Interviewing Potential Listing Agents 

You are interviewing agents to take your listing.  Bob Bazooka shows up with his Brag Book.  He's listed 3,000 homes over an 80 year career and has a staff of 30 to help him.  He shows you pictures of himself, his Grand Poobah Achievement Award and some of the homes he's sold.  His staff has prepared a list of comparable properties and other dazzling statistics.  He drives a $60,000 car, wears a $1,000 suit and talks about the big name company he represents.  It's a presentation he's given for years, and you can tell you're just another piece of business.  He says all he has to do is take the listing, turn it over to his staff, and watch his big company sell the listing because they're #1.

Suzy Sunshine shows up.  She's young, energetic, eager and inexperienced.  You've never heard of her company.  She and her car are presentable, but not exactly prosperous.  She says she can sell your home for $50,000 more than Bob Bazooka, but doesn't convince you why she thinks so.  She'll hold open house every weekend until the property is sold.  She'll devote all of her time to selling your home because she has nothing else to do.  

Jane Smith shows up.  She's obviously doing well, and you like her immediately.  She wants to know about you and asks a lot of questions about your goals.  You're disappointed that she suggests the lowest price of the three agents, but she has done her homework and has solid reasons for suggesting that price.  She represents a company you have heard of, but they are not the top.  She has a good marketing plan that includes emails and electronic flyers to agents, but no open houses.  She has an assistant for paperwork and to help with messages, but will handle all important documents and negotiations on her own.  She comes with a long list of referrals you can call. 

Jane Smith is probably the agent you want.  However, you can never be certain.  Bob Bazooka has more experience and may be there at critical moments when you need an experienced agent.  You may not feel warm and fuzzy towards him, but you may be able to negotiate more personal service than he originally intends to give you.  Suzy Sunshine may be in training, so you may be working with her broker as much as Suzy, a definite plus.  Jane probably brings the right blend of experience, market savvy and skills.  Ask them questions to find out. 

·        What is their marketing strategy to sell your home?  This is where each agent will list what they think they do best, and how hard they are willing to work for you.

·        How many active listings are they working?  If they have 10 listings, you may be lost in the shuffle.  Some agents have offices geared like an efficient assembly line, and you may want to be a part of that.   If they don't have any, you will want to find out why.  It's not necessarily a bad thing, but one that needs to be questioned?

·        Where is their office located?  If they are 20 miles away and you run out of flyers, or an agent mistakenly walks off with the key in the keybox, the distance becomes a factor.  They also may not know enough about your area to market it effectively.

·        Ask questions to test their knowledge.  Here are samples. 

o       What's the difference between Form 35A and Form 35B?

o       What happens at the end of the Financing Contingency deadline?

o       What experience have they had with Zero Down Buyers?  (This is more important for listings under $500,000.) 

o       Do they have a checklist to help get the home ready for sale?

o       If you have a unique property (lakefront, acreage, fixer, investment property, etc.) what qualifications do they have to meet your needs?