Most people only sell a small number of homes in their lifetime. With such limited experience, how do you expect to be capable of maximizing your profits from your home sale? Many sellers make the mistake of assuming that all real estate agents are the same and list with the first agent who comes along. Not taking the time to research the agent who will list your house could cost you thousands of dollars.

Start the process by doing a bit of legwork. Ask your friends, relatives, and co-workers for referrals to good agents. Also, drive around town and look for agents with the most signs posted, ads, and marketing material in the market. Interview two or three agents to find out which one is right for you.

1. Ask prospective agents to send some information about themselves: You can often get a good idea about which agents are the most professional by looking at their personal marketing material. If they don't have professional marketing material, how will they market your home? Track how long each agent takes to respond to your request. If they don't respond quickly and efficiently, assume that this is also how they will handle the listing of your homes in Mexico.

2. A good listing agent will have experience at listing, marketing and selling homes: Ask how many homes they have listed and sold in the past six months. Look for an agent with not just experience, but the track record that reflects that experience. Many agents boast that they have been in the industry for a long time, but may only have five or six sales a year. Your agent should have not just a good record of listing homes, but actually selling them. That is your ultimate goal.

3. Ask how long it takes for the agent to sell a home on average compared to other agents in your area. Just because an agent sells homes quickly doesn't necessarily mean they are selling them for top dollar. Look at what the asking price of the houses they have sold was as compared to the actual sales price. Ideally, your agent should sell homes quickly at or close to the asking price.

4. Ask how long the agent has been selling real estate and what professional organizations he or she belongs to. As mentioned previously, the length of time an agent has been in the industry is not a sure-fire sign that they are a quality agent. A Mexico Realtor with two years of experience may be a top producer while an agent who has been in the business for more than a decade may only sell real estate part time. Also, take into account what professional organizations your potential agent belongs to. At a minimum, they should be a licensed real estate agent that belongs to the local real estate board and multiple listing service as well as the state and National Association of Realtors. Additionally, look for agents who belong to local community groups and associations such as the chamber of commerce; they will have better networking abilities and can find more potential buyers for your home.

5. Ask what type of supporting staff the agent employs: By employing an assistant or staff to handle the details of their business, the agent can spend more time servicing your needs and showing your house to buyers. Make sure you know how much time the assistant will spend handling the sale of your home. It is fine if the assistant handles the legwork and paperwork as long as the agent is there at the most critical times of the transaction.

We will conclude the article in the next part.

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Author: Herb Charles Jahnke