CHAPTER 26 What to Look for in a Real Estate Agent
CASE STUDY #20
After working with two different real estate agents over the course of 18 months, a seller came to an agent, desperate to find a buyer. The agent kept the price where it was, but applied a new marketing strategy. The home sold in 65 days, but there’s more to the story than that: the buyers bought the home the very same day they saw the new ad. They were tough negotiators and knew what they were doing, but so did the agent. Ultimately, the house sold for a record high for the area, $57,500 more than a similar house just seven doors down! Hiring the right agent is absolutely crucial to selling your home as quickly as you can for as much as you can, but don’t get blinded by the money. Choosing the agent with the lowest commission rate and the highest quoted price could really backfire. If you previously worked with an agent and your home sat on the market until your contract expired, it’s might well be because you didn’t pick the right agent. Don’t go beating yourself up about this—what’s done is done, and I’m sure you made the best decision you could at the time. However, there are ways you can make sure this doesn’t happen again. Sometimes, the problem isn’t that the agent is genuinely bad, just inexperienced. Sellers often hire agents who’ve recently started in the business, perhaps because they know them, or someone they know knows them, or because they have a lower commission rate.
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