Marketing & Negotiating the Yin & Yang of Home Sales

Both marketing and negotiating will be uber-important to have in the broker or agent you choose to list your home and get it sold.

Marketing

Some might see marketing as the most important because, to put it plainly, if your home is not exposed widely and aggressively to prospective buyers, you'll never have the buyer viewings and offer(s) that must come in for you to even be faced with the high-class problem of negotiating the price and terms of a sale.
However, I don't see marketing skills as the requirement so much as your listing agent having a clear, comprehensive marketing plan that he/she is able to present to you with case studies of marketing that they've done for recent properties somewhat similar to yours. It's critical that an agent's marketing plan for your home include details such as:

• how they would help you prepare or stage your property for sale;
• what their plans are for listing the property on the local multiple listing service(s) and publicizing it to other brokers;
• what on-site marketing they would recommend (i.e., yard signage and/or open houses); and
• how and where they would place your home's listing online, down to which sites they'd list it on and how many pictures they would include.

Negotiationg

But negotiating is essential too -- especially if you're very concerned about being bullied or taken advantage of.  Ultimately, though, when it comes to negotiations, you're going to be faced with making the ultimate decisions about what your bottom-line price and other terms are, including whether you're able to offer incentives like closing-cost credits or whether you can afford to contribute to any repairs the buyer's inspectors require. What I suspect you want is to feel like you're protected, which will come from having an agent you trust who's "got your back," but also has the experience and knowledge of local standard negotiating practices and buyer psychology that comes only with experience -- and I mean recent experience getting homes sold in today's market climate. I cannot emphasize enough that one efficient method of finding such a listing agent is to get referrals! Look to any family members, friends, work colleagues and neighbors whose homes are on the market now and ask them if they would strongly recommend their agent, and why.
If it's tough to get referrals, go into the various online real estate websites and their local discussion boards, and see which local agents are giving sensible, knowledgeable answers to consumers' questions in those forums. During your interview process, ask for references -- and call them! Speak to their recent past seller clients, to see how happy they were with the agents' service.

Oh believe you, me there will be a down time

So as a new agent there are times in this profession when you are hot and when your not. When I first started here at Keller Williams I had three clients right off the bat and Im thinking this job is too easy. Well all three clients didn't qualify so now I have to put them on the back burner until their credit clears up 6 months down the road. Since then business has become very stale and believe you, me watching experienced agents in the office getting clients left and right is very hard when your phone isn't ringing. You must keep reminding yourself that all these experienced agents have been in mine/your shoes when they were just starting out as well it wasn't always easy for them either. But what to do when it become so slow? This is the time to stay focused and work on things to help your business grow and if you don't know how then just ask one of those experienced agents. Like I said they were in your shoes once too and know what it takes to break through that ceiling during slow times. Me personally I have found a great resource in twitter and Facebook in meeting people moving to Denver. Sure they may be renting or visiting family but it is those relationship that will blossom into business a year from now. That person you helped find a rental or just suggested areas to live or thing to do in Denver goes a long way. When someone approaches them about knowing an agent you'll be the first name that pops in their head. Even if someone is just visiting tell them great thing to do in your hometown or take them out for a drink. Just because their visit is temporary they are visiting someone who in no doubt one day will be looking for a place to live too. Keep your chin up!