Select An Agent

Why Use a Real Estate Agent? Some sellers opt to sell their properties independently (i.e., without engaging the services of a real estate agent). There are many good reasons, however, why you should choose to use an experienced, professional, full time real estate agent to assist you in this important undertaking. One of the most important reasons is that it has been consistently shown that using a professional real estate agent will yield better results (a higher sales price and a faster sale) than selling your home on your own. The National Association of Realtors reported that, in 2005, “the median home price for sellers who use an agent is 16.0 percent higher than a home sold directly by an owner.” (See www.realtor.org ). That 16.0 percent difference is far greater than the agent commissions many “For Sale by Owner” sellers are hoping to avoid paying.

As a professional full-time real estate agent, I have the tools and experience at my disposal to:

• Advise you on the best price to offer you home for sale, based on a thorough and frank assessment of your home and current market research and selling trends. A home like yours that sold 6 months or a year ago is not always the best indicator of the value of your home in the current market conditions. While very recent sales (e.g., within the past 3 months) are helpful value indicators, I also evaluate and research the prices of comparable homes currently on the market and those under contract as a more up-to-the-minute value indicator. I would also evaluate the relevant inventory in your area.
   
• Evaluate your home, as a prospective buyer and her agent might, and give you a detailed list of recommended improvements or changes to your home to ensure that it shows at its best and appeals to the broadest number of potential buyers. I can explain the value in making certain changes and help you to execute the recommended changes by referring contractors, movers, painters, cleaning services or whatever else may be needed. For more information on preparing your home for sale, Click here to request my free guide.
   
• Develop and execute a comprehensive, customized marketing plan, which may include professional photographs of the home, an on-line virtual tour, prominent web placements on this site and other high-traffic sites, agent announcements and agent preview tours, newspaper and magazine ads, open houses, and, of course, listing in the Multiple Listing Service.
   
• Guide you through the complex legal and contractual paperwork required for the sale of real estate.

How to Select the Right Listing Agent. Selling a home requires making many important financial decisions, understanding complex issues and completing a lot of paperwork, in addition to all the hard work that may be required to ready your home for sale and to market your home. Selecting the right agent to "list" your home for sale can mean the difference between a successful sale and no sale at all. I can put my expertise to work for you to guide you through the process of selling your home, from setting the best price for your home to staging it to marketing it to negotiating the sales contract and every other element of a sale. Whether you choose me as your agent or someone else, be sure to consider the following factors in your agent selection process:

• Full-Time Agents Only. Look for a FULL-TIME agent who has a proven record of successful listings and sales. Selling your home is too important to leave it in the hands of an agent who is not focused on the Washington DC area real estate market full time and who is not available to you as and when you need her. Choose an agent who has made real estate her career, and not only her part-time job or side hobby. Ask the agent to provide you with referrals to prior clients and examples of her past listings and sales approach.
   
• Recommended and Referred. Rely on recommendations and referrals from friends, family, or colleagues. Your agent is providing a personal service - having a referral from a trusted source who has used that personal service may be invaluable. However, it is still recommended that you interview a few agents to be sure to find the one who is the best fit for you. Are they responsive? Are they respectful of your needs? Do they follow through with all commitments? Do they listen to you? And, on a more personal note, is the agent someone with whom you feel comfortable? At the end of the day, you can find a top-notch agent with years of experience and excellent skills, but if you and that agent do not "click" for whatever reason, it may make the selling process even more stressful and difficult. You will likely be spending alot of time together so be sure to choose someone who complements your style. Ask about their credentials and education: A good agent will continually strive to improve and gain knowledge of the latest real estate trends and selling techniques. Ask if your agent is a member of the National Association of Realtors ( www.realtor.org ) and any local real estate associations. Members of the National Association of Realtors are required to abide by a Code of Ethics designed to protect you, the client.
   
• Marketing Plans. Has your prospective agent prepared a comprehensive marketing plan demonstrating how she plans to market your home for sale and the techniques and tools she will use? How tech-savvy is your agent in marketing your home? With more than 75% of buyers reporting that they regularly use the Internet in their search for homes, it is obviously imperative to leverage the Internet as one of the key prongs in the marketing approach. Ask your prospective agent to describe how she will use the Internet on your behalf. Ask if she employs professionals to prepare marketing collateral, such as virtual tours and brochures and flyers. Grainy, poorly lit photos from an amateur digital camera look, well, amateurish. Photocopied flyers made up on regular copy paper, using the same poor quality photos will not likely present your home in the most professional and polished way. Also ask the agent about the “old fashioned” marketing techniques. Many “low-tech” marketing methods are still producing great results and should not be ignored. Signage on the property, directional signage during open houses, newspaper and magazine print ads, postcard mailers to the neighborhood, and networking with other agents all routinely result in leading a buyer to a seller. When I list a home for sale, regardless of the list price, I provide my clients with a multi-pronged marketing plan (high-tech and low-tech) and use only professionally-produced, highest-quality marketing materials to execute that plan.
   
• Available and Committed. Your agent should be capable of prompt and decisive action during the course of selling your home. Does she make it a point to keep in touch with you frequently with updates and status reports? Can she easily be contacted in case of emergencies or even for the simplest questions? Ask how much time the agent will have for you. Find out in advance if you will be working with the agent herself or if you'll be handed off to her assistants or junior agents in her office. The assistants and other agents are certainly helpful resources, but be sure you are receiving the personalized attention from the highly-skilled agent you selected in the first place.
   
• Home Preparation. Ask your potential agent how she will help you in preparing your home for sale. Will she give an honest assessment of the condition of your home? Can she provide referrals to service providers who can help do the necessary work? Will she help oversee the project along with you? When listing a home for sale, I do all of these things and more. I provide a detailed list of all recommended repairs, improvements and cleaning projects, neutralizing and de-cluttering projects, and I return again and again during the preparation process to assess progress and make further suggestions and provide assistance. When the repairs and cleaning are done, I then help you to "stage" your home to make it even more inviting. Click here to request my free guide to preparing your home for sale.
   
• Proactive. Be sure your agent will remain proactive. Does she follow up with agents who visit your home to request feedback? Does she continue to network your property beyond the initial marketing push? Does she recommend new strategies and course adjustments to reflect the feedback from potential buyers and other agents as well as changes in market conditions? Does she proactively contact you to provide market updates and status reports?
   
• Commissions. Ask for the agent to explain her proposed commission structure and what is included in the proposed commission rate. Commissions are negotiable and can vary depending on a number variables, including the type of property and the level of services. The commission you agree to pay the listing agent is usually split in some way with the buyer's agent (that is how the buyer's agent is compensated). Be sure that you are clear (and be sure it is in writing in the listing agreement) what amount will be paid to the buyer's agent. Ask if there are any fees, such as administrative expenses, above and beyond the commission that you will be required to pay the listing agent or her broker. Understand whether you or the listing agent pays for the marketing expenses. As your listing agent, I pay for all marketing expenses associated with selling your home - it is included in the commission you agree to pay me and is not a separate or additional charge to you. The result is that I have a vested interest in working hard for you to successfully prepare, price, market and sell your home, since otherwise, I will not earn a commission and recoup the upfront marketing expenses. Also, neither DC Living nor I charge our clients an administrative fee.

For more information and for any additional questions, please feel free to contact me at any time.

© Nadia Nejaime, 2006