Finding a Rockford Area Listing Agent

The Rockford IL area real estate market is heating up as most homes are selling in under a week. How can you find the right real estate agent to help you get your home sold? Here are a few tips on finding a Rockford area listing agent for your home from Barb Erdmier-Top Realtor with REMAX Property Source in Rockford, IL.

First, always get more than one opinion. Experts say you should interview at least three real estate agents to get an informed decision on a list price. Agents should show you properties that have sold within a radius of yours within the last six months. Agents should also look at what is currently available and ones that have gone under contract. 

When it comes to picking a Realtor ... experience matters. Inexperienced agents, may not know the best way to prepare a home for sale. They might miss details such as condo association regulations, title issues, how to deal with a bad home inspection, targeting the wrong buyers with improper marketing, and may not know about your neighborhood amenities. All of which could cost you, the seller, money at closing.

Another item, of which I think probably the most critical is, what is the real estate agent's experience in this area. For example, if you choose a Realtor that has sold mostly homes on city water/sewer and your home is on well and septic, well you can see the problem here. What happens when the county fails the septic, or the well water comes back with high nitrates and/or coliform bacteria. Will your agent know how to handle these issues?

Other crucial question you should be asking is , how many homes in this neighborhood have you sold in the last 12 months?  You should also ask for the contact information of the agent's last three clients so you can reach out to them and ask what their experiences were like. If you go by the last three , agents can't just cherry-pick the best people. 

Before you sign a contract to work with a Realtor, you should fully understand what that listing contract entails. Some Realtors are very good at explaining, 'This is what I do and this is what it means to sign a contract and you have to be prepared for whatever happens", and then you have other Realtors that are, "All right, let's sign a contract, let's get going" and clients are not fully aware of what is going to happen between signing the contract and after, or whether you can get out of it or not. Also, make sure you know what costs you're responsible for.

If you're selling your home, You need a Realtor who's not afraid to work with you and talk to you and tell you, 'You've got to fix this in your house or the buyer will walk away." 

Other helpful question as a seller you should be asking during the listing agent interview:

• How many homes have you sold in this area, and how long did it take?
• In what price range do you sell most of your homes?
• Do you have advice for me about the condition of my home, and what could be improved to glean a higher sales price?
• What is your marketing plan?
• Can you recommend contractors, photographers, moving companies, etc.?
• Are you a member of the National Association of Realtors®? (Realtors must abide by the group's code of ethics.)
• Is this your full-time job? (A part-time agent is not a problem, but you will want to gauge her availability during off-hours.)
• How often will you touch base with me?

• Are you planning any vacations, and if so, who will back you up?

Perhaps the most important question you can ask before you commit to hiring a real estate agent is of yourself: Do you feel comfortable with this real estate agent?

Barb Erdmier-REMAX Property Source
815-222-8866