Can’t decide on an agent to handle the incredibly important task of selling your home? This article may provide a remedy as it reviews qualities to look for and what to avoid when searching through the large list of Tucson realtors!

There’s a common mistake made when sellers begin to choose their first listing agent and that is the criteria they use to decide on their listing agent. Those criteria are the highest listing price for their home and the lowest commission price. Of course, those qualities are not arbitrary as you’re looking to net the largest gain as possible when selling your home but those two qualities very rarely help in deciding a competent and trustworthy agent to handle one of the most important transactions of adult life!

Now let’s review why these qualities can sometimes be irrelevant when searching for the right listing agent for your home sale:

1.) Highest Listing Price:

The first thing that needs to be mentioned is that a listing agent does not possess the ability to determine and tell you how much your home will sell for, and if they say they can, that’s a red flag. The listing agent will review comparable home prices in the market. The listing agent will only be able to help choose a listing price that will attract buyers but the actual sale price will be directed between the seller and the buyer.  As you choose your listing agent there is one important thing to consider:

Don’t Blindly Trust Favorable Numbers!

The listing agent should provide a range of prices that you will get for your home, this range of prices should factor in the climate of the market, the location of the home, as well as any improvements that have been made to the property that could increase it’s value.  These factors can affect the listing price and choosing the correct listing price is a complicated task that requires a lot of research and ultimately is just to be attractive to the eyes of potential buyers. 

2.) The Commission:

Although a lower commission will equate to you getting more for your home but there is usually a reason for a lower commission price and when dealing with one of the most expensive transactions in adult life, choosing the right agent for the job is paramount!

The agent with the larger commission price will almost always come with a larger advertising budget and have company funding to back them up which can be an invaluable asset for increasing the exposure that the property receives. The more exposure your home receives equates to the more prospective buyers your home will reach. This is important as the final sales price of your home will heavily be determined by the number of buyers you have to choose from! 

Secondly, there is almost always a reason why an agent would have a lower commission price than its competitors. Whether it be the best way for the agent to compete in the highly competitive market due to lack of experience and knowledge or it’s the lack of resources that the agent will bring to your listing. When you find an agent with a lower commission price be sure to ask yourself why. Are they struggling to find work or are they unqualified? 

However, there are situations that can call for a lower commission cost such as:

• You’re willing to do most of the groundwork for the sale of your home

• Selling more than one property

• Referring Business to agent

• Loss of the listing due to competition

Outside of extenuating circumstances, if an agent is asking for a much lower commission price it can be a red flag so you’ll want to do your due diligence to figure out why that agent is undercutting the competition in such a way! 

3.) Make It or Break It With Marketing:

Marketing is by far one of the most important things that can be done to increase the success of your home sale. So do not be afraid to ask to see the marketing plan of your real estate agent. Some basic things you’ll want to see in their advertising plan should include:

• Lockbox for showings                                                          

• Electronic monitoring of that lockbox

• Virtual tour options

• Digital Marketing 

• Marketing on major websites

That’s only some of the big and basic necessities the plan should include but the more expansive the marketing campaign is, the more likely your property will reach a potential buyer!

4.) Characteristics to Look for:

The first thing to consider when choosing a listing agent is the compatibility between you as the seller and the agent. The two parties will be spending time together for a couple of months or even longer and handling a potentially stressful situation so it is important that your agent is a person you can get along with. Beyond that first subjective quality there are some objective qualities to seek:

• Experience & Education: The amount of homes your agent has sold can be a great indicator for how the success of your home sale will go. You will also want to ask after the certifications and degrees your agent has accrued. 

• Honesty: A seller has to be able to trust the decisions and plan of their agent so trust your gut and choose an agent who seems sincere and straightforward.

• Communication: The agent’s ability to communicate usually goes hand in hand with their ability to market and negotiate so seek an agent who has effective communication.