How To Ask
The Right
Questions
Before You
List Again!
Interview
With
Confidence....Make
A Choice
That Will
Help You
Sell Your
Home Faster
And....For
More Money!
Your listing
has expired
and now
you’re
wondering
what to do.
The most
important
question you
must ask is,
"Where did I
go wrong?".
The answer
is not
usually
within you,
but with the
agent you
entrusted.
Be prepared
with the
right
information
so you can
interview
your
prospective
agent with
confidence
and assure
you make the
right choice
this time.
With
hundreds or
even
thousands of
dollars at
stake and
weeks of
time
invested,
don’t risk
making the
same mistake
twice. Make
sure your
next agent
is eminently
qualified to
sell your
home. Don’t
risk this
decision out
of
obligation
to a friend,
family
member or
acquaintance.
Your listing
has expired
and it’s
easy to
develop the
identity of
having a
problem
property in
the market
place.
Therefore,
it’s vital
important to
choose the
right agent
this time
around.
Typically,
most people
will ask
business
associates,
family or
friends to
recommend
someone
they’ve had
good luck
with...
someone they
can trust.
Other
sellers will
watch
neighborhood
real estate
signs to see
who is
listing many
of the
homes. Still
others rely
upon the
reputation
of the major
national
franchise
companies.
Then, of
course,
there’s
always the
yellow
pages.
All of these
methods
could prove
to be
disastrous!
Trust Your Instincts First!
When
selecting an
agent, he or
she should
be someone
you feel
good about,
someone
you’re
willing to
trust with
one of the
largest
financial
transactions
you may ever
make. This
report is
designed to
empower you
with the
information
necessary to
make the
right
decision
before you
arrive at
the place
where you’re
ready to
sign on the
dotted line
again. Don’t
allow the
prospective
agent to
dictate your
time table.
If an agent
is impatient
you should
immediately
consider
them
suspect. Be
careful.
Do Your Homework!
Ask For
References
From Past
Sellers -
Before
you sign
another
listing
agreement,
check out
references
from past
sellers.
Flattering
letters
praising the
agent’s work
in a
presentation
book are a
great start,
but dig
deeper. Ask
for
telephone
numbers and
names of the
past three
sellers and
names of at
least two
current
listings.
Know The
Companies
Reputation -
Ask your
business
associates,
family and
friends
about the
company or
agent and
listen
carefully
for the very
first thing
they say. A
company has
a reputation
in the
community.
Listen
closely for
it!
Call The
Real Estate
Commission -
Call and ask
about
consumer
complaints.
Be sure and
take note of
the number
and nature
but don’t
base your
entire
decision on
this
information.
In a slow or
declining
market,
agents will
get more
complaints
because the
sellers are
frustrated
that their
home isn’t
moving and
they want
someone to
blame when
it’s simply
poor market
conditions.
Therefore,
always allow
your
prospective
agent to
explain any
complaints
and if their
response
seems
reasonable,
take that
into
consideration.
One other
note: if an
agent does a
large number
of
transactions
per year,
they will
naturally be
exposed to
the
potential
for more of
these kinds
of comments.
If an agent
isn’t doing
anything,
they
obviously
won’t
generate a
complaint.
Call The
Better
Business
Bureau -
See if the
agent has
had any bad
dealings
with his or
her
customers.
Ask For A
Record Of
The Agent’s
Marketing
Innovations
- How
are they
dealing with
the current
market
conditions?
Is there a
plan to beef
up their
advertising
and
marketing
efforts to
benefit the
seller?
Residential
real estate
has a long
history of
economic
cycles. The
market is
either hot,
improving,
static or
declining
and with
each cycle
there has to
be a plan to
cope with
the current
market
conditions.
Don’t Stop Asking!
Ask for a
comparison
chart of
last year’s
sales to
this year’s
sales. How
is the agent
and company
doing? Ask
for a
history of
the agent;
how many
companies
have they
been with
and why did
they change?
If the
reason is
always money
there may be
something
wrong! Be
careful
because if
your agent
changes,
companies
your listing
belongs to
the broker
and you may
get a new
inexperienced
agent as
your
replacement...
this could
be very
costly!
Final Questions
Ask For A
Detailed
Marketing
Plan –
Request a
step-by-step
plan of the
first four
weeks, eight
weeks and
twelve weeks
your home
will be on
the market.
Make sure
your agent
is utilizing
the latest
innovative
technologies
for
generating
sales leads.
There are
now ways to
literally
generate
leads 24
hours a day!
These new
marketing
tools will
help sell
your home
faster and
for more
money!
Define
Planning
Times -
Establish a
time with
your agent
to go over
the
marketing
results
within the
first 15
days. Ask
for all
showings and
feedback
from other
agents. Help
the agent
understand
that any
news is good
news because
it can help
you make
adjustments
in your
marketing
plan.
If you
follow these
suggestions
you’re sure
to avoid the
mistakes of
the past.
Make sure
you’re
dealing with
a competent
professional...
making the
right choice
is worth
thousands of
dollars and
a great
sense of
"peace of
mind."
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