5 Qualities to Look for When Choosing a Real Estate Agent to Sell Your Home

By Mark J. Donovan

Selling a home in a rough real estate market is a big challenge. Selling a home in a rough real estate market means thinking lower for the asking price and making sure the home is in good to excellent shape. Selling a home also requires a savvy and hard working real estate agent. Summarized below are 5 qualities to look for when choosing a real estate agent.

1) Confirm that the real estate agents you are considering for selling your home are licensed and hold all of the necessary credentials to be a realtor in your state. You can find this information on-line or with the state. Also, when contacting the state, make sure to check that there have been no disciplinary actions taken against any of the real estate agent(s) you are considering to sell your home.

2) It is important to choose a real estate agent that has a track record of success. Look for a real estate agent that can show you tangible results of their performance, e.g. “Agent of the Year Awards”. One litmus test for confirming their track record is to see how many listings they currently have relative to their competitors. The more listings they have, the more likely they have a solid track record.

3) Choose a real estate agent that will tell you what you need to hear, versus what you want to hear. Many sellers want to list their homes much too high. A good real estate agent should level-set you with facts, e.g. competitive listings and recent home sales.

4) Select a real estate agent that demonstrates complete professionalism, both with their work ethic and appearance, and is committed fully to the job. The last type of real estate agent you want to hire to sell your home is the occasional weekend warrior real estate agent.

5) A good real estate agent should be up to date with the latest real estate market conditions and happenings in your local area. Ask them about a few properties that you are aware of that have recently sold or on the market, and see if they are familiar with them.