How Can You Make the Most of Your Home Sale?

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 The spring selling season is just around the corner, so today we thought we should share some tips to help you select the right agent. We know you're busy, so we'll jump right into the 5 questions to ask a listing agent before hiring them! 

1. How many of your pending contracts close escrow? This is an intricate question that really illustrates how real estate is no longer a one-person job. When you have multiple people on your team who do tasks effectively, it greatly minimizes the hassle of a transaction. You want your listing agent to close higher than 95% of their contracts, as the national average is 96%. Anything less than that and you can almost guarantee a bumpy transaction.
2. What is your list-to-sale ratio? This is supremely important when selling a home. The national average is 92%, but here at the Scott Himelstein Group, we had an average of 98.6% in 2014! As you can see, we tend to get more money for our sellers than the average agent.
3. How will you attract buyers to my property? The agent must have a written, applicable marketing plan if you want your home to get the exposure it needs. Of crucial importance is an internet marketing plan, as 94% of buyers search for homes online. At the end of the day, a sign in the yard and an entry in the MLS is not going to help you have a successful home sale.
4. Do you assist in staging a property? For properties that are vacant, especially of larger size, we always recommend putting some furniture in the home and positioning it in such a way that really looks spectacular in photos online and in person. We work with multiple staging companies in order to get our sellers top dollar.
5. How many homes have you sold in the past 6 months? The answer to this question really tracks the agent's record of success. If you're a buyer, the high number tells you that the agent may have access to homes that are not on the MLS, and vice versa for sellers. Last year, we sold 11 homes before we even put them on the market, due to our large buyer database. 

 

As you can see, you need to be thorough when interviewing an agent to sell your home. By asking these questions, you will get a good idea of how capable an agent is, and whether they are the one to help get you top dollar for your home. 

If you have any questions about the selling process, or if you would like to interview us, give us a call or shoot us an email. We would love to show you what we have to offer!