Choosing your estate agent

What to look for:

Look out for the following characteristics when choosing an estate agent:

• An air of professionalism
• A full-time agent who is committed to the profession (and who will be committed to getting your house sold!)
• A familiarity with the area in which your home is located
• A familiarity with the price range in which your house will be listed
• Evidence of advertising and marketing ability
• References from previous sellers.

Where to find an agent

• Ask family, friends and co-workers about agents they have used – for selling a home, not for buying – and to give their positive (and negative) input.
• Check your local newspapers and home magazines. An agent with a number of advertisements most likely has a fairly extensive marketing budget and experience. Be certain, though, that the agent does not have too many listings that might negatively influence the servicing of the sale of your home.

Questions to ask a perspective Agent

Questions to ask a perspective agent, in order to gauge whether he/she will be able to service the sale of your home effectively:

• Are you a full-time agent?
• How familiar are you with the area where our home is located?
• Can you supply three names and addresses of recent clients for whom you sold a home that we can contact for reference purposes?
• How did you arrive at the suggested listing price for our home?
• What is your specific marketing plan for our house?
• How do you plan on keeping us informed on the progress of the sale of our home?