Five Questions To Ask Your Realtor Before They Sell Your Home

Posted by Steve Harmer on Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 at 2:48pm.

Finding the right realtor is the first and most important step of selling your home.

With a large choice of Realtors in Kamloops, choosing the right one should be based on more than just a gut feeling. By asking the right questions, you can ensure your realtor will be committed to your needs before you hire them.

1. How will they promote your home?

How do they plan on marketing your listing? Since many, but not all, buyers and agents search online listings first, your agent needs to use both online and traditional marketing media to capture the widest audience. Check to see whether they’ll be conducting open houses, using signs, or advertising in print in addition to online listings. They also need professional-quality photos and video to ensure that the property is at its best. Ask your realtor for a detailed rundown on their marketing and media strategies to ensure they have a varied plan for your home.

2. Whats their sales experience?

Look online to find your realtor’s solds list. Many part-time or beginning agents work primarily with buyers, and have fewer than 6 transactions a year. A long and varied sales listing means your agent is more experienced, but also more dedicated to their craft. They’ll have a much better handle on the nuances and difficulties of selling your home, and a keener understanding of current market conditions. They’ll also be able to better employ different strategies in difficult markets. Looking at their solds is valuable insight into your agent’s flexibility, experience, and dedication to selling.

3. What are the drawbacks of your home?

Your home has flaws. Although it might sting a little, you should ask your realtor to list the drawbacks of your home. A great agent won’t gloss over them, but should also run you through which flaws are worth fixing. Some repairs and renovations won’t raise the value of the home as much as the cost to complete them. Your realtor should help you prioritize which, if any, changes to make to ensure you’ll earn returns on a renovation.

4. How well do they know the neighbourhood and the type of home?

If your realtor has worked in your neighbourhood before, they should know most of the schools, shopping, and quirks of the area. Experience in the neighbourhood helps them to gauge the correct market value of your home, which can be tricky.

But an agent also needs to acknowledge the nuances of a neighbourhood and property that can only be known by living there. A comfortable and confident agent should ask you the important questions, and they should use the information to better market the home.

5. Ask for references

New clients are often nervous about asking for references, but trust us: we love it! We’re committed to building strong, honest relationships with all of our clients, and we’ll share these experiences with anybody who’ll listen. Asking for references shows us you care about your listing and you want your agent to care just as much. A good realtor should be able to happily and quickly give you references from past clients. See some of Danielle's testimonials HERE