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6 critical questions to ask before signing that listing
By Sylvia
Booth Hubbard • Bankrate.com
 You've
decided to sell your home. It's probably the most valuable thing you own, and
you're hoping to get top dollar for it -- soon.
Don't take the easy way out. This is no time
to go with your next-door-neighbor's cousin Teddy because he needs the money
or that cutie-pie agent whose photo you see in the local homes magazine.
You're hiring someone to do an important job for you, and you're
going to pay him or her big bucks to do it. What do you do when you hire an important
employee? Interview them.
Here are six critical questions to ask an agent if you are selling
your home:
- What is your marketing plan? Will the agent list
it in the newspaper or in free real estate brochures distributed along with
the newspaper or available in heavily trafficked areas such as the entrances
of the local grocery stores? Does the agent have listings on the Internet?
Does the agent plan to schedule an open house?
- What do you suggest to make the property more attractive
to prospective buyers? Good agents will know what types of improvements
will increase your chances of selling.
- How much commission do you charge? "The average
is 6 percent," said Donald R. Brenner, professor of
real estate law at American University and former columnist for the Washington
Post, "but if you are buying a home and listing your old home
with the same agent, you may be able to work out a lower commission, since
they will have two sales. Of if you are dealing with a million-dollar house,
you may be able to negotiate the fee downward 1 or 2 percent."
- What neighborhoods are you most active in? A real estate
salesperson who buys and sells homes frequently in your neighborhood is more
likely to know what homes have sold for and other information that ups your
chances of selling quickly for maximum dollar.
- What is the average time before a home in your neighborhood
sells? Follow up by asking how your house fits into that time frame.
- Will you take a three-month listing? Some experts
recommend a three-month listing with the option of renewing. The shorter the
listing time, the harder your agent will work to sell your home.
Buying and selling your home can be a period of high stress. But
if you take the time to find the real estate agent who is right for you, you can look
back on the buying or selling of your house as an exciting experience.
-- Posted: July 1, 2003
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