When a homeowner is contemplating the sale of her home, she immediately begins to think of how she can find the right person to represent the sale. Surprisingly, most sellers don’t return to the real estate agents who helped them with the purchase of the home several years prior. Most agents fail to keep in touch and the seller just doesn’t know how to contact that agent, and in many instances, might not have completely pleasant memories of the agent if there were any hiccups during the purchase of the home. So for those sellers without a family member or a friend who works in the real estate industry, how do they find an agent to list their home? There are several methods sellers use and typically it’s a combination of a couple before they make the final decision to sign on the dotted line of the listing agreement.
The first thing that many homeowners do is ask for referrals. They go to local family members, friends and business colleagues and ask them whether they know of a good real estate agent. In the case of referrals, any kind of bad word of mouth by previous clients can hurt a real estate agent tremendously. Seriously, if your co-worker tells you that Bob was horrible to work with and hard to get a hold of, you’re not going to be giving Bob a call anytime soon to sell your home.
But a positive testimonial from a former client can be as good as gold. It reassures the homeowner that someone she knows has had a good experience with a particular real estate agent. It leads her to believe that she too will have a good experience. So positive referrals on a real estate agent’s behalf can lead a homeowner to make the phone call and set up an appointment with that agent.
Another thing that many homeowners will do, especially those technology savvy homeowners, is search the internet. They will use a search engine and look for the real estate agents listed in their area. From there, they will head to an agent’s website and take a look. Let’s face it, the internet can be a real estate agent’s living (and almost breathing) calling card. With videos, audio, pictures and words, a real estate professional can really have her personality come across within each web page. A homeowner can see whether the agent has embraced technology within her business and how it might be used to sell the homeowner’s house.
Ever think that nothing happens by coincidence and that everything happens for a reason? Many people do! As homeowners go about their everyday business they meet people and bump into strangers. And interestingly enough, a simple comment can turn into a conversation and the next thing you know, it comes out that the stranger is a real estate agent! Then the homeowner takes the business card and ponders later over how fortuitous it was to have bumped into a real estate agent when he was just thinking that he was going to start looking for one!
Whether a homeowner calls a real estate professional due to a referral, an internet search or just pure “luck,” an interview typically comes next. A majority of homeowners want to speak in person with the agent who may list their home. We’re talking about not only a lot of money but a level of trust that is necessary to create a fruitful working relationship.
An interview with a few agents can help clear any questions up. Sometimes there may be a clear “winner” and the decision is an easy one. Other times, there may be more deliberation about the agents and at that point, the homeowner will re-evaluate the interviewees…thinking back over the demeanor and personality, the marketing plan and the level of expertise…and then decide which real estate agent to list with.
While there is no one specific way of how real estate sellers find an agent to list their property in every single situation, these ways are used most often. Sure, there are some real estate pros who have the listing from the phone call or the referral alone – no interview required. Some sellers just have that gut feeling or they don’t want to take time to interview others. In the end, a homeowner should feel that the real estate agent has his best interests in mind, financial and otherwise. A homeowner should feel that his home is in good hands and will be marketed at the right price, to the right buyers and that the whole transaction will be handled by an expert.
Volker Weiss – Maui Realtor(R/S) specialist focusing on Wailea and Makena condos. Make your vacation last forever, check out Wailea and Makena Real Estate. For immediate help call VW directly at 888.572.6888
[tags]Wailea, Makena, Real Estate, Maui, Hawaii, condos, homes, houses[/tags]
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