If you’re thinking of selling your home, you may want to visit open houses listed by any of the agents you are interviewing. Look for red flags that indicate you will not get the kind of service that will bring in the highest price possible:

• Does the agent host the broker open tour or is there an assistant, or worse, a family member who knows nothing about the property there?
• Is there a high quality glossy brochure or did the agent print out pages from the MLS?
• Are the photographs and website produced in a way that presents the home in a way that invites buyers to imagine living there?   See www.139Belvedere.com as an example.
• Is the open presented in a warm and friendly manner, with beverages, bites, and pleasant music?
• Does the agent host both a Saturday and Sunday open house during that all-important first week on the market?
• Does the agent present the home with professionalism and enthusiasm, rather than barely looking up from a laptop?
• Has the agent taken the time to gather all the disclosures and information on the property by the time it hits MLS, so interested buyers are not kept waiting, and therefore, second-guessing?
• Will the agent be available on an agreed-upon date that buyers know offers are due so offers are responded to on that date?

It’s true that some of the top agents simply don’t have time for paving the way for multiple offers and high prices for their clients.  It’s important to talk to former clients, and walk in to an open house as if you are a buyer to see if the environment and information are at a standard that you would like your property presented.