'Aren't all Realtors the Same?'

Do you ever wonder what distinguishes one Realtor from another? Admittedly, it can be difficult to tell the difference but this two-part series will help you find the agent that will best meet your needs and expectations. I'll focus on Seller's Agents for this post and Buyer's Agents in the next.

The role of the Seller's Agent is to represent the best interests of the Seller throughout the transaction and to market your home to find a ready, willing, and able buyer. How your home will be marketed should be a critical factor in your choice of agent.

You will find a wide variety of services offered in the industry. Some agents may only offer the most basic services, leaving any additional promotion of your property up to you. These agencies will post your home to the Multiple Listing Service and will provide a "For Sale" sign for the yard. In some cases, nearly everything else is up to you including arranging for showings. Some offer a bit more service by adding snapshots of your home and arranging for showings.

On the other end of the spectrum is the full service agent. In addition to posting your home on the MLS and putting a sign in front of your home, a full service agent will provide many additional services to expose your home to as many potential buyers as possible. These services may include professional photography to highlight the best features of your home, a virtual tour, a unique property website, a professional quality property flier as a take-away for visitors, syndication of your listing to multiple websites, craigslist advertising, a "Showcase Listing" on Realtor.com, hosting open houses, and executing a "Just Listed" campaign.

In addition to the marketing services offered, you'll want to ask about how they've determined their pricing recommendation, especially if the recommendation is significantly higher than other agents are suggesting or if the recommendation varies greatly from similiar homes sold within the last several months. A price well below what the comparable properties indicate as market value will sell your home quickly but you may be leaving money on the table. A home offered above market price will generally sit on the market longer and will often require a reduction in asking price to spark buyer interest.

You'll also want to consider their frequency and style of communication, their experience, and the support provided by their office.

There is a wide variety of services offered to help you sell your home. Knowing what services you want and finding the right agent for you will make the sale of your home go much more smoothly.

If you have any questions about what distinguishes Realtors, please feel free to send me an email at jon@jonmillerhomes.com. More information about selling your home can be found on my website at www.jonmillerhomes.com.