Are you thinking of selling your home? Have you done some google searches for Best Realtor in Simpsonville, SC? Maybe you are selling your home in Mauldin or greater Greenville area.
You will want to interview a minimum 
of two agents to find out which one works best with you! I’m sure you desire to have a great connection with the agent or Team. After all this is one of your largest single investments in your life so being choosy is wise!
Below are questions that the Best Agents in real estate should be comfortable and confident in answering.
1. How long have you been in the business
Length of time isn’t necessarily a determining factor of excellence, however a realtor who has done 300+ transactions has seen a lot more than an agent who has done 20+/- transactions. You know that the best education comes from the front lines. Do you want to be the Ginny Pig of your agent’s education or do you want to be the beneficiary or all the other Ginny Pigs?
2. Can I see a list of referrals?
This is a job interview and a good listing agent will come prepared to the meeting with a list of references he/she has helped get their homes sold. Like all job interviews the Realtor is likely going to highlight all his success rates; sales records, qualifications, awards, ect, but they won’t be able to tell you what it is like to deal with them day to day. Take some time to call a few of the references and ask previous clients about their experiences with the agent. Were they pleased with the work he did? Was she easy to get in touch with? Did he keep them well informed? Would they recommend her to others?
3. How will you keep me informed?
Communication is important in any successful relationship. You want to hire the BEST AGENT in SIMPSONVILLE South Carolina. The best agent will keep you informed often and in multiple platforms. You want to know how they will inform you of showing request from buyers. You might ask them how frequently they will update you. What will they do if there hasn’t been any showings in a week or so. Will the listing agent inform you of every buyer, no matter the interest level? Selling your home is a partnership, it is important to have a high level of comfort with the Listing Agent you choose.
4. What is your Listings’ Average Days on Market?
The average days on market is an indicator as to how soon your home will sell. This is important for you to know the timeline in which you have to get your family in order. If the average days on market is 30 days, and it takes 45 days to close the home after it is under contract, that means you will be moving in 75 days from the day your home hits the market! SIDE NOTE: ask them what the Market’s Average Days on Market too…If the Market’s average days are 42, and the agent sells in 40, that’s average. However compare the Days on Market, with the Sales-To-Price Ratio.
5. What is your List-to-Sales Price Ratio?
Any Real Estate Agent in Simpsonville, SC can show you how many homes they have on the market for a high amount and it sounds impressive. The important thing for you as the home owner is to consider the SALES PRICE the homes are selling for. To get the List to Sales Price Ratio take the price the home was listed for i.e. $300,000, and divide it by the price it sold for $281,000 (side note sometimes the sellers give a Buyer Closing Costs Credit for $4,000 – $5,000 making that sales price really $276,000). $281K/$300K = 93% List to Sales Price Ratio. The closer the number is to 100, the better. Be wary of an agent’s number that sounds to good to be true. Take into consideration if the Average Days on Market is SHORT and the list to price sales price ratio is close to 100%, that is often too good to be true, or they might be selling for Less than the Market’s True Value. You may want to hire an agent who lists your home at a competitive price, and sells it for 97% of that price, but gets it sold in under 60 days! That’s two mortgage payments you save.
6. Do you work solo or as part of a Team?
In today market real estate teams are pretty common. Whether it’s a few agents who share the work, a single agent with a support staff behind him or a group of several agents all under one team name. It is important for you to know with whom you’ll be working.
You can see both positives and negatives to working with real estate teams. One drawback to a team is that you might be handed off to another member once the house is under contract. If you call to ask a question, the agent you’re familiar with might not be the one who speaks with you. On another note, a team could mean that you’ll get more attention and personalized service, especially considering there are people taking care of the behind-the-scenes work for your agent (allowing her the luxury of more face time with you).
7. Are you a Full Time or Part Time agent?
This seems self explanatory but it speaks to the volume of transactions the agent has done and the knowledge they have gained being down in the dirt handling hundreds of negotiations and seeing some pitfalls before they happen.
8. How many sellers are you currently representing?
You may be thinking choosing the best real estate agent in Simpsonville is a popularity contest. If everybody else is using the this agent in Simpsonville, then you should too, right? Not necessarily!
It is important to you to know that the agent’s communication style and availability aligned with your expectations. You don’t want to get lost in the shuffle with the agent who has 20, 30, or more listings.
Agents who have multiple listings on the market at one time will often have an assistant to manage the day-to-day processes of preparing your home to go to market. Be sure to set the standards for your agent and your expectations of their involvement.
9. How will you market my home?
Sticking a sign in your yard and waiting around for buyers to call is the OLD, way to sell real estate. YET it is how many successful agents still do it today. With 98% of buyers finding your property online (often before their agent has seen it), you want to ensure your home will be in front of all those eye’s online. A great agent will be able to share with you their marketing plan to get your home sold and will go above and beyond just the “Standard Marketing” efforts. A great agent will let you know how they will utilize social media to get your home in front of more buyers than the average agent. Marketing your home is important but even the fanciest marketing plan doesn’t get a home sold, the agent does. Be wary of the agent who promotes his “marketing efforts” above his efforts and expertise.
10. What are the Drawbacks to my home?
This seems like a question no agent will want to answer, but it is important for you to know the condition of your home in comparison to the other homes on the market. Price, coupled with condition are the two most important factors in getting a home sold for the most amount of money. If the agent can share with you some quick tips that are weekend projects or even sharing staging suggestions; following these suggestions could mean the difference of $5000+ or more dollars in your pocket. Is a weekend or two worth that to you?
Conversely, answering this question gives you the insight as to how the agent handles bad news. You are selling your most important asset, often the highest single item you have to your net worth. Bad news may be coming and you don’t want that to side track you or the success of getting your home sold! The Best Agent in Simpsonville will have the ability and confidence to share bad news with you. Not knowing bad news makes a bad situation worse.
When considering a great real estate agent in the Upstate, Greenville, Simpsonville, Mauldin, Fountain Inn, Greer or Taylors we, Greenville Dream Team encourage you to ask these questions to any agent you are interviewing to sell your home. We are confident that we can help you get your home sold for the most amount of money and help you find the Dream Home for you and your family.