Your home is more than likely the largest asset that you have. You want to get the most money out of the sale of your home. At the same time you want to have a realistic marketing time of your house with a sales price that meets your expectation. This is where picking the right realtor is so important.

Wherever you live there seems to be a disproportionate amount of realtors around in relation to the population. Indeed, if you live in a medium sized city, there are generally thousands from which to choose. You can ask friends or relatives their experiences in selling a home and if they would recommend the realtor that they worked with. This can be a start. You may see and hear advertising in your area by real estate companies. Once you start the selection process pick at least 3-5 agents to individually meet with you at your home.

First impressions count. The realtor should be prompt for the appointment. The realtor should be prepared to ask you specific questions concerning your home. The realtor should have an information checklist with him. He should come back to you at a later time to give you an objective as possible listing price with a projected marketing time for the sale of your home. You do not want a yes man who will give you what you want to hear. You want to have a list price that is presentable to the public based on recent sales. You do not want a high list price that was given to get the listing. This will only have to be reduced at a later point after losing valuable “fresh” on the market time.

You have every right to ask questions of the realtor. In addition to what the commission will be, you would want to know how well this realtor knows your neighborhood. You would want to know if the realtor is full time or part time. You want to know how long this person has been in the real estate profession and what that person’s production has been over that last year. If you are the type of person who requires on going communication during the marketing process ask what is the realtor’s response time.

You want to have an honest agent. This agent should keep your confidence and be frank with you at all times. This will create a sense of the realtor and you being a team and real partners.

Taking the time to select one agent from several agents does not guarantee that you have made the best choice. However, you will greatly reduce the stress, and not have diminished results sales price wise, by demanding and expecting quality professional service up front.