Listing Agents - What Are They And Who Do They Represent?

Many people misunderstand what listing agents are and what they do. If you purchased a home, you already know what your real estate agent did for you. They helped you to find a home, negotiate a deal, and to get through the listing process. However, it's different when you sell your home. Listing agents represent the sellers and if you are going to sell your home, it's good to have a great listing agent on your side to help you through this transition time.

When you choose a listing agent, you are putting a huge transaction into their hands. After you sign a contract with them, often you have to stick with them, pay the commission you agreed upon, and more. So, this means it's very important for you to understand what a listing agent does, and it's important that you choose your listing agent very carefully. Here is a look at what you should expect from a quality listing agent.

First of all, a good listing agent should do some research and provide you with a competitive market analysis for free. What this does is it compares your home to other homes that are similar and in the same area that have sold recently. This is based on features, sized, and the condition of the economy, crime, and information on schools. With this information, the listing agent will help you come up with a listing price that is reasonable for your home.

The next thing that your listing agent will do is to take a tour of your home and give you some suggestions on things that you can improve in order to make your home more appealing to prospective buyers. Buyers want to find homes that don't need a lot of work done on them, so they may recommend that you do some painting, a few small repairs, put in carpet, or even stage your home.

Before you ever sign a contract with a listing agent, it's a good idea to check into their marketing plan. You want to ensure that they have a good plan for marketing your home to make sure it sells. The following are several things that you may find in a good marketing plan:

Fliers - One thing that may be a good part of a marketing plan is fliers. They can include a picture and the description of your home. They may distribute these fliers or they may use them with a sign in your yard.

Yard Sign - Speaking of a sign, a good listing agent is going to put up a "For Sale" sign somewhere in the yard. It should have the agent on the sign, their company, and provide a contact phone number. This way people who see your home while driving by can call for information.

MLS Listing - This is definitely an important one. Good listing agents should put your home on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) which happens to be a huge database of homes within a particular area. They will write up the details of the home, and in many cases offer a photo. This allows other agents to see it and if they are trying to help someone purchase a home, they may recommend it to them.

Open Homes - Some listing agents will use an open home or open house as a part of their marketing plan. This helps to get people going through the home and creates some interest.

Of course, there are other things that may be a part of a good marketing plan, including preview the home for other agents, advertising on the internet, and listing in newspapers. Just make sure that they offer a good marketing plan and that you are comfortable with them helping you sell your home.