May 30th, 2025 3:32 PM by Linda Holley
1. A Realtor's number one duty is honesty. Some agents will list your home higher than the comparable sales just to get the listing-- knowing that they will come back for price reductions. That hurts you as a Seller because your home will be on the market longer than necessary. Homes that are correctly priced sell and Realtors don't set the price--the market does.
2. Do your homework! It's been my experience that the higher the commission a Seller will pay gives them top-of-the-line marketing, both digital and print.
3. Shop around for your Realtor. I've seen top producers and neighborhood experts that are too busy to give their customers the best service.
4. We like making good impressions on potential customers, but do respect the Realtor who says, "I don't know but I'll find out," when asked a question outside their field of expertise. This is standard business practice.
5. New agents are hardworking and go the extra mile because "Necessity is the mother of invention." If a new agent is with an established brokerage with a great training program, they are backed by hundreds of years of real estate expertise. It's OK to ask how long they have been in the business. If they are honest, they'll say something like, "Just a few months but I have a great broker behind me and I have the time to make you my number one priority." New agents will preview properties before taking you out, they would never stop to get gas with you in the car, and they usually have toys in the trunks of the car for kids.
6. Many seasoned Sellers agents in this business--the been-there-done-that Moms and Pops--will try to control the inspection/repair process but for the Buyer--that's like getting a rat to guard the cheese. Of course, the agent who tries to control the inspection process is looking out for their Seller. Who has the most at stake here? Of course, it's the Buyer! Some try to work directly with the home inspectors, and balk when asked for receipts from licensed plumbers and contractors for work to be done as agreed by the Buyers Request for Repairs. Some even make it difficult for Buyers Agents to come back to the property for re-inspections. A Realtor who bullies fellow Realtors subjects himself or herself to an ethics violation before their local Board of Realtors.
So be cognizant that the agent who will correctly price your home and stays on top of deadlines, documentation, and is the source of local resources without trying to have all of the answers is working in your best interest.
Please don't hesitate to contact me at 941-914-4914 if I can help you with your real estate questions or needs for Sarasota real estate.
Linda Holley, Realtor, GRI, SRES, CIPS, William Raveis Real Estate, Sarasota and Siesta Key, Florida
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