Before you list your Aspen home, you want to make sure you have the right real estate agent for the job. A good real estate agent will help you get the most out of your property and get it sold faster. You will have the chance to meet with your real estate agent and ask questions before you sign any papers. Sometimes, this is referred to as a “listing presentation.”
During this presentation, you get to interview the agent and learn more about what they are able to do for you. The real estate agent will also have questions for you and will learn about you and your home.
Choosing the right listing agent in Aspen, Colorado is very important. The seller/agent relationship needs to be built on trust and open communication is vital. Here are a few questions you should ask before hiring an Aspen listing agent.
What Makes you Different from the Many other Aspen Listing Agents?
After asking this specific question, you need to listen very carefully to the answer. You don’t want to hear the agent brag about how much better they are than other agents. This could be a sign of an arrogant agent obsessed with competition.
Instead, you are looking for an answer including how passionate the agent is about real estate, any statistics they may have to show what they can do and how they provide a personal, attentive experience for their clients. This question will help you understand why the agent got into the industry, how they take care of clients and how many referrals they get from clients.
Are you a Full Time Agent or Part Time Agent?
You need to know what you are getting into with your agent. Sometimes, you will run across part time agents looking to help sellers. This may not be the worst thing in the world, but a full time agent will give you more time and will usually get the home sold faster. Often, part time agents are only partially invested and they don’t depend on selling homes for their main source of income. Hiring a full time agent will provide somebody dedicated to making sure your home sells for top dollar and quickly.
Is your Main Focus Buyers, Sellers or Both?
It wouldn’t make much sense to hire an agent to sell your home if they mainly work with buyers. Often, agents will work with both buyers and sellers. As long as the agent has plenty of experience with selling homes, you are on the right track.
What type of Marketing Will you Use for my Home?
Your home will need to be marketed properly and the right agent will make sure it gets out to a large number of potential buyers. Before you hire a listing agent in Aspen, you want to hear the marketing plan. Will they list your home on multiple real estate websites, not just MLS? Will they hold open houses, advertise or present the property to buyers they may already have looking for a home?
You should know the details of how they plan to get your home sold. Make sure the agent you plan on hiring has a comprehensive plan for marketing your home to buyers.
What Changes Would You Make to my Home to Help it Sell?
After a potential listing agent has seen your Aspen home, you should find out what they recommend you change to help the property sell faster and for a higher amount. The best answer to this type of question will include more than just the obvious changes or repairs. You want to hear the agent talk about design, lifestyle, specific features of your home and staging.
They should be willing and able to discuss the home in great detail with you without coming across as insulting. A good real estate agent in Aspen will be able to put together a clear plan for necessary changes, staging and anything else needed to ensure you get the best price and the home sells quickly.
Why are you the Right Aspen Listing Agent for Me?
Not every listing agent will fit with every seller. Asking this question will help you to understand if you’ve found the right agent or you need to keep looking. You need to know the agent you hire is not only qualified, but also fits with your personality. The listing agent should provide you with qualifications, such as accreditations and certifications. They should display plenty of local knowledge and experience, as well.
You should listen for the track record and sales history of the agent, specifically the homes they have sold recently. Numbers won’t lie and when you’re working with luxury Aspen real estate the numbers back up the reputation of the listing agent.
Before you hire just any listing agent to sell your Aspen, Colorado home, make sure you complete a full interview. Listen carefully and take notes, if necessary. This decision is very important and may be the difference between getting full value or a low ball offer.