Realtor or No Realtor

I know several people in my life that are currently either selling their house or thinking of selling their house. The age old question in this is, "Do I NEED a realtor?"

The positive to not getting a realtor is you save on the commission that is rather sizable depending on how much your house will be sold for.

However, if you had to ask me I would say yes, I do recommend you have a realtor when you sell your house...BUT, I do not just want a realtor, I want you to get a high quality, highly motivated, won't slow down realtor with a great track record.

I have heard Dave Ramsey say to interview people when they are going to make money off you. So that is my suggestion. If you go in there and have questions ready for them and they don't want to oblige or are being a jerk, move on quickly and thank them for their time. If they don't feel that they are good enough to exceed all your expectations and know that they will stand up to a tough grader then you did not want them in the first place.

Interview Questions to ask:

1) Why should I list my home with you? (Find out what the agent will do to help your home stand out.)

2) What’s your company’s track record and reputation? (If one agent or company sells more than the rest, ask why and what they’re doing differently.)

3) Does your broker control the advertising or do you? (If your agent doesn’t control the advertising, your home may compete for ad space with listings from every other agent in the brokerage.)

4) On average, how close is the selling price to the asking price? (This information is available from your local Real Estate Board. The agent’s performance in this area can help predict how much you’ll get for your home.)

5) On average, how long does it take your listings to sell? (This information is also available from the Real Estate Board. It will help determine about how long your home will be on the market. )

6) Do you have a reference list of clients I could contact? (Make some phone calls. Ask them to describe their experiences with the agent.)

7) What if I’m not happy with the job you do? (See if the agent will cancel your contract without penalties if you’re not satisfied with the service they provide.)