What to Look for In a Listing Agent (in order of importance)
The following qualities should be demonstrated by reviews, former listings, &/or personal experience unless a specific offering which you can get in writing prior to listing.
1. Trustworthy & high level of ethics. You don't want to hand the keys of your home over to someone that you don't feel comfortable with and trust.
2. Excellence in real estate sales & marketing.
3. Specific marketing offered, including # of MLS, which MLS, aerials, virtual tours, professional photography, etc.
4. Detail oriented. For instance, compare their listings to former listings of the same properties, specifically looking at picture count, word count of agent remarks, word count of public remarks, quality of content of remarks, whether or not important picture captions are present, whether or not photos of area amenities are present, & the # of features checked.
4. Commission offered for their side of the deal, but keep in mind that those with the lowest commission need to do higher volume to make up for the difference in an already highly competitive industry, meaning less time for you and your listing, and in many cases, not as good of marketing vs others. Some of my worst experiences with deadbeat agents was with those working for a low commission.