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Real estate Q&A: Be sure to hire a full-time agent

We are about to sell our home after a bad experience in the past. How do we hire the right real estate agent?

Q: We are about to sell our home after a bad experience in the past. How do we hire the right real estate agent?
--Eunice

A: The Internet is rife with advice about this, so I will skip the standard stuff and tell you what I have learned during my years in practice.

Because real estate is local, it's important to find an agent who has direct experience in your particular community. Ask the agent how many homes he or she has sold near you in the past two years. Check to see if your agent belongs to the National Association of Realtors. Those agents have access to a variety of proprietary tools and resources, and spending the money to join the association shows that they are committed to the profession. Along those lines, be sure to do business with a full-time agent, not someone who dabbles in real estate when the market is good.

Make sure you are completely comfortable with the agent, the listing agreement and the proposed written plan to market your home. Does the agent dress and act professionally? Is the marketing plan thorough and realistic? Do you have a clear way out of the agreement if the marketing plan isn't being followed?

There is no one formula for picking the right agent. But this is one of the largest financial transactions of your life, so don't just hire someone because she happens to know your co-worker's aunt.


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ABOUT THE WRITER
Gary M. Singer is a Florida attorney and board-certified as an expert in real estate law by the Florida Bar. He is the chairperson of the Real Estate Section of the Broward County Bar Association and is an adjunct professor for the Nova Southeastern University Paralegal Studies program. Send him questions online at http://sunsent.nl/mR20t7 or follow him on Twitter @GarySingerLaw.
The information and materials in this column are provided for general informational purposes only and are not intended to be legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed. Nothing in this column is intended to substitute for the advice of an attorney, especially an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.
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