I always think it's smart for you to interview several other REALTORS® before you make your decision as to whom you are going to trust to market your home.  It doesn't cost you a dime, so why not see who is the best fit to market your home? 

After interviewing several REALTORS®, one will usually stand out.  But that's only if you ask the right questions.  And by that, I mean the tough questions.  Here are ten things  you should consider before you make your selection ...

• Be cautious of the REALTOR® who is way out of line on pricing your home when compared to the other REALTORS®.  They may be trying to "outbid" their competition for the listing knowing full well they cannot sell your home at that price.  They want your home so they can "fish" for buyers to sell other, fairly priced homes to.  If the REALTOR® comes in way too low, they might be inexperienced or just trying to make a quick sale at your expense.  Bottom line, if a REALTOR® cannot support their pricing with comparables, that in itself should throw up a red flag.

• Find out what experience the REALTOR® has in selling homes of the same quality and price point as your home.    Look at their current inventory of listed homes.  If the REALTOR® specializes in $250,000 homes, are they the best choice to market an $800,000 home?  However, in my opinion, if you are selling a $250,000 home, why wouldn't you want a REALTOR® who specializes in $800,000 homes?  If they will bring that same level of marketing professionalism to your $250,000 home, why not take advantage of it? 

• Find out how much listed inventory the REALTOR® has in your area?  Not their company, but that REALTOR®. 

• Have the REALTOR® provide a list of homes which they have personally listed and sold.  Find out when those homes were sold.  Many REALTORS® fudge by using the term "recent sale" on a transaction which might have occurred a year or even two years ago.  It makes them look busier than they really are.  Find out what they have sold in the past six months? 

• Ask the REALTOR® to show you how one of their listings is being marketed.  Is that the way you want your home showcased to the world?  Look up one of their listings on the MLS, Realtor.com and the agent's own website.  Do they even have their own website?  Are the pictures dark and dreary or do they really make those homes look appealing.  Remember, professional marketing all starts with quality pictures!

• Exactly how would you ever find the REALTOR'S® website?  Ask the REALTOR® to show you how many people are visiting their site to look at their homes.  Our site averages around 6,000 hits per week from all over the world depending on the time of the year!  Click Here to see how many people visited our site last week and where they came from.

• Are the homes you see on the REALTOR'S® site of similar quality as yours?  Is the company being selective about the properties they list?  Would you be proud to have your home on their site?

• How much content is there on the listed home on their site?  Has the REALTOR® created a sense of excitement about their listed properties?  Or is it a boring, stamped out, boilerplate template.  Would your home be among hundreds of other homes in a small thumbnail presentation?  Some small pictures and a few lines of text?  Is that the way you would want your home presented to the world?  Look at the quality of the pictures of the homes.  Does the agent take pride in their pictures or are they dark and dreary?

• Is the person you are talking to a REALTOR® or an agent.  Many are surprised to learn they are not one in the same.  REALTORS® are pledged to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice which agents are not bound by.

• And finally, and maybe most importantly, ask the REALTOR® if they have ever been involved in any type of real estate litigation about a listing they sold.  If so, find out what happened.  Remember, that REALTOR® and you will be joined at the hip once the listing agreement is signed. 

Tom Grisak Estate Homes REALTOR®s, Inc - Texas License # 0329533