Finding a Talented Real Estate Agent Matters in Today's Market

We have all heard the dread and gloom surround the housing market today. Houses take years to come off the market, prices are dropping and homeowners are sinking into more debt than they can swim out of.

Well, on a macro level these stories are true. But they aren't true for every individual.

The population is still growing, people are still relocating and all it takes is one buyer to decide your house is a must have in order for it to be snatched up. One of the best tools to help sell a house is finding the right real estate agent. A talented agent can be the difference between your home price sinking or swimming.

A talented real estate agent has a sixth sense about the correct listing price for a house. A thorough agent will use CMA reports to determine the correct listing price of your home. These reports look at the sale price of homes with characteristics similar to yours to find an appropriate range. But a report can't quantify everything. There are too many moving parts; too many ways the house, neighborhood, schools and other features work together to make a home sale click or not. A talented agent will take in all the available data and combine it with a gut feeling to spit out an appropriate listing price.

There are a great number of ways to easily increase the value of your home before sale. A real estate agent with talent can separate themselves here by picking out the tactics that will work for your home sale. For some houses it's changing the paint on a certain wall, for others its planting flowers in just the right place. A good real estate agent will read lists of figures and tell you what projects are most likely to provide payback upon sale. But rarely will an individual home improvement pay for itself. Only when all your work is working together to take the house to another level will you see that value back from a home buyer. A talented real estate agent can make sure you do.

A talented real estate agent will have a team people to help with things that you might need for you home before placing it on the market. Some of the best real estate agents are known for knowing the handiest handyman, elegant home stagers and most experienced home inspectors. When you have a real estate agent that has great rapport with these type of experts, a homeowner can sit back and let the real estate process flow.

Great negotiation skills are another sign of a talented real estate agent. Let yourself be schmoozed by an agent who knows how to read you. They will probably also be able to read and negotiate with buyers and their agents. Some people have the skills to work a sale naturally born into them, that's the person you want to sell your home.

Longer than average listing times: the amount of time you agree to list exclusively with a particular real estate agent, are the sign of a lazy or ineffective agent. Standard listing times vary from 30 days to a year depending on the housing market, the type of home, and the urban/rural setting. Find out the standard listing time in your area and find an agent who doesn't mind signing you up for a shorter term. A talented agent will be able to turn over houses quickly, that way they make more money and so do you.

A talented agent can count for a lot, but there are plenty of things to look for when finding an agent. For one, figure out if your home will even be on their radar. Your agent might be talented, but if they have a hefty stock of more expensive homes to sell, yours might not get much attention. Your agent should present an in depth marketing plan for selling your house. Expect to see open houses, mailings and a complete internet virtual home tour. Find an agent who is a natural and will use the full force of their talents to sell your home.