Web Based Home Listing Marking Is The Name Of The Game!

You Need To Ask Your Agent These Very Important Questions Before You Consider Listing With Them.

1. What is your background and real estate experience?

You want a good mixture of full time real estate experience in Pittsburgh compared to the excitement, energy and drive of a hungry newer licensee. Don’t be fooled into thinking that more years in real estate will necessarily translate into a satisfactory home selling experience. Long time veterans of the business may have lost their enthusiasm for a career that requires working very long hours.
Professional careers in other business areas is important as well. Marketing, advertising, and sales experience would certainly be preferred instead of unrelated fields such as nursing, driving, teaching etc.
Many people make the crucial mistake of listing with someone because they are a friend or relative. This is a tough time for sellers so you really ought to make this important business decision based on better criteria.

2. How current are you with the new home marketing
applications and technologies?

Today almost 90% of home buyers start their search on the web. You need an agent who knows how to do more than just slap the listing on their broker’s MLS. You can not get too much internet exposure for your listing! Ask what additional ways the agent is going to utilize for the syndication of your internet home listing.
If you get an unclear answer – he or she may not be your top choice.
You need someone who is on the home marketing forefront utilizing: listing address domain names, individual websites, home listing search optimization, pay per click advertising, home info instant text messaging, 1-800 phone info, pod casting, and video tours on social networking sites like facebook, myspace and u-tube – just to name some!

3. How many home listings did you sell last year and
how many home listings are you handling right now?

Agents who sell a lot of listings obviously have a achieved some success. However, one number that you will probably never find out is exactly how many listings those busy agents lost because they did not have the time to provide a good level of service to their listing clients. For example, lets say an agent (not a team) has 40 real estate listings. Just divide that agent’s time and energy by 40. Plus, that agent would be handling buyers as well. Essentially your home listing would receive less than 1/40th of that agent’s time and attention! Regarding real estate teams, ask how many listings the team is carrying so you will know just how much attention you will be able to receive from that particular team leader.

4. How often do you contact clients with marketing updates and by what method?

You should expect to receive some form of marketing report from your agent once a week at least. They should call, email or both with updates regarding feedback from showings / open houses, on-line marketing activity, inbound call activity, and what their marketing plan for the next week or two for your home listing.
Probably one of the most common complaints we hear when we list a home that has been previously listed with another agent is this:

“After we listed, we almost never heard from our agent”.

Selling a home today is difficult enough without feeling out of the loop about possible prospects and marketing plans.

5. Do I have to sign a listing contract for a year?

You need to Run (don’t walk) as fast as you can from any agent who tries to have you sign a listing contract for long periods. Real Estate contracts often have a default of one year unless a particular time period is written into it. A year is a terribly long time to be contracted with an agent who is not doing a good job for you. A lot of agents will take a listing for as little as one or two months. An agent who is confident in the service and marketing that they provide will not hesitate to list for a shorter period.

About the author: Eric Nichols is a real estate marketing technology trainer and team leader for the www.SearchPittsburghHomes.com Team at Keller Williams Real Estate Professionals Pittsburgh. Contact us at 724-941-9400 X247 for high tech solutions and personalized service.