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Top 10 Mistakes Made By Sellers When Choosing a Realtor

Top 10 Mistakes Made By Sellers When Choosing A Realtor

Choosing a Realtor is one of themost important keys to successwhen selling a home. In mostcommunities there are hundreds oreven thousands of Realtors tochoose from. After all, obtaining areal estate license isn’t the moststrenuous of tasks. Every state hasdifferent requirements but themajority require a certain number ofclass hours, the passing of an examor two, and a small registration cost.

Choosing the wrong Realtor can bethe “kiss-of-death” when it comes tohome selling success. You shouldbe able to know when you’ve hiredthe wrong Realtor because there willbe many signs you should be able toidentify. The signs that point to thefact you’ve hired the wrong Realtorcan be avoided if you’re educated onsome of the top mistakes made bysellers when choosing a Realtor.

Some of these top mistakes made bysellers may seem obvious, butunfortunately, sellers make themagain and again. Here are the top 10mistakes made by sellers whenchoosing a Realtor.

Choosing A Part-Time Realtor

Real estate may seem on thesurface to many as a career that itdoesn’t take lots of time and effortbut one that leads to boatloads ofmoney. This is actually one of thetop real estate myths that is heardover and over again. Many Realtors get into the business part-time because they believe it can be done on a part-time basis. This is the furthest from the truth.

When choosing a Realtor, one of the questions you should absolutely ask is if they are a full-time or part-time Realtor. If you think about it, how available will a part-time Realtor be to answer inquiries on your home if they are busy withan “8-5 job?” In all likelihood, they will be busy completing tasks from their other position.

When Choosing A Realtor, Avoid A “YES” Man or Woman!

In addition to answering inquiries, a part-time agent will struggle to have the time to promote and give your homemaximum exposure. One of the biggest “jobs” of a listing agent is to expose their clients home to the most peoplepossible. A Realtor who can provide maximum exposure for their clients should have a website that ranks well in theSERPs (search engine results page) which takes lots of time and effort to create and develop.

Choosing A Realtor Without Asking For References

Don’t make the mistake when choosing a Realtor of not asking for past client testimonials or references. One of thebest ways to find out about how a Realtor works and performs is through past clients of theirs. Top Realtors should beable to provide you with plenty of client testimonials or references.

When choosing a Realtor, ask them if they have any past clients who you can call or e-mail. Keep in mind, somepeople are not comfortable with allowing strangers to call them to discuss their experiences, so don’t expect to get thephone numbers or e-mail addresses of the Realtors past 10 clients. They should however be able to provide at leasta couple that you can call or e-mail.

Choosing A Realtor Because They Will Hold Your Home Open Every Week

Open houses are a highly debated topic in the real estate industry. There are some Realtors who swear by opensand others who despise them. The fact of the matter is that open houses do not sell homes and there are statistics toback that fact up. Can they help expose a home to potential buyers, yes, there is no doubt about that. But is an openhouse necessary to sell a home? No it isn’t at all.

When choosing a Realtor, don’t select one because he or she promises to hold your home open every Saturday andSunday. There are sellers who will choose a Realtor based solely because they offer to hold their home open everyweek. Ask any potential Realtors what their thoughts and opinions of open houses are. If a Realtor indicates they willsell your home because they are going to hold your home open every week, you may not want to choose that Realtor.

Choosing A Realtor Who Is A“YES” Man/Woman

We all know a “YES” man orwoman in our lives. “YES” peopleexist in all professions. Whenchoosing a Realtor, you need toavoid a “YES” man or woman! Home sellers choose a “YES”Realtor to sell their home only to findout in the coming months they didn’ttell them what they needed to hear,just what they wanted to hear.

A perfect example of a “YES” Realtoris one who will tell a homeownertheir home is ready to be listed forsale when asked if there is anythingthat should be done to prepare it forthe market. Telling a homeownertheir home is ready even though theyknow it is not, can cost a sellervaluable time as well as money. Instead of recommending to ahomeowner some simple staging tips

and telling them the truth that theyneed to de-clutter or de-personalize,they just agree that their home isready for the market. The “WOW”factor is so important when apotential buyer is seeing a home forthe first time.

When choosing a Realtor, if he orshe is always agreeing witheverything you’re saying, you maywant to ask them a question that youknow the answer is 100% “NO.” Ifthey agree with you on this, do notchoose them!

Choosing A Friend Or FamilyMember

When choosing a Realtor to sell yourhome, don’t make a decision basedsolely on a relationship. It’sunderstandable that if you have afriend or family member in the realestate business that you’d like to givethem the opportunity to sell yourhome. If it could cost you thousandsof dollars and months of your homenot selling by choosing a friend orfamily member, it isn’t a gooddecision, is it?

If your friend or family member is aRealtor, explaining to them that youare going to interview them as wellas a couple other Realtors, becauseyou want to choose the best fit forYOU, should be sufficient. It’s notabout your friend or family member. Certainly if your friend or family member has a proven track record and still feels like the best fit after interviewing ahandful of agents, by all means, select them to sell your home.

Only Interviewing One Realtor

A seller who knows how to properly interview a Realtor when selling a home can save themselves many headaches inthe future. A common mistake made by sellers when choosing a Realtor to sell their home, is they forget about thisstep in the process. Interviewing more than one Realtor is strongly suggested.

It’s important that when choosing a Realtor you can compare one to another, because they are not all the same. Notonly are Realtors different, the companies that they work for are also different. Each Realtor and their company willprovide different tools for their sellers, advertise their homes differently, and also have different styles of sellinghomes. One extra tip to keep in mind when choosing a Realtor and interviewing them is that because two Realtors

Don’t Choose a Realtor Because They Suggest The Highest Listing Price

may work for the same company, doesn’t mean they will provide the same service and utilize the same tools.

