Not all realtors are created equal.

If you decide to seek the help of a realtor when selling or buying your home, you need some good information before you make any moves. Picking a realtor is one of those critical decisions that can cost or save you thousands of dollars! There are very specific questions you should be asking to ensure that you get the best representation for your needs. Some realtors may prefer that you don’t ask these questions, because the knowledge you’ll gain from their honest answers will give you a very good idea about what outcome you can expect from using this realtor. 

Hiring a realtor is just like any hiring process—with you on the boss’s side of the deal. It’s important that you make the right decision about who will handle what is probably the single largest financial investment you will ever make. The following items are things everyone ought to know about choosing a realtor in The DC Metro Area! 

What makes them different? Why should you list your home with them? 

It’s a much tougher real estate market than it was a decade ago. What unique marketing plans and programs does this realtor have in place to make sure that your home stands out favorably versus other competing homes? What thing does this realtor offer you that others don’t that can help you sell your home in the least amount of time, with the least amount of hassle, and for the most amount of money? 

What is their company’s track record and reputation in the marketplace? 

It may seem like everywhere you look, realtors are boasting about being #1 for this or that, or quoting you the number of homes they’ve sold. If you’re like many homeowners, you’ve probably become immune to much of this information. After all, you ask, “Why should I care about how many homes one realtor sold over another. The only thing I care about is whether they can sell my home quickly for the most amount of money.” Well, because you want your home sold fast and for top dollar, you should be asking the realtor you interview how many homes they have sold. I’m sure you will agree that success in real estate is selling. If one realtor is selling a lot of homes where another is only selling a handful, ask yourself why this might be? What things are these two realtors doing differently? 

You may be surprised to know that many realtors sell fewer than 10 homes a year. This volume makes it difficult for them to do full impact marketing on your home because they can’t raise the money it takes to afford the advertising and special programs to give your home a high profile. Also, at this low level, they probably can not afford to hire an assistant, which means that they’re running around trying to do all the components of the job themselves, which means service may suffer. 

What are their marketing plans for your home? 

How much money does this realtor spend in advertising the homes they list versus the other realtors you are interviewing? In what media (newspaper, magazine, TV, etc.) does this realtor advertise? What do they know about the effectiveness of one medium over the other? 

What has their company sold in your area? 

Realtors should bring you a complete listing of both their own and other comparable sales in your area. 

Does their Broker control their advertising or do you? 

If your realtor is not in control of their own advertising, then your home will be competing for advertising space not only with their agent’s other listing but also with the listings of every other agent in the brokerage. 

On average, when their listings sell, how close is the selling price to the asking price? 

This information is available from the Real Estate Board. Is the realtor’s performance higher or lower than the board average? Their performance on this measurement will help you predict how high of a price you will get for the sale of your home. 

Read this Free Special Report before hiring an agent! 

Call toll-free 1-800-881-6629 and enter #7102. You can call any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Get your free special report NOW to find out the questions the others would prefer you never ask!