and every step of the way up through the closing in order to guide my sellers through the process, addres issues that crop up, etc.

Marketing is very important, so I would ask to get a marketing plan in writing (so you can hold your agent accountable). We post our listings on over 300 websites and create unique property websites for each listing (eg. www.51maplestreet.com). We also print business cards including your address and property description with a photo of your house. We have some unique tools -- but the point is, it should be more than sticking a sign in your hard and putting your property on MLS!

Good luck with your decision!

Re: What do we ask/what info do we get from the REA re: selling our house?

I would suggest checking out the realtors other listing pages or pages from that brokerage. That way you can see how they will present your home. Do they have good pictures, good descriptioins, acurate information in their listings. Good luck!

Re: What do we ask/what info do we get from the REA re: selling our house?

THANK YOU!!! I really appreciate all the info! I spoke to one REA on the phone yesterday and she is going to call me back today with some info.