As of January there are more than one million licensed Realtors in the United States, so you wouldn’t expect it to be very hard to find Kansas City Realtor. That is, unless you’re picky about finding the one most capable of helping you make the best deal when it comes to selling your home.
Image: vichie81 / FreeDigitalPhotos.netBefore we go much further, I should mention that the “Realtor” name itself is the copyright-protected term for a dues-paying member of the National Association of Realtors. Although Kansas or Missouri grants the license that allows agents and brokers to conduct business, the NAR minds the store for internal trade matters. But they aren’t able to answer the original question, “Where is the agent with the expertise to help ME right now?”
Making this choice is vital. After all, millions of Americans decide that it’s pretty smart to pay around 6% of the sales price to the Realtor who helps them sell a home. What they expect in return is for the agent to determine the home’s market value; to list it attractively in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) so other agents and home buyers know about it; to devise and execute an advertising campaign that will market the home to the public; and then perform all functions necessary to ensure the paperwork and processes that transpire in a typical real estate transaction are completed smoothly.
So then -- how do you find a Kansas City Realtor? Here are a few tips:
Ask
This is the most effective way to find a good Realtorâ. Ask family, friends, neighbors and coworkers. Ask the person next to you in line at the checkout, your hair stylist, people at the gym. Try to put together a list of at least three candidate Realtorsâ – more is better.
Interview
This need not be as time-consuming as it sounds. It’s easy to be clear and honest when you speak with the candidates. Let them know that this is a preliminary interview, not a request for a listing presentation. In fact, the interview can take place over the phone.
There are lots of questions you may want to ask the Realtorâ during the interview, but one is the most important: the names and phone numbers of at least two former clients and three current clients.
Check
This is the time-consuming part, but it will be worth it. Call each reference for every agent. Questions to ask past clients include:
- How effective were the agent’s marketing efforts…What was done to market your home?
- Did the agent communicate with you frequently throughout the process?
- Would you use this agent again?
Questions to ask current clients:
- Why did you choose this particular Realtorâ…Do you feel you made the right choice?
- Was the agent easy to reach by telephone…Were your calls returned promptly?
- How effective do you feel the Realtor’sâ marketing efforts…What changes would you like to see, if any?
Request a Presentation
Call back the agents who get good reviews and request a listing presentation. This should be a two-step process: the agent views the house and returns after crunching the numbers and compiling a comparative market analysis (a “CMA”).
Take a good long look at the agent’s CMA. Not only is this report an explanation of how he or she determined your home’s current market value, it’s also really the agent’s calling card. This is their only chance to impress you with their expertise, so it’s also your back-door way of checking their marketing skills in action. Is the CMA bound? Is it customized -- or merely a bunch of MLS printouts thrown together?
Bottom line: did the agent knock it out of the park with this presentation? Remember, marketing is everything in our post bubble market.
Selling a house is big business. It’s a truism that it’s just about the most important transaction anyone makes. It’s also the reason you will never regret taking your time to find the right Realtorâ.