Mistake No. 6 - “The agent is what counts.” The agent can’t be any better than the company he or she represents. Look for company support. Find out office hours - if no one is there to answer the phone your home is going to be difficult to show.

Mistake No. 7 - “All realtors passed the same test so they must know the same things.” The real estate profession is constantly changing. The best real estate professionals stay abreast of those changes by continuing their education beyond the required demands. Look for additional designations and how recently they were acquired.

Mistake No. 8 – “This agent will hold an open house every week.” Open houses can and do sell homes. But only a small fraction of the homes held open are sold as a direct result of the open house. Good agents know better than to pin all their hopes on an open house. They use their time and the seller’s time in more effective marketing methods.

Mistake No. 9 – “I want an agent who lives in my neighborhood.” An agent should be hired because he or she is the most qualified for the job. Knowledge of the market isn’t only acquired by living nearby. Convenience shouldn’t be the primary reason for choosing an agent.

Mistake No. 10 – “This agent sold more homes last year than anyone else.” That should only be the beginning. How many of their listings did not sell? How many were reduced over and over before they sold? How smoothly was the process handled? How accessible was the agent when there were questions or problems? Quantity is important, but only if all of the quality questions have been answered satisfactorily.

Selling a home should be like any other business transaction, but all too often sellers make emotional or impulsive decisions that cost them money and time. Choosing the right realtor to market a property and negotiate the sale is the most important step in the process.

Mistake No. 1 - “My friend sells real estate so I’ll list with him.” Friendship alone isn’t enough to establish a professional’s credentials. Use the same standards as when selecting an attorney or doctor. A true friend will understand and appreciate that this is a business decision and will offer their credentials and expect to compete for the listing.

Mistake No. 2 - “Your presentation sounds good - I’ll list right now.” Look at more than one presentation and consider the advantages and disadvantages of each. Making an impulsive decision when caught up in the moment will be difficult to correct later.

Mistake No. 3 - “You’re the only agent who agrees I should price my home this much.” The market will ultimately dictate the value of your home. A home that is priced too high will only make the competition look better. Beware of the agent who only tells you what you want to hear.

Mistake No. 4 - “I don’t need references. I’m a good judge of character.” Character isn’t enough. Ask for and then check up on references of recent customers. Find out from them how they felt about their experience with the agent. If the agent is new in the business get references from people who have dealt with him or her on a professional basis.

Mistake No. 5 - “I’m going to list with the agent who has the lowest commission.” You get what you pay for. Effective marketing takes time and money. In addition, an agent who can’t effectively negotiate his or her own fee won’t be able to negotiate the best price for your home.

Marketing a home properly

When you hire a real estate professional you make that decision in part on the marketing plan the agent has for your home. The agent has two groups to market to: (1) - potential buyers and (2) - other agents (who are working with potential buyers).

It’s All Visual

Both agents and buyers will be exposed to your home through a variety of sources, in print and online. Television is another medium used more and more. All of these are VISUAL mediums. And with digital photography there are more opportunities than ever to expose the features that make a home desirable and unique.

At a minimum, an agent should take a photo of the home for the multiple listing service. The service itself can send a photographer but the listing agent is a better judge of what shot best serves the home.

In addition, the multiple listing service allows additional photos that both agents and potential buyers have access to. At a minimum, the agent should take a number of shots to highlight the features that are most appealing to a prospective buyer.

More is NOT better

The home is not being documented in order to rebuild it. The purpose of the photo is to entice someone to inquire about the home. Photos of guest bathrooms, laundry rooms, and empty spare bedrooms are unnecessary unless they are so stunning they will inspire someone to call. Too many boring photos only frustrate the viewer, who may move on to another property.

Nowadays agents have access to virtual tours as well. Sometimes these include still shots but they also allow panoramic shots that can show off a view, the layout of important rooms, etc. Every agent has access to this important tool and every listing deserves one. There is a cost to the agent, but the value to the seller’s home is huge.

It has been proven that buyers who are using the internet to look for a home (and over 80% begin their search that way) ignore most listings that don’t provide multiple photos and virtual tours. Many websites that provide those searches favor properties with virtual tours and multiple photos and give them priority in their display sequence. The home with no photos is likely to end up last in the search list.

Check It Out

All sellers should ask their agent for a copy of the listing as it appears in the multiple listing service (and most provide it without being asked). But they should also look at it online themselves to see how the photos appear and how many there are. More can always be added if an important feature of the home was overlooked or a shot didn’t turn out just right.

Sellers should also view the virtual tour online to see how easy it is to view and if the captions with the photos give added information to the viewer. (Some agents overlook this opportunity to point out highlights in the shots.)

Sellers should also look at both the agent’s website and the company’s website to see how homes are searchable. Can a potential buyer define the search criteria or do they just get a list of homes and one photo? Are there links to the visual tours and multiple photos? Is there a mapping feature? (These are good things to check out BEFORE hiring the agent.)

Some agents take the visual marketing of the home extremely seriously and may create CDs of the virtual tour to have at the property for a prospective buyer to take with them. Ask your agent how they plan to expose the property to the market. If their plans are aggressive and take advantage of the technology available, chances are your home will be found by the right potential buyer. If not, maybe this is the wrong agent or company to do the job.

Hiring an agent to list your home is a complex issue and marketing should be a part of the consideration. After all, your home deserves it.