Selling your home can be quite stressful and a complicated process so most sellers would rather choose to list their property with a real estate agent. For first-time sellers, this is your guide on how to choose a company to sell your house.

Begin with your own market research:

1. Scout the local housing market.

Drive around your neighborhood and check out repeat agent names on real estate signs. It would be an added bonus if there is a “sold” sign to these.

2. Go to open house events.

Look out for nearby open house events and see for yourself how real estate agents engage with potential buyers. Take time to talk to the agents. You might be able to get a glimpse of their personality and their character.

Make a comparison of different real estate agents in terms of ratings, references, and reviews:

3. Research online.

You’ll find a lot of information online. Perform a quick research on real estate agents you have identified. Check out reviews. Read previous customers’ comments and feedback.

4. If you can get a referral, the better.

Ask friends and family for personal referrals. Ask them of their experiences with particular real estate agents.

Interview different real estate agents:

5. Meet with at least three or four agents.

Remember to not settle on the first real estate agent you meet. You would need to have more than one possible agents on your list. This way you can compare rates, customer satisfaction ratings, and availability. It’s always good to work with professionals who have ample experience in real estate.

6. Make sure to prepare some questions prior to talking with the real estate agent.

Ask probing questions like:

- Have you been in real estate for long?
- How many active clients do you handle at a time?
- Do you have a team?
- What is your company’s expertise?
- How will you market my home? How do you find the right buyers who will take good care of your property.
- What do you propose as selling point for my property?

Early on, you should set clear expectations when looking for a real estate agent:

7. Make sure you are clear with your communication preferences.

One of the most common issues from clients is about the lack of open communication. Talk about how you want to be on the loop on the progress of looking for buyers. Discuss how often you’d expect to give feedback. You have to establish early on if you’ll maintain correspondence via email or phone calls.

8. Make sure your motivation to sell is clear.

It is important to have a specific requirements. Do you have a strict timeline? Do you have a requirement on a specific bottom dollar? You have to communicate with the agents all the particulars.

9. Talk about, analyze, and review selling strategies.

You’ll also have to ensure that you and your real estate agent are on the same page about how to go about with the selling.

10. Talk about and agree on all the important details.

Expectations should be clearly understood by both parties. Make sure to put in writing all of the specifics.