Choosing a Listing Agent

A common mistake committed by home sellers is to choose a selling agent based solely on the lowest commission rate and/or the highest suggested list price for your home. Although these numbers are extremely relevant, the two criteria ultimately have little to do with hiring an agent, who will communicate with honesty and experience.

You need to be comfortable that they both have the skills and experience, and that they can operate under the pressure of competing bidders.

There’s a reason nearly 90% of sellers use a listing agent: Selling a home takes time, knowledge of neighborhood trends, and negotiating skills. So while eliminating the agent’s commission of the sale price, sounds mighty tempting, try to resist.

The agent’s chief tasks are to help set the right price and then get buyers in the door. Agents have access to the most up-to-date information about recent sales of comparable homes (“comps”) and competing listings in your neighborhood. “The market is shifting every day. It’s the agent’s job to keep abreast of those changes,” says Ryan Fitzpatrick, director of sales for New York real estate agency CORE.

Get more details here: http://time.com/money/collection-post/2803544/should-hire-real-estate-agent-to-sell/