Select an agent & price
You can sell a house yourself, and some people do. What a listing agent adds is pricing, marketing, reach and somebody to carry the paperwork from the listing agreement through the final documents. Here is how we would go about choosing one, including if it ends up being somebody else.
What to look for in an agent
Training. Ask what education and designations they have, and whether they keep them current. It is a fair question and it tells you how seriously they take the job, though we would weigh the next three more heavily.
Experience with your kind of property. You want a full-time agent who knows your area and has sold property like yours. Ask how many, and how recently. Ask how they market a listing, where it will appear, and how comfortable they are with the technology buyers now use to shop. Derek worked in design and marketing before real estate, and as Compass brokers we have its tools and its network of agents behind a listing. You can read about that on the Compass page.
Availability. Buyers look in the evenings and on weekends, so your agent needs to be reachable then. Ask how often you will hear from them once the house is listed, and whether you can get them on the phone for a small question as easily as for an emergency.
Rapport. Do they listen to what you are trying to get done, and do they seem to care how it turns out for you? You will be working closely with this person for a while. Pick one you get along with.
Whoever you choose, you will sign a listing agreement. It sets the price, the length of the listing and what you pay. Read it and ask questions before you sign.
What your property is worth
Owners who price on their own tend to come in high. That is understandable, since you know every dollar and every weekend you have put into the place, and a buyer does not pay for those. A house that starts too high often sits, and a listing that has sat for a while is harder to sell well.
We price from recent sales of comparable properties nearby, adjusted for condition, the lot, the view and what else is for sale right now. We show you those sales, so you can see where the number comes from. You can start with a home valuation request, and we will follow up with a proper look at the house in person.
Once there is a price, the next step is getting the house ready.