Selling your home is a huge decision and you want to make sure you have the best possible listing agent by your side. We’ve previously discussed the process for finding the right agent for you; in this post we’ll distill what separates the best real estate agents from someone with just a license. If you’re looking for an objective way to evaluate listing agents, we recommend the Triple X approach. If your real estate agent scores well in these three areas, then X marks the spot!
X-perience
There has never been a best-in-class agent that lacked adequate experience. Selling houses is no different than any other industry, in that one simply gets better over time. Everyone’s learning curve may differ slightly, but mistakes and successes are inevitable in everyone’s career journey. You will want to award your listing to an experienced, local agent who has already gotten the kinks out of the system.
Look for someone who has worked in the buying or selling process for multiple years (5+). You want someone who is deeply passionate about serving homeowners and has proven their dedication to their career. They should have familiarity with both sides of a real estate transaction; having served as both a buyer's agent and a seller's agent makes for the best real estate agent. (And it goes without saying, but we will mention: any local agents in contention for your business should be card-carrying members of the national association of realtors).
Veteran agents usually start out as a junior member of a larger team, gaining firsthand experience from an senior mentor, before establishing themselves as a real estate broker and leader of their own teams of other real estate agents. An experienced agent will have a number of years under their belt in the real estate market, as well as a high volume of successful transactions and client referrals to back them up.
X-pertise
While general experience is a solid baseline, you need someone whose profile fits your needs. Every home search and home sale process is hyper local, with wild variance in key sale aspects between neighborhoods. The right real estate agent in another city may not necessarily be a great one for homes on your block. Pricing models, network access to buyers, thorough knowledge of local amenities, and familiarity with any regional customs are all vitally important to every local real estate agent.
Examine the portfolios of potential agents to confirm they have activity that is applicable to your neighborhood and property. If you’re selling a condo or townhouse, then an agent who has only sold mansions may not be suitable. If you’re selling a fixer-upper, then make sure they have overseen that type of property sale. If you’re on a tight timeline or need referrals to mortgage brokers… same story. Your must find real estate agents that are proficient and experienced and knowledgeable about the facets of home sales most relevant to yours.
X-ecution
Once you have verified everything a real estate professional has done for others in the past, it’s time to see exactly what they’ll do for you. A good agent will come prepared for any listing they want to represent -- covering every detail of the local market down towards the best interest of your personal finance. You should not settle for anything less. If a potential agent cannot provide detailed answers and a well-organized plan to sell your property, then you need to continue your search.
The best agents can provide objective data, paired with their deep expertise, to establish reasonable targets for your home sale. They will be able to communicate and explain these thoroughly. (At TrueParity we built a platform to act as an agent matching service; helping sellers compare multiple agents by their targets specifically for them, not just each agent's online presence). The confident ones will even offer cash up front, since they know they always deliver. If an agent you’re interviewing has a clear plan that shows how they will execute for you, then you’ve finally found one of the best agents to sell your home.
Conclusion
Selling your home is difficult — finding the best agent shouldn’t be. Whatever process you use to source a pool of potential agents, try the Triple X approach for highlighting the best ones. Narrow your candidates down to the ones with the most appropriate experience, cull the shortlist to those that have very specific expertise to your sale, then ask the final options to detail their plans to execute for your property. By using these simple criteria you’ll be well on your way to finding an excellent agent who will help make your journey a smooth and stress-free selling process.
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