Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo...Choosing a Realtor to Sell My Home!

Realtors are a dime a dozen. How do you choose one?  Throw darts at the photos of all the local agents advertised in Sunday's newspaper?...Use Google to search through the 3000+ results when "real estate agent Central NJ" is typed in your search bar? My answer: personal recommendations or referrals from friends and colleagues is always the best. However, if that's not possible, use some of the criteria listed below to help you choose:


Knowledge of Area- Consider an agent who knows the area, is knowledgeable, and can provide accurate comps for the area. Has that agent personally been inside those sold homes in order to compare your home to those? How would he/she be able to give you an accurate market value estimate if not?


Personality Type- Some people are "numbers" people. Other folks are "people" people. Do you want a real estate agent who is more fact-oriented and analytical, or one with whom you can connect on an emotional level? Personality fit can be important since your Realtor may be someone with whom you are working for (hopefully not) quite awhile.


Staging Recommendations-Your agent should also be able to give you ideas about how to stage your home. Do you have too much stuff? What are some inexpensive ways to make your home more attractive to potential buyers? And even if you've already moved out of the home, virtual staging can make online photos look like you still live there! Check out http://virtualstagingsolutions.com/gallery/ as an example of how to stage an empty house.

Business Plan/Calendar- A good agent should provide you with a business plan and calendar of events. If possible, you should receive this prior to your agent coming over to discuss listing your home. It is important to know not only what an agent will do to market your home, but also when he/she will do it too.

Marketing Plan- Your agent should have a very specific marketing plan for your home including the following:

• Signage- Does your agent use a cheap, metal sign or an eye catching sign hanging from a nice sturdy post with his/her contact information on it for passers by?
• Postcards, doorhangers- These should be mailed to your target buyers and placed on doors throughout your neighborhood. 
• Flyers, community, township and school information- These should be professional looking pieces of information left out on the counter or a table for buyers to pick up during showings.
• Unique website- Will your agent create a website that is just for your home, such as www.123MainStreet.com ?
• Other websites- Ask your agent how many websites your home will be featured on. At my company, once a listing is input into the MLS (multiple listing service) it populates to over 200 other websites including www.realtor.com,  www.trulia.com, and www.zillow.com . Ask how many photos your home will have on Realtor.com (there can be up to 35), since many agents just put 1 or 2 photos and not much of a description at all!
• Photos/virtual tour- Pictures should be professional looking and show off your home's great features. Your home should also appear spacious and inviting.
• Open houses- Is he/she willing to do an open house? Not all agents want to spend their Sunday afternoons sitting around your house. It statistically isn't the way most houses get sold, but it does help generate some interest in your home.

Designations- Designations show that your agent has taken the time to go above and beyond, and learn more about a specific group of people. These could be seniors (SRES), buyers (ABR), or people who might have to do a short sale in order to sell their home (SFR).


Length of Time in Business- How long has he/she been in real estate, and/or how many transactions has he/she completed? With each transaction brings more experience and knowledge. There are so many different things to learn in this industry, from dealing with septic systems, to replacing aluminum wiring,  to what happens if my house doesn't appraise high enough? Agents need to be competent problem solvers, and if they don't know the answer, he/she should be able to find out!


Above and Beyond- What are some ways this agent has gone above and beyond to sell a home? For example, I have personally moved heavy furniture, taken down "a million" pictures and spackled over the nail holes, and trimmed hedges to help sell homes.


Communication- This is the most important thing to consider when choosing a real estate agent! It goes without saying that when buying and selling a home, communication is key! This includes regular feedback - before and after showings. Or communication about why there have been no showings lately. Your agent should ask which method of communication your prefer...email, phone call, or text and let you know how often you can expect him/her to contact you.


Finally, since I did say that recommendations are key, feel free to visit my website at www.anne-marietustin.com for my personal recommendations. Now, have fun searching for that agent!

Anne-Marie Tustin
Realtor Associate in NJ & PA
Keller Williams Realty
Princeton NJ
(609) 987-8889 office
(609) 575-8801 direct
atustin@kw.com
www.Anne-MarieTustin.com