How do you find a great agent? It takes a lot more than just listing a home on the MLS and posting a sign in the yard to get the best results when selling your home. You need to find an experienced agent who has an amazing marketing plan just for their clients!
In all honesty, many agents and Realtors DO NOT have a marketing plan for your house that consists of more than putting a house on the MLS and popping a sign in the yard. It is your responsibility as the seller to make sure the agent you hire has a real plan in place that can get you the most money for your property.
I was out of town for a marketing conference and had lunch with an acquaintance who had recently sold his home, so of course I asked him about his experience with his agent and the selling process.
Unfortunately he didn’t have a lot of great things to say about the agent he was working with. In his area, the market was hot and things were selling in days so as soon as the property was listed on the MLS, it sold in less than 3 days.
So why was my friend mad?
My friend just could not understand why he paid his realtor 6% in commission when the house sold itself. Unfortunately, the plan his agent had, like a lot of agents out there was, throw it up on the MLS, put a sign out front, sit back and wait for an offer.
I took this opportunity to ask him what the agent could have done differently to make him feel like it was money well spent.
Here’s his list:
- Walk me through the home selling process in depth. I wanted to know what the back up plan was if the house didn’t have any interest.
- What was my agent was doing specifically to market my property. I wanted to know where his effort was going.
- I wanted some input on how to market my property, and where.
- I wanted to understand how my Realtor earned their commission.
This isn’t the first time I heard this, but a light bulb went off.
Now You Can Choose What Kind Of Plan You Want…
Most people hire agents because they believe it is a necessary expense, that will serve them better in the long run. But is it really in your best interest? That completely depends on who you hire because with the right marketing plan and property positioning, the 3–6% commission most agents charge should pay for itself the majority of the time.
So here’s my advice for you if you are thinking about selling your home and looking to hire an agent.
You need to hire an agent who has a marketing expertise that consists of more than just an MLS listing and a sign in the yard.
I have spent the last few years learning internet marketing so that we can better serve our clients. Agents today have to get better at marketing their listings because their clients deserve it. An agent’s job is to provide more exposure to the property than an average person could do on their own, and help make the process as painless as possible.
Use this to get an idea of what questions you should be asking when you are going to hire an agent.
Here are 7 Home Marketing Tricks your agent should be using
Facebook Just Listed Ads– Facebook is great for marketing because your agent can target people who are local to your property and likely to move. It is very important that they know how to place ads in Facebook and then set the RIGHT targeting to reach the ideal buyer. This can get your property thousands of extra views if done correctly.
Just Listed Postcards– Have you ever seen a real estate post on social media that gets shared? It’s because people want to help spread the word about potential houses for sale in their neck of the woods. If they love their area, they will share it with friends or family looking to move close by.
Property Video– Every agent should be doing property videos. It is statistically proven that videos increase property exposure, and in my experience videoed properties are faster to sell. They let potential buyers know the layout and the flow of the home, and sometimes buyers begin bidding even without a viewing.
YouTube Optimization– It’s very easy to rank your property video at the top of the search results if it’s done correctly. If you know what you are doing you can typically rank under certain search terms right away.
Online Optimization– Trulia.com, Zillow.com, Realtor.com, and Homes.com is where the majority of people search for homes. Realtors should be investing in the upgraded packages these sites offer to get better placement and presentation for their listings. Check and see if the Realtor you want to hire is using these sites to the best of their capabilities to increase your online presentation of their properties.
- Back Up Exit Strategy– What happens if you do not get any bids when you list your home? A planned ahead pricing strategy is always a good idea. A listing that sits too long on the market without any repositioning leads to a longer market time and a lower sales price than those that are priced correctly for the location and market.
A good listing agent is someone who understands online marketing and how property search is being conducted in the here and now so that you can increase the exposure on your house and get it sold fast and at a great price.
There is a new type of certified agent in town that is great if you are looking for more than the traditional MLS listing method. Owner Advocate agents have 5 ways to sell your home and can get you multiple offers in as little as two days. Learn more about Owner Advocate agents.