What more to look for in selecting an agent to exclusively list and market your property? A seller is also going to be signing up with a specific brokerage firm. So another thing that I recommend Miami Beach sellers look for – the overall strength and international marketing reach of the brokerage firm that the individual real estate agent is affiliated with.
One of the reasons that my team and I work with Fortune International Realty is that this is a financially strong company that has represented well over 50 large-scale national and international developers, with over 1,000 individual agents, with international marketing resources in Europe and most especially in South America. Fortune International Realty is also a locally based company (with Argentine family origins), that has the resources and management expertise that understands unique local market needs and challenges. So in interviewing prospective listing agents, my recommendation is to also inquire about the Brokerage firm- ask your agent why they work with their specific brokerage firm. Keep in mind that you will be hiring the company that he is affiliated with, along with the agent.
Having worked in real estate for over 15 years successfully marketing and selling properties in the Miami area, and most especially in Miami Beach, it’s critical to be up to date on the latest marketing trends. One of the key attributes that I recommend sellers look for in a potential listing agent is the ability and experience to work with both old (a.k.a. traditional sales methods and tools) and “new” technologies.
Examples of traditional real estate sales / marketing:
Calling prospective buyers and cooperating brokers
Networking / talking up your listed properties
Qualifying buyers
Attention to details (such as home square footage, contract specifics, professional photos, etc.)
Returning phone calls on a timley basis
Conducting yourself professionally (and training your team to operate at the same level)
Pricing the property right and providing market feedback to sellers (CMA analysis)
Traditional press releases for high profile sellers
Examples of “New” marketing techniques / skills:
Listing sindication (across many web databases and real estate portals around the world).
Website Optimization (having an SEO professional market your properties)
Having multiple websites specialized in different single family neighborhoods and specific condominium buildings
Overall traffic / rankings of the listing agent / broker on Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc
Use of video and appropriate sindication to Google Video, Yahoo, Bing Video, YouTube, etc.
The use of blogging and different SEO techniques to promote a specific property and drive traffic
Mass email databases and copy-writing that is optimized to draw interest / traffic / attention to a specific property
Choosing a Miami Beach listing Agent is very important for seller of any properties in Miami Beach. Having worked & sold luxury waterfront homes and condominiums for over 12 years in Miami Beach, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce our viewers and readers to our new video series dedicated to SELLERS. What are some of the traits and skills to look for in a real estate agent who will be marketing your property?
The first trait or quality that I recommend- attention to details: the listing agent should be very knowledgeable about the home, building, or specific condominium that they are exclusively marketing. This means knowing from memory (or have the information readily available) such as lot size, key features of the property, number of homes in a community, homeowner association dues, zoning and legal restrictions (if any). Being meticulous with pictures, written text, and brochures- all of online and print media should present the condo or home in the BEST possible way. This is most important today- given that in overall Miami and Miami Beach we are working in a BUYERS market.
One of the key skills that a client should look for in selecting a Real Estate agent to represent them in the sale of their single family home or condominium in today’s tough market environment:
The agent should embrace today’s technology and business trends. Life today moves at a rapid pace- with banks, lawyers, title companies, South Beach property buyers, and property owners expecting a FAST response to inquiries. This has been my recent experience, most especially, during the CRITICAL moments of hammering out an agreement to purchase or sell a property. If your listing agent does not have, as an absolute minimum, a smartphone and is responding to your emails and phone calls within twelve hours, then you are NOT dealing with a tech savvy real estate agent!
Given that we are in a Buyer’s Market, most real sellers today should have a listing agent that is working full-time and marketing their properties aggressively, right? Unfortunately, far too often, we’ve seen both buyers and sellers represented by agents with sloppy administrative and contract negotiation skills that make it difficult to successfully close a sale. Also, we’ve seen many sellers poorly represented and fall into foreclosure or financial distress due to poor communication and lack of attention to detail on the part of their listing agent. A strong Real Estate agent is well worth their weight (and commission), and can save their clients thousands and perhaps even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Alejandro Daguer, a highly skilled, forthright, and knowledgeable real estate professional, specializing in Miami Beach waterfront properties shares his experiences and insights with our viewers:
