Let's start with a question. If you had a car for sale & took the time to buy a for sale sign & even put the sign in the car's window, please tell my why you would park that car in the garage & shut the garage door then expect it to sell quickly for top dollar?

Let's use the same theory with a home. If you want to sell your home in the least amount of time for top dollar then we don't want to shut it in the garage : ) Know where your home will be advertised & more importantly where it will not be advertised! We want to tell the world your home is on the market & available for sale. Use the key points below to interview potential agents prior to listing your home. If you don't care if your property sells, then it doesn't really matter who you list with.

Key Points To Look For In The Agent/Company

1. Are they a member of the local MLS? (Elkhart County Multiple Listing Service)
   Elkhart County MLS has 244 agents. That is a lot of agents that would have direct access to the information about your home for sale.
2. Are they a member of the Local Board of REALTORS?
3. St. Joe County Real Estate Agents also have access to Elkhart County MLS listings, another 612 agents!
4. Do their listings appear on REALTOR.com, a nationally recognized homes web site?
5. Does the agent & company have an aggressive local web site?
6. How long have they been in business? The company & the agent?
7. Are they full time or part time?
8. Get the agents stats & track record for closed transactions.
9. Have they furthered their real estate education with highly recognized National Association of REALTOR Designations like:

• ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative)
• CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) Only 2% of all agents hold the highest Designation awarded to sales associates in the residential sales field.
• GRI (Graduate Realtor Institute)
• e-PRO ( Internet Professional Designation)
• Plus a half dozen more highly recognized designations?

Marketing Tools of Top Notch Agents

1. Exposure & easy access to information for the potential buyer, does the agent have these tools?
2. Local MLS 244+ agents?--Should be Yes!
3. If they are a member of the Elkhart County MLS then All of St. Joe County's 612+ agents have access to the information too.
4. Does the agent/office have Electronic Lock Box & Key Pad?--Should be yes! Although it is not mandatory a seller use this, it makes the showing of a sellers home extremely easy, agents do not have to pick up or return keys to listing company.
5. Realtor.com, National Homes for sale site, is your home listed on it?--Should be Yes!
6. Does the agent & office have a local web site ?--Should be Yes!
7. Member of Local, State & National Associations of REALTORS?--Should be Yes!
8. Full time agent?--Should be Yes!
9. Does the agent hold any NAR Designations?--Should be Yes!
10. Advertise in the major local news papers?--Should be Yes!
11. Advertise in the local Home&Lifestyles Book?--Should be Yes!
12. Put a SIGN in the front yard?--Should be Yes!
13. Have an INFO BOX on property filled with brochures? Should be Yes!
14. ELECTRONIC BROCHURE to market the property to those 244+ agents in the MLS & potential buyers?--Should be Yes!

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Find the right professional for your real estate needs. The purchase or sale of a home is commonly the single most expensive transaction a person/family will ever make.

It would be a privilege to interview for the position of selling your home. Feel free to call or email me at anytime.