A few weeks ago I went on CBS Radio with Chris Kelso and discussed the “Top
20 Things to Look for in a Realtor & Brokerage.” We were only able to
get through half the list, so I went back on the air today with Kevin Price on The Price of Business to
finish going over the list. It is very common that consumers don’t know what
questions to ask when interviewing Realtors. They don’t understand the
differences between Brokerage and Realtors in the industry. If you are thinking
about selling your home, these are the Top 20 most crucial questions you will
need to ask the Realtor you are interviewing. The answers to these questions
will vary greatly from Brokerage to Brokerage and Agent to Agent.
1.A� Will you make a professional video of my home
to market online?
With so many homes on the market today, it is very important that your home stand
out from the competition. One way to do this is with a professional video that
will show off the details of your home. At RREA, we have a full time
Processional Videographer with a Production Studio in house. Our Videographer
goes on location with an HD Camera (not an agent with an iphone) and shoots
professional footage. Then in the studio, he compiles it with graphics and
overlays for an enhanced professional appearance that is then uploaded to our buy baclofen overnight http://rrea.tv YouTube Channel. From there it is
added to our website and blog and similcast to additional blogs. Google indexes
the video with key words. Making the video is the first step, but what you do
with the video is what matters. It then feeds out to our http://grafikontrol-gmbh.de/?p=685 http://rrea.com buy differin gel online http://gethsemanemission.org/church/bonnispaz-order/ social media sites like our Facebook
Business Page, Twitter and LinkedIn Accounts.
2. Will you take quality photos of the home?
All Realtors take pictures of the homes they are selling.A� Do they use their smartphone or a good
quality camera?A� Do they take
professional photos?A� Do they upload the
maximum amount of photos to the MLS?A� I
have seen many listings with the minimum of six photos.A� I have also seen some that were taken from
inside a car.A� Others show toilets and
the front photo of the home is half roadway.
Take a look at some of their current listings in the MLS to view the
quality of their photos.
3.A� Does your Brokerage upgrade your listing on
Realtor.com?
Realtor.com is the number one real estate website in the country.A� You want your listing on Realtor.com to stand
out from the competition with enhancements.
You want your open houses advertised on their site.A� You also want as many photos as they will
allow on their site for your home.
4.A� Will your Realtor do open houses for you?
Some homes are not in good locations for open houses.A� However, if you are close to the front of the
subdivision you will want to have an open house.A� There are many types of open houses and you want
to know which ones your Realtor will do for you.A� There are weekend open houses for the public,
weekday open houses for the public, Broker Open Houses for the Realtor
Community, and Property Tour open houses where Realtors from their brokerage
will view the home.A� Another important part of open houses is the advertising.
Just putting out yard signs is not enough.A� They need to be advertised on the internet on
websites like HAR.com and Realtor.com and through the Realtora��s social media
accounts.
5.A� What type of lockbox will the Realtor be
using?
At RREA, we use GE Supra Lockboxes that can be tracked by satellite.A� These lockboxes can only be accessed by the
industrya��s Realtors, Inspectors, and Appraisers.A� There are no combo codes that can be given
out.A� If personal items are missing or if there is damage to the home, our Realtors can a�?reada�? the lockbox to see who has
had access to the home through the lockbox.
6.A� Is the Realtor advertising your listing on
several Blogs?
AtA�RREA, we have a�?The Best Real Estate Blog in Texasa�? awarded by Texas A&M
University.A� Many consumers and industry
leaders visit the RREA Blog to get information and see homes for sale.A� In addition to showcasing your home on our
blog, we simulcast it onto other blogs like Active Rain, Realtor.com, and
Har.com.A� This increases your homea��s web
footprint.
7.A� Do you advertise in Magazines?A� If so, which ones and will I get a copy of
the ad?
Advertising in real estate magazines gives your home more exposure to buyers.A� At RREA, we do advertise our listings in
industry magazines.
8.A� Do you offer quality home warranties?
When buyers purchase resale A�homes they negotiate
a home warranty so if there are any major repairs needed in the first year,
they will have some help paying for those repairs.A� However, many sellers do not realize they can
get a warranty on the home while it is for sale and do not have to pay for this
coverage until the home sales and it usually only costs about $100 extra.A� So if the seller signed up for a warranty on
the listing and the dishwasher stopped working, they could call the home
warranty to put in a request for repairs.A�A� In addition, it is another way for the Realtor to market the home.A� For example, a�?This home comes with a one year
home warranty.a�?
9.A� How many websites do you advertise the home
on?
At RREA, we advertise your home on over 55 websites.A� We want your home to have a large web
footprint so that buyers can find it!
10.A� Do you put our documents online in the MLS?
When a buyer is ready to make an offer on your home, you want them to make an
offer!A� You dona��t want them waiting on
your Realtor to email them paperwork.A� If
your Realtor uploads documents like the survey, the sellers disclosure, and any
other disclosures to the MLS, then the buyers will have what they need to make
an offer without requesting additional information from your Realtor.
ReadA�my blog tomorrow to see PART IIA� and
find out the other 10 important questions to ask a Realtor when you are
thinking about selling your home!
