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GENERAL
CONSIDERATIONS |
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Are they full time real estate agents in the St. Louis real estate market
area?
Will they concentrate their efforts on you or some other job? |
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Are they committed to a real estate career?
(Or is it a fill in until something else comes along?)
You can tell by the investments they have made.
Do they have a professionally printed brochure about
themselves?
Do they have a home page on the Internet?
Do they have business cards with their picture?
Do they have personalized business stationary? |
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Are they Certified Residential Specialists (CRS®)?
Highest designation of the National Association of REALTORS®
and the industry for
an expert real estate professional in residential real estate.
Only 5% of all agents
nationally have earned the right to use this designation. |
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Are they Graduates of the REALTOR®
Institute (GRI®)?
(Signifies extensive professional training and testing specified by
the
National Association of REALTORS®.)
Titles such as marketing specialist, relocation specialist, etc.
carry no national or
state requirements for their use. |
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Can you reach them when you want to talk with them?
Try calling two or three times to see:
Were they immediately available or return your call quickly?
Did you only get an assistant? (Why didn't the agent talk to
you?)
Do they have voice mail, cellular phones, Email, etc. to
respond to your needs? |
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Do they want to give you complete advice to list your home on the first
visit?
WATCH OUT! An appraiser won't do it and neither will a professional
real
estate agent that cares about giving you the best possible
information.
Expect an expert to inspect the interior and exterior of your
property on
one visit. Then, after doing the appropriate research and
verifications,
return on a second visit to discuss their recommendations of
pricing and
how to market your property effectively.
"One call experts" may end up costing you valuable time and money. |
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THE FIRST
VISIT |
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Do they show up on time?
If they can't be on time now, what should you expect later? |
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Do they ask questions and take written notes of your answers?
If your answers aren't important enough to write down, why ask
questions? |
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Do they take notes as they inspect the interior of your property?
It's not good enough that they get just a general impression! |
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Do they inspect the exterior of your property?
Bad weather is no excuse to skip this inspection.
To do the job properly, they MUST see the entire property. |
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Do they leave a copy of their listing agreement for you to review?
You should expect the chance to read this at your convenience. |
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Do they leave information about themselves and their company?
Again, you should have the chance to review this at your leisure. |
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Were they organized and professional?
Can you afford disorganized or unprofessional people to represent
you? |
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THE SECOND
VISIT (LISTING PRESENTATION) |
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Do you get to keep ALL of the printed information presented?
One excuse is that they don't want their competitors to see it.
Another excuse is that it's against company policy.
There is NO good reason you shouldn't be allowed to keep
it. |
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Is the presentation well organized and professionally prepared?
This can indicate the quality of how well your home will be
marketed.
If they don't do this well, why would you expect it to be better
later? |
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Do they provide a comprehensive marketing plan in writing?
Talk is cheap. If it's not in writing, it may not happen. |
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Do they provide samples of the literature they use to promote
properties?
(i.e. fliers, in home literature, etc.)
If samples aren't provided, you may not get what you expect.
You should expect top quality, professionally prepared promotions. |
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Do they provide a professionally prepared competitive market analysis?
Comparisons to recently sold properties should be detailed in
writing.
Comparisons to properties presently for sale should be detailed in
writing. |
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Are all of the services they say they will provide also included in
writing?
Don't you think it's strange if they only talk about the services?
You are paying for these services. You should know what to expect. |
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Do they offer a written guarantee allowing you to terminate the listing?
If the job is not being done, should you have to keep your property
listed with them?
In Missouri, all real estate contracts must be in writing. It's the
law! |
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SERVICES YOU
SHOULD EXPECT (at no additional charge) |
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Advice and assistance in how to show your property to its best
advantage.
This should include detailed review and discussion of every room,
closet,
cabinet, etc. as well as the exterior. |
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Complete review of the standard sale contract with you. |
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Complete review of the sale process and what to expect. |
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Entry in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). |
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Company For Sale Sign. |
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Fliers for people driving by to take. (Information box) |
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Multiple Internet sites providing 24 hour a day information about your
property. |
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Virtual 360o tour via the Internet option. |
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Installation of SUPRA key safe. |
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In-home Feature sheets with color picture for all prospective buyers. |
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Copies of Seller Disclosure sheet for all prospective buyers. |
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Sign in sheet for registration of all showings using SUPRA key safe. |
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Provide appointment arrangement services. |
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Direct mail promotion to other real estate agents and brokers. |
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Direct mail promotion to the neighborhood. |
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Direct mail promotion to your local friends/relatives. |
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Agent open house for listing and other brokerage companies. |
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Feedback of agents to owners from agent open house. |
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Advertising in the St. Louis Post Dispatch. |
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Feedback from agents showing the property. |
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Conduct public open houses as mutually agreed. |
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Feedback on public open house. |
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Regular updates on comparable new listings. |
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Regular updates on comparable St. Louis, MO properties sold. |
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Regular updates on the St. Louis, MO real estate market conditions and trends. |
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Detailed competitive market analysis and review every 90 to 120 days. |
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Contract negotiation advice and assistance. |
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Buyer loan application follow up per contract terms. |
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Buyer loan commitment follow up per contract terms. |
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Buyer loan rate lock-in follow up per contract terms. |
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Buyer follow up on other items per contract terms. |
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Coordinate appointments for building inspection(s) per contract terms. |
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Coordinate appointments for environmental inspection(s) per contract
terms. |
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Coordinate appointments for code compliance inspection(s) per contract
terms. |
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Coordinate appointments for appraisal(s) per contract terms. |
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Coordinate appointments for walk-through inspection(s) per contract
terms. |
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Work with you to meet contractual deadlines for Laclede Gas Inspection. |
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Work with you to meet contractual deadlines for city occupancy
inspection. |
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Work with you to meet contractual deadlines for utility cut-overs. |
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Coordinate with title company for title work. |
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Coordinate with mortgage/title company loan payoffs. |
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Coordinate with title company for all fees and charges. |
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something most people do only a few times in
their lives, we understand that it is difficult to know what to look for to get
the best value for your money. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that the
services offered by real estate agents vary in different parts of the country
and also change with time. Even within the same company in the same area, you
may find that individual agents offer different levels of service with varying
degrees of effectiveness. Because of this, we have prepared this checklist to
assist you in evaluating and comparing the services offered by St. Louis MO real estate
agents.