You’re the owner of a Louisville expired listing and now you’re wondering what to do. The most important question you must ask is, “Where did I go wrong?” The answer is not usually within you, but with the Realtor you entrusted previously. Be prepared with the right information so you can interview your prospective agent with confidence and assure you make the right choice this time.
With thousands of dollars at stake and likely weeks and months of time invested, don’t risk making the same mistake twice. Make sure your next real estate agent is eminently qualified to sell your home. Don’t risk this decision out of obligation to a friend, family member or acquaintance. You should be looking for a dedicated professional with a track record to prove their success at the job you are looking to hire for.
Therefore, it’s vitally important to choose the right person this time around and not risk another expired listing. Some sellers will watch neighborhood real estate signs to see who is selling many of the homes around them, with little regard to the results. Still others rely upon the reputation of the major national franchise companies. Then, of course, there’s always the yellow pages. All of these methods could prove to be disastrous!
When selecting an Louisville real estate agent, he or she should be someone you feel good about, someone you’re willing to trust with one of the largest financial transactions you may ever make. This report is designed to empower you with the information necessary to make the right decision before you arrive at the place where you’re ready to sign on the dotted line again.
Don’t allow the prospective agent to dictate your time table.
If an agent is impatient, you should immediately consider them suspect. Be careful. Do Your Homework! Ask for addresses of all of the previously Louisville expired listings that agent sold. Many Louisville real estate agents often will say that they specialize in selling homes that other agents couldn’t (expired listings). If that is true, they should be able to produce the addresses that they have sold.
Know The Company’s Reputation
Ask your business associates, family and friends about the company or agent and listen carefully for the very first thing they say. A company has a reputation in the community. Listen closely for it! In addition, any agent you interview should be able to provide you with at least a few testimonials from past clients that were pleased with their service.
If You Are Concerned, Call The Real Estate Commission
Call and ask about consumer complaints. Be sure and take note of the number and nature but don’t base your entire decision on this information. In a slow or declining market, agents will get more complaints because the sellers are frustrated that their home isn’t moving and they want someone to blame when it’s simply poor market conditions. Therefore, always allow your prospective agent to explain any complaints and if their response seems reasonable, take that into consideration.
One other note: if an agent does a large number of transactions per year, they will naturally be exposed to the potential for more of these kinds of comments. If an agent isn’t doing anything, they obviously won’t generate a complaint.
Call The Better Business Bureau
See if the agent has had any bad dealings with his or her customers.
Ask For A Record Of The Realtor’s Marketing Innovations
How are they dealing with the current market conditions? Is there a plan to beef up their advertising and marketing efforts to benefit the seller? Residential real estate has a long history of economic cycles. The market is either hot, improving, static or declining, and with each cycle there has to be a plan to cope with the current market conditions. Remember, you are trying not to repeat the results of before, when you ended up with an expired home listing. This time around, you want a dynamic and progressive marketing plan!
Ask For A Detailed Marketing Plan
Request a step-by-step plan of action to get your property sold. Make sure your real estate agent is utilizing the latest innovative technologies for generating sales leads. There are now ways to literally generate leads 24 hours a day! These new marketing tools will help sell your home faster and for more money!
Define Planning Times
Establish several different time lines with your agent. Some suggestions would be when you expect to get updated on marketing efforts for your home. How often will you hear about feedback from showings? Every day, every week, every month? How about potential price drops? If your home hasn’t generated enough activity within a certain amount of time, what would the agent recommend?
Many Louisville real estate agents use the excuse that agents won’t call them back or fax back their feedback. If you follow these suggestions, you’re sure to avoid the mistakes of the past. Make sure you’re dealing with a competent professional; making the right choice is worth thousands of dollars and a great sense of “peace of mind.”
I hope that this information helps in your ongoing quest to get your home sold. I know having a Louisville expired listing is a frustrating experience, but there are agents out there that specialize in selling homes that other agents have been unable to! Have faith, and ask the right questions, and you will find the right agent for your job.
To learn more about Louisville real estate and data analysis of Louisville homes for sale, visit http://www.GregFly.com where Greg Fleischaker breaks down weekly sales data for the city as well as many surrounding neighborhoods, such as Anchorage, Prospect and St. Matthews and the Highlands.
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