We understand that you want to be sure you are making the right decision when hiring Home Team AdvantEdge therefor we want to supply you with a form to utilize when interviewing agents. See how we stack up and why we believe we can provide you the Edge in Real Estate.
| 1. How long have you been doing Real Estate? | Since 1996 | ||
| 2. Are you a full time agent? | yes | ||
| 3. Approximately, how many people have you helped? | I will set up a communication schedule and the way we will communicate at our initial meeting you will also get feedback on showings of your home emailed directly from the buyer agent. | ||
| 4. How often and in what way will I be contacted regarding progress on my home? | Yes. My brochures are attention getting and unique. | ||
| 5. May I see a sample of your brochures? | My marketing plan is extensive, diversified and individually budgeted. Please review my 32+ Marketing Steps included in this guide. | ||
| 6. What is your marketing plan? | My background, achievements and honors are extensive. Please see my credentials included in this book. | ||
| 7. What is your background in the Real Estate business? | Immediately, I will help get your home ready for sale by giving you staging advice. I will take measurements for MLS insertion and photos for your brochure and virtual tour. | ||
| 8. If you list my house, when would the marketing begin and how? | Yes. It is included in this book as well as: https://www.zillow.com/profile/Jane-Becker/Reviews/?my=y | ||
| 9. Do you have a list of references to call? | Yes. The brochure of your home will go out to the appropriate segment of your neighbors and they will be notified about your open house as needed | ||
| 10. Do you prospect my neighbors as part of your marketing | I will help you stage your home and provide you with a customized, room by room overview once you have hired me. | ||
| 11. Does my home need any repairs or cosmetic or structural changes? | I do not believe in holding on to clients who do not want to sell with me. | ||
| 12. Can I cancel my contract? | I have extended work hours. You can reach me by phone, fax, text and email practically any hour or the day or night. I would prefer to receive your calls 8am-8pm | ||
| 13. Will I have to go through other people to reach you? | Although I may have assistants who help me run my company, when you call the office, you will speak directly with me. | ||
| 14. What are your office hours? I want to be sure that my questions are answered and potential buyers aren’t missed. | I have extended work hours. You can reach me by phone, fax, text and email practically any hour or the day or night. I would prefer to receive your calls 8am-8pm | ||
| 15. If you represent buyers and sellers, will you ever have a conflict of interest? | No. I will always represent only one party in any transaction. If a buyer client of mine wishes to purchase your home, he/she will have an option either not to be represented or referred to another buyer agent. | ||
| 16. What percent of your business is from past clients, referrals, and spheres? | More than 60% | ||
| 17. Do you provide a formal report for your CMA | As a client of HTA, you will receive a professionally prepared document that will describe the value of your home in detail. | ||
| 18. Is there a website that might answer other questions or concerns I might have? | Yes. Please visit www.JaneBecker.com | ||
| 19. Do you offer custom virtual tours in the MLS and on your website? | Yes. Please ask to see a sample of this innovative feature. | ||
| 20. Will my property be featured on Zillow.com and other web sites? | Your tour will be visible on many sites including Zillow.com. Since I pay to be featured on Zillow, your home will come up at the top of the search for buyers. | ||
| 21. Do you follow up on every showing for feedback? | Yes. I subscribe to a company that not only sets appointments with you at your convenience, but will also follow up with the buyer agents for feedback. | ||
| 22. Do you provide a Seller’s net sheet? | Yes. It will be included in your CMA document. | ||
| 23. What certification or education do you have? | Certified Buyer Representative, Mass. Certified Buyer Representative, Graduate of Realtor Institute, Certified Residential Specialist, E-pro “At home with Diversity” certified, Licensed Real estate instructor, Accredited Buyer Representative, Certified Arbitrator, Certified Mediator, etc. | ||
| 24. How do I know your opinion of value is accurate? | My job is not to tell you what your house is worth or what I can sell it for. My job is to provide you with enough information for you to describe how to position your home on the market. My information comes from two decades of experience working for financial institutions. Banks hire me almost daily to research properties that are short sale and foreclosure or refinancing. They rely on my research and opinion. |
If a home seller decides to use an agent, how do they choose the best one?
It is important to remember that, not only do the fees charged by agents vary, the services offered by real estate agents also differ greatly. Some of the criteria that should be considered when interviewing a prospective agent include:
- Is the individual a full-time real estate agent? Is he/she available every day of the week?
- How long has the person working full-time been in real estate?
- How many transactions has the agent had in the last year? Five years? Career?
- Has the agent listed and/or sold homes in the same market as the seller’s home?
- What is the agent’s average list to sell ratio?
(Is there a pattern of the agent overpricing their listings?) - Does the agent have references / testimonials from past clients?
- What professional criteria / credentials does the agent have?
a. Do they belong to the National Association of Realtors (higher ethics is expected)?
b. Are they a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)?
(Less than 5% of agents possess this designation)
c. Are they licensed as a real estate Broker?
d. Do they have experience, training or credentials in other facets of real estate? Examples include:- Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI)
- Accredited Staging Professional (ASP)
- E-Pro certification
- Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE)
- Licensed as a Real Estate Educator
- Do they have experience working for home buyers as well as sellers? This gives them insight in how buyers will react to your home.
- Does the agent have any other experience determining property values?
(A few agents are regularly hired by financial institutions to determine a broker’s professional opinion, BPO, of property values).
- Does the agent pay for on-line real estate advertisement?
- What other marketing options can the agent offer? Can the agent provide samples?
- What would be included in a contract to sell the property? How can that agreement be terminated?
- Will the agent provide a written comparative market analysis (CMA) of the property?
- Does the agent have a website or other source of real estate information for the home seller?
- Will the agent provide professional photographs of the property and/or a virtual tour of the home?
- Will the agent provide feedback for showings?
- How reachable is the agent?
- What is the typical marketing budget for the agent?
- Does the agent contact potential buyers on a daily basis?
