Now that you know what a listing agent can and should do for you, you’ll probably want to interview more than one agent, but before you set an appointment, I suggest you check out each candidate online. Don’t just Google their name — at www.REcolorado.com (the Denver MLS) search for the agent under the “Find Agent” tab. There you’ll not only be able to see the agent’s active and under contract listings, but also their sold listings going back a couple years. Click on “Map View” and see where they do most of their business. Is it in your area?
(When searching, remember that a “Dave” might be under “David” or a “Chuck” might be under “Charles,” etc.)
The best predictor of how an agent will market your listing is how they are marketing their current listings and how they marketed their sold listings. You can click on the address of each listing to assess whether that agent enters a little or a lot of detail and the quality of their pictures and video, if any. Look for whether the agent provides the measurements and a description of each room in the house. If an agent enters that info, he or she is doing much more than is required, which is a good sign.
If there is any one quality which clients want to see in their agent, it is accessibility and responsiveness. Does the agent let most calls go into voicemail? Does the greeting say that calls received after 5 pm will be returned the next business day? Maybe that agent isn’t for you. Lastly, trust your “gut feeling” about any agent. If you have any kind of negative feeling, trust it — and interview another agent.
Published June 9, 2016, in four Jefferson County weekly newspapers.
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