\u201cTypically, no one\u2019s going to drive an hour to an office every day to work in a market they aren\u2019t living in. You should check to see if an agent is located in your area and that they\u2019ve been working there for a number of years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here are some of the best ways to check if your agent has adequate local experience.<\/p>\n In this case, the proof really is in the data. Confirm that they\u2019ve sold numerous area properties. To get this information, you can simply ask an agent for their transaction history and go through the data yourself.<\/p>\n Or, you can browse the transaction heatmaps on HomeLight\u2019s agent profile pages. These heatmaps show a graphical representation of agents\u2019 home sales, giving you an immediate idea of where an agent has conducted the bulk of their sales.<\/p>\n Knowing what local buyers want is critical to preparing your home for sale<\/a> and marketing it once it\u2019s listed<\/a>. As such, your agent should know exactly what\u2019s going to catch the eye of a typical area buyer.<\/p>\n When you call and interview an agent, ask questions to gauge how tuned-in they are to local buyer preferences. If the agent answers confidently and provides unique insight, you\u2019ll know they\u2019re on the level. Good questions to ask include:<\/p>\n Things like commute patterns, local hot spots, and school districts can play a huge role in determining the value of your home. To ensure an agent knows why the location of your home is valuable, ask them about your neighborhood\u2019s most attractive features and how they\u2019ll affect your sale.<\/p>\n A truly excellent agent will have a proven history of success. As with local transaction history, you should ask any agent about these important data points:<\/p>\n Great agents usually sell more homes than average. Not only does a high number of transactions mean that an agent has plenty of experience, it also means that they know what it takes to reliably conduct a successful home sale. To give you a frame of reference, the median number of sales for agents in 2020 was 10<\/a>.<\/p>\n Markets change over time, and an agent who has been around long enough will have a better idea of how current market conditions relate to long-term trends. The median number of years of experience in real estate for agents is about 8 years<\/a>.<\/p>\n The amount of time a home has been listed is referred to as \u201cdays on market,\u201d and a major aspect of selling a home successfully is to do it quickly. If a home sits on the market for a while, buyers start to wonder why it hasn\u2019t already sold and the final sale price can drop as a result<\/a>. The National Association of Realtors reports that the median days on market in June 2021 was 30<\/a>.<\/p>\n Failing to sell a significant percentage of listings is a huge red flag. If an agent agrees to list a home, they should already have a plan to ensure the property sells within the listing agreement period<\/a>. The best agents sell the vast majority of the homes they list and should have an explanation for why the remaining properties didn\u2019t work out.<\/p>\n LaBauve advises that one of the most important things to look for is an agent\u2019s overall list price to sale ratio, or the difference between what their homes are listed for and what sellers actually end up making. A higher ratio means that the agent is able to convince buyers to stand by their initial price or even pay more for the property by starting a bidding war<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe list price to sale ratio is a good way to find out an agent\u2019s skill in negotiation,\u201d shares LaBauve. \u201cIf the agent is able to sell a $200,000 home for 100% of its listing price instead of 98%, they\u2019re netting the seller $4,000.\u201d<\/p>\n NAR reports that the average home in 2020 sold for 99% of its asking price<\/a>, and that 22% of agents reported reducing the asking price of a property at least once.<\/p>\n Every home sale is unique, and many real estate agents complete additional training in order to handle specific kinds of sales or simply excel as an agent. Many real estate agents take courses and receive a certificate that proves they\u2019re qualified to meet the needs of specific clients. Here\u2019s a rundown of some of the major certifications to look out for:<\/p>\n Think of reading an agent\u2019s client reviews as checking their references. Ultimately, agents aim to serve their clients\u2019 best interests, so the people agents have served should have positive opinions about their work. While there\u2019s a chance that clients are leaving unfair reviews, an overview of an agent\u2019s reviews over time can give you solid insight into their overall quality<\/a>.<\/p>\n As you read through reviews, keep track of how many reviews an agent has received, as a higher number of reviews will give you a more well-rounded picture of their work. Also, keep in mind that recent reviews are more relevant and that extreme opinions are often biased. We advise looking through mid-range reviews and paying attention to what specific qualities reviewers praise.<\/p>\n Because leaving a review is as easy as posting online, there\u2019s plenty of places to look for them, including:<\/p>\n A marketing plan can make or break an agent\u2019s approach to a home sale and LaBauve stresses that sellers should check that their agent is prepared: \u201cYour agent should have a marketing plan ready to go. They should be able to show the plan and explain how they\u2019re going to implement it,\u201d he suggests.<\/p>\n LaBauve also shares that social media marketing is the number one factor affecting the quality of an agent\u2019s marketing strategy:<\/p>\n \u201cIn my opinion, the most important thing you should focus on is how knowledgeable they are with social media.\u00a0 If you look at the numbers, only around 7% of homes are sold because of a sign in the yard and, in my area, open houses, and print media account for less than 1% of sales. 44% are through major websites, about 33% through the Multiple Listing Service that all agents use, and the remainder is all social media. Social media is the one thing that an agent can actually really influence in order to make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n To find out how an agent plans to address social media marketing, ask what platforms they plan to advertise on and how they\u2019ll target the most relevant demographics. Additionally, ask if they plan to set up a 3D tour of your home and how they\u2019ll optimize photos for mobile, as around 77% of buyers find homes using a smartphone or other mobile device<\/a>.<\/p>\n All of the above are excellent ways to determine the quality of an agent, but separating the wheat from the chaff is definitely a chore.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Screen-Shot-2021-10-21-at-1.29.59-PM-775x443.png\")
<\/a>Look for a high concentration of transactions in your area<\/h2>\n
Ask the agent about local buyer preferences<\/h2>\n
\n
Gauge the agent\u2019s knowledge of your area\u2019s features<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/how-to-find-the-best-realtor-in-my-area-jenga-666x381.png\")
<\/a>Review performance stats for a quality check<\/h2>\n
Number of transactions<\/h3>\n
Years of experience<\/h3>\n
Average days on market<\/h3>\n
Percent of listings sold<\/h3>\n
List price to sale ratio<\/h3>\n
![\"Seniors](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/how-to-find-the-best-realtor-in-my-area-seniors-666x381.png\")
<\/a>Note additional training relevant to your home sale<\/h2>\n
\n
Comb the web for client reviews<\/h2>\n
\n
Analyze the agent\u2019s social media marketing strategies<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/how-to-find-the-best-realtor-in-my-area-computer-666x381.png\")
<\/a>Overwhelmed? Let us do the work<\/h2>\n