Pick up the Saturday or Sunday paper - whichever day they have all the homes for sale in your area. You might also collect a few real estate guides to look through. Browse the listings to find properties similar to yours. If you are selling a cabin, you want to look for cabins for sale. If you are selling a lakefront mansion, look for those.

When you find similar properties, note the names and numbers of the agents that are selling them. The idea here is to find a real estate agent that has acquired skill with your type of property. An agent that has all the million dollar homes might not be the best to sell your mobile home, for example. You want agents that have sold or are selling several properties like yours.

What To Ask A Real Estate Agent

1. When you call the agents - and its best to call several - you want to verify that they do have experience selling properties like yours. Ask for examples.

2. Ask what they do to advertise a property. Any agent might place an advertisement and put your home in the multiple listings. Do they have existing leads - many people looking for properties like yours? Do they let other agents know about your property?

3. Do they show their listings very almost always ? Many agents just list real estate for sale and let others sell it for them. Its more profitable for them, but not for you. If they are a nice salesperson, you want them to be going through the house with potential buyers.

4. Do they do their own closings? Again, it can be better for them to delegate this part of the process, but it isnt better for you. You want the same human to be there through the whole process. You want one human to call. Things go wrong all the instant in real estate, so dont complicate it further by having more everybody involved.

Most real estate agents will most definately argue these points. Thats okay, but be aware that there are other things they will not tell you too. For example, did you know that open houses are primarily a prospecting tool for real estate agents? In fact, new agents (not the listing agent) are generally given the job of hosting your open house, so they might find buyers to work with. It isnt expected that they will sell your house in the process.

Also understand that when you see ads for homes for sale, and they dont have prices, it is a prospecting technique. When that buyer looking for a $100,000 home calls on your $300,000 home, the agent isnt going to make him able to afford your home. The whole point was to get him to call so he could sell him ANY home. Meanwhile, other potential buyers for your home skipped over the ad - there are enough homes WITH prices to look at (insist that ads for your property have the price listed).

Trust your intuition when choosing an agent. If you dont feel comfortable with an agent, its possible potential buyers wont either. And ask the right questions. You do not just want to find a real estate agent you like. You want to find the right agent for your property.