Of course, your family member or friend expects you to give them your personal business and might even, as a friendly gesture, offer to refund you a portion of his or her commission. Good business savvy would this is not in your best interest.
No one wants to hurt a family member’s feelings but selling a home for top dollar without stress involves many considerations. It is always easier to deal with someone not related to you because you can tell them things straight up and not worry about hurting their feelings.
Before deciding who to hire for this important job, use the following checklist to determine the qualities of the agent you are interviewing:
Is the Brentwood Real Estate Agent a top producer in your area?
YES or NO
Has the Brentwood Real Estate Agent closed at least 3 transactions in your immediate area in the past 12 months?
YES or NO
Has the Brentwood Realtor been active in the area for at least 5 years with a minimum of 30 local closings?
YES or NO
Is the Brentwood Listing Agent full time and affiliated with a top brokerage, with offices within 2 miles from your property?
YES or NO
Does the Brentwood Real Estate Agent personally live within 2 miles from your property?
YES or NO
Has the Brentwood Listing Agent been on the Wall Street Journal/Real Trends Top 1,000 List for the past 12 months period?
YES or NO
Is the Brentwood Realtor a recognized name among homeowners in the immediate area?
YES or NO
Has the Brentwood Listing Agent closed at least 15 single family home transactions personally in the last 12 months?
YES or NO
Is the price range of your home typical for the transactions specified above?
YES or NO
Is the Brentwood Real Estate Agent a Residential Homes Sales Specialist as opposed to a commercial, industrial, or apartment house specialist?
YES or NO
Is the agent affiliated with a company with offices throughout the United States and in Asia, Europe, and internationally known?
YES or NO
Is the agent’s sales success ratio 95% or more?
YES or NO
Your Brentwood Real Estate Agent should meet specific criteria as referenced on the list above. Please note, “Is he or she a family member” is not on the list?
Your agent should be a top performer—high-octane and high-energy, with the experience and skills to market and negotiate most effectively for you.
Most of all, you should feel comfortable working with your agent. You should feel free to express your opinions and expectations for their work. Your Brentwood Real Estate Agent should understand that the final decisions rest with you, and their job is to give you all the information you need to make those decisions.
Find the right Brentwood Listing Agent for you, putting feelings of obligation and emotions behind you. So, does your family member meet all the necessary criteria? Possibly, but you won’t know until you’ve started working with them, right?
What happens if they aren’t the agent you thought they were? Could you fire them? Could you face them over Thanksgiving dinner if you did? In the end, is it worth the risk of ruining your relationship? There are many ways to choose a good real estate agent.
Don’t let guilt or a commission reduction distract you from good common sense.
This is a very important time in your life. You are dealing with one of the biggest financial assets one deals with in a lifetime. You owe it to yourself to make a wise decision.