Best way to find an agent

[IntownHomes247]

If she has tricked out her MLS listing and her Realtor.com ad then she has done more marketing than the vast majority of agents out there. Does she have lots of high quality photos on both? Does she have a virtual tour with links from both the MLS listing and the Realtor.com listing? If so, the problem is not her marketing.

The reality of the market in a lot of places (certainly here in Atlanta) is that there simply aren't enough buyers out there for every home. We've got something like a 2 year supply of inventory on the market already and more homes getting listed all the time. There just aren't enough buyers out there to soak up that supply.

What I'm finding here is that any home that has ANY significant objection (and being on the main road of a neighborhood is a big objection to a lot of people) is just going to sit there. Unless your subdivision is unusually popular and has a very small supply of homes for sale, the odds are that buyers have too many other options available to them. Get your agent to print out the MLS sheets for all the homes that have sold in your area since yours went on the market and see what they have that yours doesn't (or what they don't have that yours does).

If your house might need staging, it's best to ask a professional stager for a consult. That's generally relatively inexpensive and stagers are the professionals at this. Some agents have a really good eye for it, others not so much, but if you think there could be something about the interior of your house that's keeping you from selling, then get a stager to go through the house and provide you with detailed recommendations.

Also remember, putting $10k additional upgrades into your house still doesn't guarantee that you'll get the price you are currently asking, much less recoup any of that money. Make sure any upgrades are highly in demand before you consider such a big outlay of cash.

[fasttracknyc]

Ask for referrals from friends and neighbors with similar properties.

In this market, your broker may be right, and you may need to lower your price. I am working with 6 buyers right now and they all know that the market is weakening and 2 have made offers that were 5-10% less than asking....and one seller accepted the offer.

Price cuts are no fun to face, but a huge reality of the market right now!

Your current broker may not be wrong.

[Kevrltr]

The market has changed radically. Not all agents have experienced a market like this before.

DO NOT PUT MORE MONEY INTO THE HOUSE. One agent said your house was overpriced. Every buyer said your house was overpriced for what it was,
by not buying it.

A busy street can be 10-20% less than a comparable home on a cul-de-sac.

When you bought you probably got that discount, now when you are selling you need to discount for the busy street.

I don't know where your home is, but when you originally put it on the market did your Realtor price it or did you?

Did you ask to "Try it" a little higher than the Realtor recommended.

In most of the USA at this point you have to be "the bargain" to sell.

All the best!

Kevin O'Shea

[suzie02]

We are going this route Is this listing agent response common? - Real Estate Professionals - City-Data Forum
I have my fingers crossed.

[Mary Rives Brown]

Originally Posted by sunnie741

What is the best way to get a real estate agent? Our contract is going to be up soon and we want someone else. We had interviewed other agents previously and asked all the questions but now our contract is up. It seems like picking a needle in the haystack-we have asked others prior.

We need someone honest and aggressive, since our house has been on the market almost six months and the only advice our agent says is to lower the price, to "make it attractive and seem like a bargain."

So, in summary, how do you find out how good a real estate agent is? Should you go with the highest producer?

Thanks-we need to get this house sold!!

This is the time to do your research-ask for testimonials-we started getting them years ago and posted them, pictures and comments, on our website; we've also put a lot of time and money into the website and constantly seek ways to improve content and ease of use for the consumer, and we treat our website as if anyone in the world may come to look at it, and they do! Also, and no offense to the newer people on here, experience counts. I've been doing this since 1985 and there is simply no substitute for a good reputation and experience. Every house has a story just like every person-just a little scratching below the surface and you should find more than just a pretty picture-every agent should have a biography with more than fluff and sales volume in it. Any number and statistic can be tweaked to make them look great-just look at Wall Street for examples of that!
Also, look to see if your potential agent has taken course work other than what is required for re-licensure-that is an indication they want to do more than the minimum to keep up-to-date in the business. Professionals will want to do more than that minimum. Also, what civic organizations do they belong to and how do they participate?
How is the agency set up? Is there an on-site broker who is intimately involved in the day-to-day operations of the business-this is really important-your agent is your pick, but does he or she work within an organization that helps one another or does each work independently?
Finally, just because an agent sells a lot of real estate (or used to) does not mean they are 'good' or 'better' than anyone else-many factors may have gone into high numbers. If you want to examine the highest producer, get them to break that down. In some markets they may have only sold one or two high-end properties. What and how many did they sell in YOUR price range?
These are tough times-I'd like to tell you to consider agents who have weathered other tough times so you will know what to expect and that teaming up with a survivor may be a good solution for you. In any event, just like any other important hiring decision, ask for the names of others they have worked with in the past-that will be your best indicator for what will happen with your experience.
Good luck.