3 Questions You Should Ask Your Realtor Before Listing Your Home
Listing your home is a big step. You’ll likely want professional help to guide you through the process as well as to get a good price for your home within a timeframe that best suits your needs. Here are 3 important questions you should ask your realtor before putting your house on the market:
How many years of real estate experience do you have?
In general, we recommend agents who have a good deal of experience. However, there are many wonderful new agents as well! The trick is really to look at the big picture – if the agent you’re interviewing has less than five years of experience, we recommend inquiring about the brokerage they work with. Do they have a strong support system? Do they have experienced mentors? As you’ll see, the amount of experience your agent brings to the table is important for a number of reasons. For example:
- An experienced realtor will understand the overall sales process, as well as the local area, its economy, and any relevant trends that could affect your home’s listing price and other objectives you may have.
- An experienced realtor likely has developed a network of real estate and other professionals to support their clients, including contractors, inspectors, and lenders.
- An experienced realtor understands how to prepare and use a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to further your objectives, and obtain top dollar for your home.
How will you market my home?
Your realtor should be able to walk you through their marketing plan for your home, step by step. After all, in the world of real estate marketing is half the battle when it comes to selling a home. Common features of real estate marketing include:
- Professional photography
- Videography
- Drone photography and videography
- Virtual/physical staging
- Digital marketing on social media channels
- Virtual or in-person open houses
- Print ads
- Inclusion on real estate listing websites
- Direct mail
What are the fees involved?
An experienced real estate agent can help you to navigate the costs and fees associated with selling a home — which is extremely helpful if you don’t want to be caught off-guard by additional expenses. Fees for a home sale often include:
- Realtor’s commission fees
- Appraisal fees
- Utility bills (if you plan to move out before finalizing the sale)
- Excise tax
- Escrow fees
- Title Insurance
- Property taxes
- Attorneys’ fees
Your agent should provide you with a detailed list of the fees you may expect to pay as well as an estimated dollar amount for each one. For more information about seller fees see our article, “Seller Fees Explained.”
If you’re ready to list your home and need an experienced realtor on your side, reach out to Brown McMillen today! Our agents have been serving our neighbors in and around Skagit Valley for nearly 50 years, and we’d be happy to help you. Email us at info@brownmcmillen.com to learn more.
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