There are lots of top producing agents out there. Many that will make sure you know they are top producing, award winning, full time agents.
Does that make them any better than a new, just getting started agent?
I don’t think so.
Maybe 10-15 years ago, heck maybe even just 5 years ago, it probably would have made a much larger difference. At that time agents were in complete control of the marketplace. They were the be all end all of the real estate industry. But now more and more people are using the Internet to find a home.
90% of buyers in 2009 used the Internet to search for homes. And 36% of buyers found the home they eventually purchased online…not through an agent…by themselves ONLINE. Sure maybe an agent helped them purchase the home but the agent did not find the home for them.
Okay so 36% doesn’t seem that high. Surely more people used agents to find their home. Well not exactly. The same amount of people (36%) found the home they ended up purchasing via a real estate agent.
So what does that tell us?
It tells us that people are just as likely to find the home they want to purchase online WITHOUT an agent doing anything more than showing the home and presenting the offer.
So why would you need a power agent to sell your house?
Why use an agent that might not even contact you directly?
More than likely you will only hear from one of their assistants or team members. You might meet with the agent initially but much of your correspondence in the future will be with their ‘helpers’ more than with them.
So what makes them so much better? Do you really think that they are out there selling your home when they don’t call you?
No they are out trying to get more listings.
Sure experienced power agents surely do things differently than other agents. I mean something has made them successful. But more than likely the thing that made them more successful is making the client feel that they can sell their home better than someone else.
That just isn’t true.
IF…and that’s a BIG IF…your home is priced right and marketed correctly your home WILL sell with or without a power agent. Using photos, tours, open houses, mailings, email, online distribution, and other tools your agent will all do generally the exact same things to market your home whether they are a 20 year veteran power agent or a new agent with only 1 or 2 listings.
Personally…I would rather go with the agent that needs my house to sell more than the person with 20+ listings. The new agent with 1 other listing is going to do more to sell my house than the power agent who is so busy he/she can’t even call me back personally.
