I know there are a lot of fine agents out there and there are a lot of us to choose from. Whether it’s the neighborhood realtor, a referral that you received from a friend or family or business associate or just somebody you found on the internet, like me. But how do you go about interviewing them?

It’s important to cover 4 specific areas in the interview:

1. Pricing Strategy
2. Marketing Plan
3. Communication Plan
4. Commission

Let’s go through these briefly. And feel free to contact me anytime if you’d like more information or would like to interview me for the job, I’m up for it. You can reach me at, 303-526-2606 or e-mail me at Sam (at) HomeSam.com or check out some of my listings and how I do it at www.HomeSam.com

1. Your pricing strategy. And I do mean strategy. I don’t mean, ‘What’s the broker’s price opinion?’ or ‘What does the CMA say?’ I mean, ‘What’s the strategy to price your home competitively to give you an edge in the market against your neighbors and your neighborhood?’It’s important that you not only have a marketing analysis but know where your home fits within what’s happening. Will your agent take you out to see the competitive listings that are currently active in your neighborhood? I will.
2. The marketing strategy. And what I like to talk about in this market is, ‘Positioning Your Home For Success.’ And what that means is, not only ‘How are we going to advertise and market your property?’ but, ‘How are we going to position it so that it attracts serious buyers and brings offers?’So, within a marketing plan there are 2 key areas:
   
   
   • Internet Advertising
   • Print Advertising

   
   Sure, we’re all going to be in the MLS and stick a sign in the yard. And that’s great! But how are we going to enhance the listing through multimedia services?

   The internet is critically important. Almost 90% of people start their searches there. You can’t just be in the MLS and a link to www.Realtor.com. You have to have enhanced listings in www.Realtor.com which I pay for for you and you have to be on several other websites.  For example, with me, you’ll be visible on about 20 other websites.

   And then, what about print advertising? I know a lot of agents think it’s passé, but it’s really Not. Think about it. I use ‘Homes and Land, for example, and they distribute 35,000 copies that are picked up every month! If 35,000 copies are picked up every month, do you really think it’s unnecessary? It’s very important. Think about the people that are coming in from out of town, out of state, and just want to pick up a magazine at the airport or a hotel.

3. The communication plan. Sure, we’re all great at interviewing and we really look good when we come and sit down in your kitchen and show you our listing plan and our great sales plans. But what about once were listed? Is your agent going to do a weekly update for you? That’s how I do it. I provide you with a written weekly update that includes:
   
   
   • Feedback from showings. Which is very important.
   • Other activity that sprung up in your neighborhood – new listings houses that have sold and any activity that you should be aware of, so that you can make strategic decisions on how to reposition your home, if necessary.
4. The commission. Well, for all you get, you definitely get what you pay for in this business. And it’s important that you’re comfortable with what you’re paying an agent to provide the service and value that you deserve.By law, commissions are negotiable. So, we should all be willing to negotiate our commissions. And we should also be willing to do the work that is required to get your home sold. Because guess what, we don’t make a dime until your house sells.

So, it’s a win-win situation. And you want to negotiate from that standpoint. And if you’d like any information on any of these topics or would like to interview me for your job, then please contact me, (303-526-2606)

Until next time.

If you’re thinking about selling, you’ll really want to know what your home is worth before you start the process.

I’ll prepare a price opinion and comparable market analysis for you. These will give you a precise idea of what your home is worth relative to what has sold recently in your neighborhood over the past 3 to 6 months, as well as relative to the active competition. This is very important these days because you want to make sure you are priced accordingly as well as realistically to what the neighbors are trying to sell their home for.

I’ll prepare a detailed report that is computerized and uses software very similar to what an appraiser uses. It includes adjustments for the features of your home as they relate to other homes that have sold recently.

I will also provide you with a tour of the other active comparable properties in your neighborhood. So you can physically see them and see how they compare to your home before you list your home on the market. That’s really important, because buyers are going to see all of those homes as well. So you really want to have a good idea of how you compare to those homes and how we can position your home correctly to make sure you’re the one that gets the offer.

Wouldn’t you want to know what your bottom line looks like before you put your home on the market, and before you get an offer and before you negotiate the final price and terms? I’ll provide you with that as well. I use a simple Excel spreadsheet to show you every single cost that’s invovled in the sale of your home. You will know exactly what your proceeds will look like when you walk away from the closing table. Not only will I give you that up front but I’ll also prepare it for you when we get offers and during negotiations.

So if that’s something you’re looking for you can visit me any time on my website, www.homesam.com and click on what’s your home worth, or you can call me directly 303-526-2606 or just send me an email sam (at) homesam.com.