The Ultimate Listing Agent

Listing agents come in all shapes, sizes and colors. There are agents in every state all over this beautiful country, and there are agents across the world who sell real estate in a very different environment than what you are accustomed to and even following very different rules and laws. But there are certain skills that a fantastic…in fact the ultimate…listing agent has mastered. So, what makes a listing agent an ultimate listing agent? What are the key variables that they bring to the table whether they are in London or New York or Nashville or Philadelphia? Let’s get to it!

First, they have a proven process. They are experienced. They have sold enough property and frankly, they have failed enough to determine and create an actual process that you will follow. This is the first and most true mark of an ultimate listing agent. The process will be presented to you either in writing or in a digital format. They may even have an app that walks you through the process and keeps you in the loop step-by-step through to closing. They are process oriented and will provide their process to you in an easy-to-follow format.

Second, they will provide fantastic reports. Reports that make you smarter. Reports that make pricing very clear. Reports that help you navigate the showing process and the art and science of identifying a true qualified buyer when negotiating. The reports that they provide will come to you from the very beginning of the process before you list the property and then during the time that the property is listed through to settlement. These reports always help them explain trends and set expectations for optimum communication with you. This information gives you hope as you move toward and through the big transaction of selling your home. Reports serve as proof and real-time facts for you to refer to, rather than try to remember what the agent told you.

Third, your ultimate listing agent will provide immediate feedback. Maybe they will attend the showing personally and be able to provide instant feedback during or right after the showing. Maybe they have a text or email system that prompts the showing agent to provide feedback as soon as the showing is over. There are a multitude of ways to capture and provide immediate feedback; the ultimate agent always provides immediate feedback so that you know exactly what’s happening with your listing at all times.

Fourth, they are market data experts. They don’t just know the data or gather the data to review with you. They understand and they translate it for you. They are incredible communicators who utilize data about the local market to help educate you and empower you as their client. This point obviously goes hand-in-hand with providing reports. The reports are a tool that help the ultimate listing agent do their job most effectively. Understanding what has sold and for what price and why – this is the intimate expertise that I’m referencing. It’s not enough to know which houses have sold in a neighborhood. The ultimate listing agent knows why and therefore how and if your house (given its overall offering) will sell for a specific price. It’s actually not as simple as which houses have recently sold and taking an average of that… Every town or neighborhood has characteristics that drive sale prices up and down, and an ultimate listing agent knows those details of social perceptions, lifestyle or history and uses that knowledge to your advantage.

Fifth, the ultimate listing agent is an awesome negotiator. And these negotiation skills are not something they were born with rather through experience and many years of hard work and smart development of their sales skills, they are acutely in tune with which negotiating tactics work in which situations and which don’t. They won’t just do what you tell them to do or say what you tell them to say, they will have keen ideas and strategies they have proven are effective. They have created positive results again and again, so they are very confident when they discuss negotiation tactics and their recommended strategy. You feel invincible with them by your side leading the way to fair agreement for the sale of your home.

Sixth, without exception, he or she will have a phenomenal team. Their support staff and administrative structure ensures that every variable of the transaction is managed properly which means it’s not being managed by a salesperson. Any salesperson, especially a really good salesperson, is absolutely terrible at paperwork and logistics. The ultimate listing agent hires or partners with skilled and intelligent people whose gifting is operations, logistics, administration and the like. This team is their true secret weapon. Their team is actually what makes them the ultimate listing agent.

Friends, if you are looking for the ultimate listing agent, no matter where you live –  these are the critical elements of what that listing agent will provide you if they are the ultimate listing agent. And hey here’s another tip… For best results, use this information as an interview checklist.

Here’s to you! Here’s to you experiencing the ultimate listing experience, wherever you may be in the world.

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