Choosing the right real estate agent when you are selling your home can make the difference between your home selling in a short period of time or languishing on the market indefinitely. 
To determine if the realtor you are considering has what it takes to get your home sold here are five essential questions you should ask your agent

1. What credentials and experience do you have?

First off, you obviously want to be certain your real estate agent is licensed to sell houses in your state. In addition to ensuring your realtor is licensed, ask if they are a member of any trade organizations, such as the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Some of the top realtors will also have credentials including a Greater Realtors Institute (GRI certification) or Certified Residential Specialist (CRS).

When evaluating experience, look for a realtor who has been selling residential properties that are similar to your home for at least two or three years. If a realtor has primarily been selling homes in a brand new planned community, they may not be the best agent to sell your mid century Victorian home.

2. Can I see your sales for the previous six months?

In addition to looking at the number of homes the agent has sold, evaluate how long it took for houses to sell from the listing date, as well as the difference between the asking price and selling price.

If there is a significant gap between the listing and selling date or price, this might not be the best agent to sell your home. This is not a hard-and-fast rule though, there are sometimes local market factors outside of a real estate agents control that affect the length of time a house stays listed and the price it sells for.

3. What is your commission?

In most cases, you can expect to pay between 5% and 6% of the selling price. Very rarely will the commission ever be higher than this. Depending on your realtor and how aggressive they are willing to be with marketing your house, you may even find some who are willing to go as low as 3%.

You should know this too: your agent rarely gets the full commission—it’s typically split between the listing agent (your agent) and the selling agent. Unless of course, your agent also makes the sale.

4. What type of marketing plan do you have for my home?

Determine how the agent plans to go about bringing your home to the attention of potential buyers. 

Will they hold open houses? (if so, how often) Are they going to place ads in local real estate magazines, weekly’s or local papers? List it on their agency Facebook page or other social media channels?

For example, our agency lists our homes for sale in Amelia Island on our site, our Facebook page, and to our email subscribers. How is your agent getting your house the best exposure?

Be sure to also find out why they think this is the best way to promote your listing and get your home sold quickly and for the best possible price.

5. How will you stay in touch with me?

A good realtor will ask you how you prefer that communication take place. Do you expect phone calls or prefer emails? Do you want a weekly update or do you only want to be contacted with significant information, such as an offer? He or she should abide by your wishes, but you should also try to compromise to come up with what works best for both of you.

Regardless of where you live, there are sure to be plenty of real estate agents to choose from. Don’t make this decision lightly. Do your research and ask the questions above to ensure you get the type of realtor you are looking for.