Before You Hire a Real Estate Broker to Sell Your Home, Read This

Is the Person You Hire Really Going to Earn Their Fee?

Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get discussed enough.

When you’re selling your home, it’s easy to focus on the commission.

“What percentage do they charge?”

“Can I negotiate the fee?”

“What will I have to pay?”

Those are fair questions.

But there’s another question that may be even more important:

What are you actually getting for that fee?

Because the difference between a real estate professional who simply puts your home on the market and one who strategically prepares, markets and negotiates your sale can potentially be worth thousands of dollars.

You don’t want to find that out after your house is already on the market.

So before you hire someone, ask yourself:

Did They Actually Walk Through Your Home With You?

Not just a quick tour.

Did they look at your home from the perspective of a buyer?

Did they point out things that could hurt your sale?

Did they identify things that could be improved before you list?

Did they tell you what not to spend money on?

Did they help you prioritize?

A good pre-listing conversation should be more than:

“Your house looks great!”

You need someone willing to tell you what you may not want to hear.

Did They Give You a Specific Preparation Plan?

Did they give you actual recommendations?

Not:

“Declutter and make it look nice.”

I’m talking about specifics.

• What should be removed?
• What should be repaired?
• What should be painted?
• What should be cleaned?
• What should be updated?
• What isn’t worth spending money on?
• What will make the biggest difference to a buyer?
• What should happen first?

You should leave the conversation knowing exactly what needs to happen before your home goes on the market.

Did They Explain the Pricing Strategy?

Did they simply tell you what they think your house is worth?

Or did they explain why?

Did they review comparable properties with you?

Did they explain your competition?

Did they discuss recent sales?

Did they explain how buyers are likely to perceive your price?

Did they talk about what happens if you price too high?

Or too low?

Pricing is a strategy—not a guess.

Did They Explain How Your Home Will Be Marketed?

“MLS, Zillow, Realtor.com and social media” isn’t really a marketing strategy.

Ask:

What are you actually going to do?

Will there be professional photography?

Video?

A detailed property description?

Social media marketing?

Targeted exposure?

Open houses when appropriate?

Digital marketing?

Agent-to-agent promotion?

What makes your listing stand out from the other homes buyers are looking at?

You deserve specific answers.

Did They Help You Prepare for the Photography?

Professional photography can be extremely valuable.

But here’s something important:

The photographer doesn’t prepare your house.

Did your real estate professional tell you what needed to be done before the photographer arrived?

Did they help you understand how to make rooms photograph well?

Did they identify distractions?

Did they help you think about furniture placement, clutter, lighting and presentation?

The photographer takes the pictures.

The strategy comes first.

Did They Explain What Buyers Will Notice?

You’ve lived in your house.

You probably don’t see the things you stopped noticing five years ago.

A buyer will.

That’s why an experienced outside perspective matters.

Your broker should be looking at your home through the eyes of someone who has never seen it before.

Did They Have a Plan for Showing Your Home?

How will showings be handled?

How quickly will showing requests be addressed?

How will feedback be handled?

What happens if buyers repeatedly mention the same concern?

How will you know if something about the listing needs to change?

Your home shouldn’t simply be sitting there waiting for someone to buy it.

Your broker should be watching what is happening.

Did They Explain How Offers Will Be Evaluated?

When offers come in, the highest number isn’t always automatically the best offer.

Did your broker explain the difference between:

• Price
• Financing
• Earnest money
• Inspection terms
• Appraisal provisions
• Closing date
• Possession
• Seller concessions
• Contingencies
• Other terms that could affect the transaction

You need someone who can help you look at the whole offer, not just the big number.

Did They Negotiate—or Just Present the Offer?

Negotiation is more than forwarding paperwork.

Did your broker explain your options?

Did they identify where there was room to negotiate?

Did they understand what mattered to the buyer?

Did they know when to push?

Did they know when pushing too hard could hurt the transaction?

Negotiation is a skill.

Did They Stay Involved After the Contract Was Signed?

Getting an accepted offer is not the finish line.

It’s the beginning of another phase.

There may be:

• Inspections
• Repairs
• Attorney review
• Title work
• Appraisal
• Financing
• Documents
• Deadlines
• Closing coordination
• Last-minute problems

Ask your prospective broker:

“What happens after we accept an offer?”

You should get a very clear answer.

Now Let’s Talk About the Money

Suppose choosing a particular broker saves you a small amount in commission.

That’s worth considering.

But now ask a different question:

What if the broker’s lack of experience, preparation, marketing or negotiation costs you substantially more than you saved?

That’s the part people sometimes overlook.

A difference of even a few thousand dollars can matter.

And depending on the property, market and transaction, the financial consequences of pricing, preparation and negotiation decisions can be much larger.

Nobody can promise you that an experienced broker will automatically sell your home for more.

But you absolutely can—and should—ask what that professional is going to do to give your home the best possible opportunity.

Don’t Hire Someone Just Because You Know Them

Maybe they’re your friend.

Maybe they’re your neighbor.

Maybe they’re related to you.

Maybe they’ve been in real estate for six months.

Maybe they’ve been doing it for twenty years.

None of those things automatically makes someone the right person to sell your home.

Interview them.

Ask questions.

Ask for specifics.

Find out what they actually do.

Then make your decision.

You don’t owe anyone your listing because you know them.

You owe yourself the responsibility of choosing carefully.

Your Home Is an Asset. Treat It Like One.

This may be one of the largest financial transactions you’ll ever make.

So don’t make the decision based solely on:

“They’re a nice person.”

Or:

“I feel bad saying no.”

Or:

“They’ve always wanted to get into real estate.”

Or even:

“They offered me a slightly lower commission.”

Ask:

What are they going to do for me?

How are they going to prepare my home?

How are they going to market it?

How are they going to negotiate?

How are they going to protect my interests throughout the transaction?

And most importantly:

Would I Hire This Person If I Didn’t Already Know Them?

That’s the question.

If the answer is yes, fantastic.

You’ve made an informed decision.

If the answer is no, you may want to keep interviewing.

Because this isn’t about hurting someone’s feelings.

It’s about protecting what could be one of your most valuable assets.

Choose your real estate professional based on the job you need them to do.

Not simply because they’re the person you happen to know.

Have a Question?

Selling a home comes with a lot of questions. You don’t have to figure everything out on your own.

Have a question about something you read here? Want to talk through your situation? Or just not sure what your next step should be?

I’m happy to help.

Schedule a Time to Talk With Karyn

No pressure. No obligation. Just straight answers.