Choosing A Realtor Because They Sold The “ #” Homes Last Year

Choosing a Realtor based on the number of homes they sold last year or in years past is not suggested. Certainlychoosing a Realtor who only sold two homes last year when representing a seller may not be the best Realtor to sellyour home. The same can be said about the Realtor who sold 50 homes last year when representing a seller.

Every real estate market is different and can vary significantly from town to town. Just because a Realtor didn’t sell50 homes in your town, doesn’t mean they won’t be able to get your home sold. When choosing a Realtor don’t makethe mistake of not asking them how they plan on marketing your home and why they think they can sell a home inyour town.

For example, a Realtor who sold only 5 homes last year in the Webster, NY real estate market could be just as goodif not a better choice than a Realtor who sold 25 homes in the same town last year. Don’t choose your Realtor basedsolely on the number of homes they sold, you need to dig deeper and get more details and make sure you’recomfortable with them.

Choosing A Realtor Because TheySuggest The Highest Price

Pricing a home right from the start iscritical. The price a home enters themarket at will often determine if ahome sells or not. Choosing aRealtor because they suggest thehighest price is a common mistakemade by home sellers. Before youchoose the Realtor who suggests thehighest price, you need to know howthey have determined their pricerecommendation.

There are many different pricingmechanisms for real estate. Ask theRealtor who suggests the highestprice how they came up with thatprice. Ask them if they performed acomparative market analysis, alsoknown as, a CMA. It’s important notonly that your home is priced right toattract potential buyers, but also tomake sure there are no issues in thefuture with a bank being able tosubstantiate the value during theirappraisal.

Choosing A Realtor Based OnlyOn Commission

First things first, commission isnegotiable. Any Realtor who saysdifferently is not being truthful.

Commission rates can vary fromtown to town and state to state. When choosing a Realtor, it’s likelythat the majority of Realtors will havethe same commission percentage. Ahuge mistake made by home sellerswhen choosing a Realtor to sell theirhome is selecting the agent whooffers a significant discount on theircommission.

Why is this a problem? It soundsgreat that you would save money,right? Wrong. If a Realtor agrees toa lower commission with noresistance or very little, can youimagine how strong theirnegotiations will be on your behalfwhen you receive an offer? Inaddition to their negotiation strength,if a Realtor is working for less thanthe “normal” commission, do youtruly believe they will spend theirmoney advertising your home?

When it comes to choosing a Realtorbased on commission only, I alwayssay, “you get what you pay for.” ARealtor who offers to cut theircommission is likely doing this out ofdesperation to obtain a contract tosell your home.

Choosing A Realtor Because TheyAdvertise On Third Party Websites

Have you heard of the companies,Zillow or Trulia? Most people whohave knowledge on the real estateindustry or have bought or sold a home in the recent past have heard of companies such as Zillow or Trulia. Thesecompanies are household names in real estate. They are also known as third party real estate websites. Third partyreal estate websites are not locally owned and operated.

These companies solicit Realtors to advertise on their websites and “buy leads” that come in on their websites. Whenchoosing a Realtor, don’t hire because they advertise on third party websites. These third party real estate websitesare generally very inaccurate when it comes to the data they provide consumers. Have you ever heard of a“Zestimate?” A “Zestimate” is a home value estimate that Zillow provides on their website. There are many resourcesthat are out there detailing the inaccuracies of the “Zestimate” as well as other third party real estate websites.

For example, as a home seller, you wouldn’t want your home to be featured on Zillow if the “Zestimate” was $25,000lower than your listing price. Today’s home buyers are very well educated. If a potential buyer visits your home, it’s avery strong possibility they will be checking out your home online to see what the online values are saying. If they see

a value that is $25K less than your list price, this can often lead to low-ball offers and the frustration that comes withthem.

Final Thoughts

Choosing a Realtor plays a huge role in whether your home selling process will be successful or not. The abovemistakes are commonly seen and now you should be able to avoid making these critical mistakes that so many homesellers do. Remember, selling a home does not have to be an impossible task, especially with the guidance andexpertise of a top Realtor.

Other Home Selling Resources

20 Cold, Hard, Facts in Real Estate Home Selling via Imagine Your House

Selling A Home Made Easy – Top Home Selling Resources via List.ly

Top Home Seller Mistakes When Selecting A Realtor via Maximum Real Estate Exposure

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a Real Estate Agent via Angie’s List

Real Estate Pricing Mistakes That Seller’s Need to Avoid via Rochester’s Real Estate Blog

If you’re planning on selling a home in Rochester, NY, please be sure to avoid the above mistakes when choosing aRealtor. We’d love the opportunity to interview for the job of selling your home. Contact us so we can show you whywe are Top Rochester, NY Realtors and why our clients homes get maximum exposure!

About the authors: The above article “Top 10 Mistakes Made By Sellers When Choosing A Realtor” was providedby the Keith Hiscock Sold Team (Keith & Kyle Hiscock). With over 30 years combined experience, if you’re thinkingof selling or buying, we’d love to share our knowledge and expertise.

We service the following Greater Rochester NY areas: Irondequoit, Webster, Penfield, Pittsford, Fairport, Brighton,Greece, Gates, Hilton, Brockport, Mendon, Henrietta, Perinton, Churchville, Scottsville, East Rochester, Rush,Honeoye Falls, Chili, and Victor NY.

Visit our website at www.HiscockHomes.com.

© 2015, Kyle Hiscock. All rights reserved.