When it comes time to sell your home, the person who can ensure a quick sale at top dollar is your North Shore real estate agent. He or she will be the primary person marketing your home, and if your professional doesn’t work hard and effectively to sell your home, it can cost you precious time and money.

Choosing the right North Shore real estate agent can be tricky, especially when there are so many all claiming to be the best! To help you make a wise choice, below are five simple questions you should ask agents before making your decision:

How many homes are you currently selling yourself?

An agent with too many properties on their plate might not give your home the individual attention it needs to attract potential buyers. However, if the agent has no listings, that might also be a bad sign. The sweet spot per agent is around 5, 7 at the most. If they have more than this ask them what their contingency around their workload is? Do they have time off? An over worked agent is not an effective agent.

Do you receive mobile emails? And do you turn your phone off?

There is nothing more frustrating than working with an agent who seems too busy to show your home, take your phone calls or answer your emails. Not all Agents have iPhones or Blackberries. Some turn their phones off at night! You need an agent that is available for when buyers call.

How many properties have you sold in the last 6 months?

This will tell you how active they are in the market with actual sales, not listings. Two very different things. You don’t want your property listed, you want it sold. The average sales per North Shore Real Estate Agent is currently 0.4 per month. That tells you that the ‘average’ North Shore Real Estate Agent is only selling 1 property every 10 weeks… You probably don’t want someone that is ‘average’. As a yard stick I have settled more along the lines of 20 in the last 6 months.

How are you different to all the other agents?

Agents that understand the need for a clear point of difference will understand how to effectively market your home and it’s unique points of difference. I’d be concerned if all they have is that they will work hard for you or that they are biggest and greatest.

What’s your plan for marketing my home?

A good agent should be able to give you a detailed and well-thought-out plan and strategy for marketing your home. And this should be on paper so that you can refer back to it. It’s also a good idea to make sure your expectations are clear before entering into any agreement. Be wary of any North Shore Real Estate Agent that just wants to put it on the web and ‘let the market decide’.

Will you negotiate your fees?

My advice to home owners is that this is actually a trick question and to push hard on this one. Put the agent under a little pressure and see what happens. Remember that your Agent is your professional negotiator.

If an agent is willing to drop fees very easily or if they panic, my advice is to be very cautious. If an agent is willing to drop their personal money easily, or if they panic when negotiating their own money just imagine what will happen when it comes time to negotiate with buyers on your property.

I would be seriously asking yourself they question of ‘why would they?’ when it comes to an agent that drops fees.

Selling your home can be stressful. When selecting a North Shore real estate agent to represent your interests, it’s important you feel comfortable that he or she will meet your expectations, and that you are comfortable working with them.

If you’re getting ready to sell and have questions about comparables, marketing strategies or the process in general, please call me at 021 858483 or email me at Jason.yianakis@harcourts.co.nz for more information on how I can maximize your sale price and provide case studies on how I have done this for many of my clients.