How do you pick the right Realtor to list and sell your home?  Remember, that is the goal – selling your home. It’s common for Realtors to brag about how many listings they have, but it’s no benefit to you to keep your home on the market! These 5 questions will help you in hiring a Realtor that wants to SELL your home.

1. How many transactions have you completed in the last quarter, six months, and year?   This is important because you want a Realtor who is highly active; one who is selling all year round.  The more transactions, the better.  It’s all about leads and a highly active agent may have a potential buyer for your house!
2. What kind of marketing do you do?  As a seller, you need maximum exposure for your house.  How will your home be advertised? How often and where?  Is it online advertising or print? Open houses?  If your house is not all over the internet, you are not being served properly.  Almost 90% of all buyers start their home search online!
3. How often will we hear from you?  A good Realtor will give you, at a minimum, weekly feedback of showings along with a showing report.  We have daily communications for sellers, just so they don’t miss a beat.  We have found that communication is the number one trait sellers need.  Selling your house is a big deal and being in the know can help keep you happy.
4. How do you negotiate a deal?  Can your Realtor negotiate strongly on your behalf and get you what you want?  Understanding your wants and needs is extremely important.  Don’t hire a Realtor just looking for a commission, hire one that cares and will do what it takes to keep you happy and get the results you want.
5. Are you passive or aggressive?  What’s funny is a lot of agents will passively sit around and wait for a deal to come to them.  Those days are gone!  You need a Realtor that will pound the pavement, talk about your house all the time and stir the pot to create buzz and make people want it!  Sitting at an open house with your fingers crossed is not the same is aggressively seeking out qualified buyers every single day for your home!

Please let me know if you’d like a longer complete list of questions to ask a Realtor before hiring one.  I’d be glad to help.

Need help Selling, Buying, or with Property Management?  Gabe and Gulf Pointe Properties are glad to help: Contact Gabe directly at:  239.825.2234, Gabe@GulfPointeProperties.com or www.GulfPointeProperties.com Gabe Mellein is the broker of Gulf Pointe Properties,   He is a member of The Naples Area Board of Realtors, Bonita Springs – Estero Association of Realtors, Realtor Association of Greater Fort Myers and the Beach, The Florida Association of Realtors, The National Association of Realtors, and is nationally certified in Feng Shui for Real Estate.