Top 5 Things to Ask Your Agent Before You Hire Them

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1 Top 5 Things to Ask Your Agent Before You Hire Them

2 Top 5 Things to Ask Your Agent Before You Hire Them Are you looking for a real estate agent to help you sell your home or find your next dream home? If so, then make sure you ask the right questions to help you select the best agent to meet your needs. As you can imagine, the questions you should ask a real estate agent differ depending on if you are buying or selling a home. In this white paper, we cover the: Top 5 Questions to Ask When Selling Your Home and Top 5 Questions to Ask When Searching for a Home

3 Top 5 Questions to Ask When Selling Your Home Selling your home is not an easy feat. Fortunately, with a real estate agent on your side you are more likely to sell your home quicker and for more money than if you sold the home in a For Sale by Owner (FSBO) process. However, make sure you choose a real estate agent wisely. Below are some key questions to ask before making your decision. How Many Homes Have You Sold In the Last 6 Months? When it comes to selling a house, your real estate agent is responsible for a lot; therefore, make sure the person you hire has sold houses in your area within the last six months. How Much Does It Cost and When Do I Pay? Selling your home with a real estate agent typically results in a 3% commission fee for the selling agent. This fee is paid on Closing Day. There are some other fees associated with selling your house as well. Make sure you ask the real estate agent you choose what fees you will owe before committing. How Will We Determine My Listing Price? The great thing about having a real estate agent on your side is their ability to do a comparative market analysis to give you an idea of what other, similar houses on the market are currently being listed for and selling for in your area. Plus, with years of real estate experience, an agent can provide insider knowledge and tips on picking the best listing price for your home. What Upgrades Need to Be Done to My House Before Listing? Most real estate agents will look at your home or have a home stager come in to provide you with tips on sprucing up your home before putting it on the market. Upgrades may be as simple as adding mulch to your front lawn to improve curb appeal to more significant changes, such as painting the exterior of your home. With a trusted agent on your side, you will get helpful information that helps better position your home to sell. When Is the Best Time to List My House? When, exactly, should you put your home on the market? Are some times of the year better than others? An experienced real estate agent can provide you with information on the home-buying trends in your area, often providing you with helpful advice on when to list your home if you are looking to sell relatively quickly. In short, when selling your home, make sure you have a real estate agent on your team. Not only will they represent you throughout negotiations, but they are essential for helping you price, market, and sell your home in the most efficient way possible (and often for a higher closing price than choosing to sell your home yourself).

4 Top 5 Questions to Ask When Searching for a Home On the other hand, if you are searching for a new home, your real estate agent needs will be a lot different than someone selling their house. Below are some key questions to ask before you hire an agent to help you find your next home. How Many Years Have You Been in Real Estate? Before you hire someone to do your taxes, you are more than likely going to ask them about their experiences and areas of expertise. The same is true when it comes to buying a new home. Make sure you ask about each agent s real estate experience and history before making your decision. How Well Do You Know the Area? Not only is it important to make sure your chosen real estate agent has experience, but it is also important that they have experience specifically in the area in which you are looking to buy. When choosing a new home, you are purchasing more than a structure you are also purchasing a community. It is essential that your real estate agent knows the area well enough to be able to recommend communities that will best meet your needs and the needs of your family. Do You Show Homes for Sale by Different Real Estate Companies? Some companies try to limit the homes that they show you specifically to homes for sale by their company. Make sure that your agent will show you all homes on the market if you are interested in them, including properties for sale by other companies and those listed as for sale by owner. Who s In Your Professional Network? This question is by far one of the most important ones to ask your potential real estate agent. When buying a home, you will need to hire several people to check out the property before Closing Day. For example, you may wish to hire a surveyor to determine your specific property line and you will definitely want to hire an inspector to thoroughly examine the home before you sign on the dotted line. A real estate agent with an extensive professional network can recommend you several contractors in each category that they have used before with success. Having their resources at your disposal can save you a lot of time, frustration, and money. Do You Have a List of References? Finally, make sure you request a list of references. Any real estate agent with a strong reputation will already have plenty of past or current clients who will be more than happy to refer them if they had a positive experience. In short, a real estate agent can be a huge asset when searching for a new home. Make sure you ask the right questions to ensure you re hiring the best agent for the job.

5 Conclusion Whether you are selling your house or searching for your dream home, make sure you have a real estate agent on your side. Contact ARC Realty at (205) to learn how we can help you sell your house or find your next place to call home.