Credentials

Course Complete

One of the most important decisions you can make is in choosing the real estate team that will list your house. Unfortunately, many people just choose someone they know who
happens to have a real estate license. While Uncle Harvey might be a super nice guy, he may not be the best agent to list and sell your property. Hiring someone who lacks experience can cost you thousands and thousands of dollars, even if he promises to give you the “family discount” and reduce his commission. First of all, he will not give you the high-octane marketing a real pro can give you. Second, mistakes and not knowing how to keep a transaction on track, especially when everything hits the fan, can be extremely costly in real estate.

Your home is a huge investment. So, even though it might hurt your uncle’s or your neighbor’s feelings, you need to choose the agent who will do the best job for you. Rather than just sitting through the dog and pony show of your first appointment with a prospective listing agent, use it as an in-depth interview. Don’t be afraid to grill them.

The absolutely most critical parts of your listing agent’s job are marketing and negotiation. If your Realtor® is not strong in understanding and implementing current best practices in both of those areas, they’re doing you a disfavor to even take your listing! I am not kidding! Agents who are weak or “old school” will not be able to get you the best price and most favorable terms for your house even if they’ve been in the business for decades. They also will not be able to get the job done well, quickly, and without a lot of hassle.

Anyone can get a real estate license. A license doesn’t necessarily mean they know what the heck they’re doing. Agents who are really serious about the business join the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), which is real estate’s national professional organization. (They’ll have that designation on their business card.) Realtors® are required to follow the NAR’s Code of Ethics and pass additional exams every two years that other agents don’t.

Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE) that less than 1% of all real estate agents hold! The point isn’t how many credentials and letters an agent has after their name. It matters which credentials they’ve chosen to go after, and it matters that they’ve taken the time to become the best they can be to become excellent at what they do and how they can serve you.

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