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[qualitygal]

Family member selling home, but I'm wondering if there's a really good way to find a good realtor.  Are they rated anywhere on line? Bypassing "word of mouth".

[millieshops]

@qualitygalI don't feel you can bypass local information when it comes to residential real estate although if you're selling a home that's highly unusual for the area, you might get away with it. 

Keeping in mind the old adage that in real estate is that the top three things you want to look at are location, location, and location -  then you want a realtor familiar with your location, who has sold previously in that location, and hopefully has a client list in that location.   Those agents are likely also to advertise in the area along with other homes for sale around which gives potential buyers more time with your house.

Further, a good local agent has contacts in the industry and when they get a good listing, of course they'd love to sell the property themselves, but they want it sold, so they call the "competition" and boost your home.  In the years I worked RE, I don't remember we ever got such a call from an out-of-area agent.

No agent should make promises they can't keep -  they can't manufacture clients, they can't sell the house for a whole lot more than its value, and they can't tell you when it will sell.  They can promise to take good pictures, advertise in the manner that works best in your area, provide you with feedback from the RE community and from clients they show the house to. 

[qualitygal]

@millieshops, thanks for that info.

I also wonder, any idea if you'd recommend open houses?  Or if not, how are you really sure what the price of the home should be?  I should say this is about selling, not buying.

[ScrapHappy]

I sold a house last summer.  "They" say to interview at least 3 realtors and that they should all be a couple thousand dollars of each other.  That wasn't my experience.  I ended up checking out 4 realtors.  One was really high, one was really low and the last two were pretty close.  I did narrow it down to the last two mainly because they were the most knowledable of my area.  The reason I choose the one I did, was that she was the only one who talked about getting your house to appraise and the other one I had it narrowed down to had a lot of listings but he also had a lot of price drops.  His homes stayed on the market much longer.  The one I choose had a recent sale which sold in days and she also sold the house down the street from me a couple years prior.  We also listed our home at a fair price.  Not high and not low.  I wanted to sell and sell fast.  We kept very good care of our home, the only thing we did was clear clutter (POD storage) and refinish hardwood floors.  We had put new carpet the previous year. Listed house on Thursday, had offer on Saturday and before I knew it, we were in escrow.  We also had a backup offer.  Both offers were for full asking price and our house appraised.  Do some research.  Ask for recommendations.  I looked on line in my area to see who was the listing agent, how long the house was listed for and if there were any price drops.  IMO, you want to avoid a price drop.  My neighbor listed his house too high, took him a year to sell.  He was shocked when we sold in 3 days.

[queendiva]

I have a family member right now in the very bad position of owning two homes. Bought before selling, and hired the listing agent for the buy to sell their home. You MUST do due diligence. Ask friends for references and then ask three Realtors to give you a complete evaluation of the home and also check their references. Do not rush this process! Who has sold homes quickly and for top dollar in the neighborhood?

Not a fan of open houses except to see the comps for the house I am selling. Also, check your prospective realtor's online presence and especially the number and quality of the photos posted. That will tell you a lot about what they will do for you.

[millieshops]

@qualitygalOne of the best things a seller can do is research what has sold in the area at what price as well as how long the home had to be on the market to get that price.  Where I own, I do not use Zillow, just the realtor dot com site.  Look at what has sold in the last 6 months as well as what's currently on the market.

Open houses in my area tend to be more a way for the listing agent to collect clients than they are a way to actually sell.  Again, that's local, so ask questions of any broker you interview because if lots of houses locally are going to contract quickly, an open house might work.

And while you're deciding the marketing, work on curb appeal as well as decluttering.  Get rid of everything you don't want to spend effort or money on moving to your new home.  Don't shove things into closets or cabinets or attics or basements -  sell, donate, or toss. 

[TaylorBrown]

I would say by referrals.  Ask friends or neighbors who they've dealt with and check out a few.

[software]

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@qualitygal wrote:

Family member selling home, but I'm wondering if there's a really good way to find a good realtor.  Are they rated anywhere on line? Bypassing "word of mouth".

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Find one who has a broker's license as well as a realtor's license and works full time, not just nights & weekends.     

[CAcableGirl2]

@qualitygal  and don't sign a long term contract with them.  If they turn out to be lousy, you'll be stuck with them until the term runs out.  

[gmkb]

We had many corporate moves over the years.  After one not so good experience with an inexperienced male, I always insisted on an experienced female at the buying and selling end.  The females never disappointed.