10 Top Questions For Your Realtor
As a one of the top Glendale Ca real estate agents I can predict with some confidence what a homeowner wants to know. Here are the questions I think a savvy home owner should ask when choosing a Realtor to sell their home.
Here are the Top Ten Questions that homeowners should ask their potential Realtor and WHY.
1. How long have you been a top Glendale Real Estate Agent and how does your experience help me?
There is no way around this point. Experience matters, but just because they’ve been licensed since the Regan Administration is not enough. Ask your potential Glendale Ca broker about their last few transactions. Did it go smoothly? If there were problems, how did they solve them? Is there a lot of blame/victim language in the answers? A Realtor with experience is invaluable in today’s challenging environment.
2. What is your commission and why are you worth it?
Everyone wants to know how much it costs, but I encourage you to think about the value a top Glendale Ca real estate agent brings to a homeowner. The skill a Realtor brings will make a significant impact on your final net- will it be a positive impact or a negative one?
When you ask about WHY the broker charges a certain commission you’ll discover one of two things. The agent is using a low commission to get your business – they have no other value OR the agent has a clear idea of why they are worth the commission they seek.
3. What is your most effective marketing technique?
There a number of ways to answer this question, but be on the look out for a strategy– not just a recitation of marketing activities.
It is common for an agent to whip out their company’s mass produced marketing sheet and they all say exactly the same thing. They advertise on the internet, they email to local large companies, they use social media, video, postcards and maybe they even door knock.
A top Glendale Ca real estate agent knows how the different marketing activities work together as a strategy. They know what they do, but they also know why they do it. This top agent is also thinking about your home in particular and will know how to reach and activate that ideal buyer to buy your home.
4. How does a top Glendale Ca real estate agent help me avoid surprises?
Surprises are only good if they come in a blue Tiffany’s box. In a real estate transaction, they almost always cost money. Most homeowners are completely unaware how complicated the average home sale is, and your Realtor is your best defense against an unpleasant surprise.
A top Glendale Ca real estate agent can give you specific examples of how they elminate surprises before they can happen.
5. I am a very busy person. How do you make this more convenient?
We all lead fully packed lives. The Realtor you pick should have the knowledge, tools and experience to remove every inconvenience possible.
Don’t let the agent slide with a simple claim to convenience. (Pro Tip – every single agent will claim they make your life more convenient. Many will say these exact words, “I’ll sell your home for the most money, in the least time, with the least amount of inconveniance to you”).
Demand details. What tools do they use? Who is responsible for what? Are those people employed by the agent or are they shared by the entire company?
6. How will you keep me informed?
The number one complaint against listing agents is the failure to communicate. There is nothing worse than not knowing what is going on with the sale of your home. Your agent should have a defined system in place to keep you informed of activity, results and changes in the marketplace.
Pro Tip – all agents claim they will keep you informed. Ask them for specifics – how frequent? Who keeps in touch? How?
7. Have you ever been sued or had a grievance filed against you?
No one ever asks this question, and yet I think it is crucial when picking an individual to represent (probably) your largest financial asset. Of course, a truly bad Realtor will simply lie, so you might want to check with the local Association of Realtors.
Pro Tip: it is great to check the reviews for a top Glendale CA real estate agent, but read those reviews with a critical eye. If there are a lot more reviews than transactions you know there is something fishy happening.
8. How much of your business is from repeat and referral sources?
This seems like an obvious question, but again, it is rarely asked. Someone who has repeat and referral business (and sells a significant number of homes each year) is probably delivering great value.
Pro Tip – it is reasonable to ask a prospective agent how many homes he or she sold in the recent past.
9. You look like a top Glendale Ca real esate agent. Are you too busy to take care of me?
A seller should know how their needs will be addressed. If the listing agent is not a hands on sort of person, then what tools and resources are in place to help the seller?
Many top Glendale Ca real estate agents are part of a real estate team or small brokerage. Home selling is too complicated for one person to do really well. Find out who is on the team, what their duties are and what qualitfications each team member might have. Also, be sure to ask if those people are employed by the agent or if they are shared among many agents.
10. Why is an agent’s reputation important to the sale of my home?
It is simple math, really. One agent, no matter how talented or connected, has access to a fairly finite pool of buyers. If your top glendale ca rea estate agent has a great reputation with other Realtors, the pool of likely buyers expands exponentially.
