Take the Time to Find the Right Realtor

If you have ever purchased or sold a home you will have realized that there are many agents out there to choose from. The decision on who handles your real estate transaction for you can affect the bottom line. There are a few things you need to consider when looking for a good realtor.

If you aren't really sure you want to sell your home or if you have all the time in the world, you might just do alright selling in yourself. This will save you on the commission payment, giving you more in your pocket towards your next home. If you have a set time frame for selling your home, you will want to list with a good agent.

To find the right agent for you, you will have to do a little homework.

You need to ask the following questions before you decide:

* Where do they do their marketing? You need to know how the realtor plans to get your home the needed exposure to sell. Ask if they advertise in real estate magazines, on television, radio, in newspaper or on the internet. Ask them to give you specific experiences of successful advertising.
* What is their background? You will have to decide whether experience is more important to you than rookie enthusiasm. Let the number of homes sold in the past six months be an indicator of an agent that is on a roll.
* How long does it take them to sell a home? Find out what types of homes they list, including the price range. Many realtors like to specialize. Find out how many homes they represent at one time. You want to see that they have sold homes like yours before. Don't be afraid to ask for the names and addresses of satisfied customers.
* Is the agent associated with a reputable agency and a member of the state and national Realtor Association?
* What commission percentage will they accept? See if they will list your home at a lower percentage, especially if they expect it to sell quickly. You don't want to list with a agent that will give you a really extremely low commission percentage. After all, you get what you pay for. You can usually find a realtor between four to seven percent commission, if you ask.
* Will they refund a part of their commission if you also purchase a home with them? Many realtors will give you 1% of the commission back to you if you use them in both the selling and the buying.

You want to make sure that the agent is someone you can talk to. They really need to focus on you and listen to what you are looking for in a home. Be wary of agents that want to list your home for an entire year. Ask for three or four months instead. Remember, you are hiring this person. They are looking for your business. There a plenty of agents out there. Just keep looking.