Choosing the Right Realtor in Westchester County

What to Evaluate Before Choosing a Listing Agent

If you're thinking about selling a home in Westchester County, choosing a listing agent is one of the decisions you'll make before the property goes on the market.

The useful question isn't simply, “Who should I hire?”

It's:

“What should I evaluate before I decide?”

I'm John Buoninfante, a Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker with Real Broker NY LLC. I move people in and out of Westchester.

If you're comparing real estate agents, here are the questions worth working through before you sign a listing agreement.

Can the Agent Explain the Market Around Your Property?

“Local market knowledge” sounds good, but ask the agent to show you what that means for your home:

• What comparable sales are relevant?
• What properties are currently competing with yours?
• How is your property different from those homes?
• What does the available information indicate about your property and the market around it?

For Westchester sales and listing information, OneKey MLS is the source I use.

A countywide statistic or a general statement about a town doesn't replace a property-specific analysis.

The agent should be able to explain the information being used and how it relates to your property.

Can the Agent Explain the Pricing Strategy?

Don't evaluate a pricing recommendation only by the number the agent gives you.

Ask how the number was developed.

A property-specific pricing discussion can include relevant comparable sales, differences between those properties and yours, the condition and features of the home, important property information and current listings that may compete with it.

Market value and list price are related, but they're not exactly the same question.

The available information should help establish what the property may be worth. Then the asking-price strategy can be considered in that context.

Starting higher isn't automatically better because it leaves room to negotiate.

Starting lower shouldn't automatically be expected to create multiple offers or a higher final sale price.

If you're interviewing agents, compare the reasoning behind their recommendations, not just which agent gives you the highest number.

What Is the Actual Marketing Plan?

“Professional marketing” can mean different things.

Ask what the agent is actually proposing for your property.

That can include the listing information, photography and other marketing materials, how the listing will be distributed and how inquiries and showing activity will be handled.

The marketing should accurately represent the property and give consumers useful information about what is being offered for sale.

The important part when you're interviewing an agent is understanding the plan before the property goes live. What will be done? Who will handle it? How will the property be represented?

Those are more useful questions than simply asking whether the agent “does marketing.”

How Will the Agent Help You Evaluate Offers?

An offer isn't only a purchase price.

Depending on the offer, other terms can include:

• financing;
• contingencies;
• inspection-related terms;
• proposed closing timing;
• other material terms of the transaction.

That doesn't mean a lower offer is automatically preferable because of its terms.

It means offers need to be compared as complete proposals rather than by one number alone.

When you're interviewing an agent, ask how offers will be presented to you and how the agent approaches comparing price with the other material terms.

Your attorney may also have a role in evaluating contractual or legal issues before you make a final decision.

How Will Communication Work?

“Good communication” means different things to different people.

Before hiring an agent, understand how communication will actually work.

You can ask:

• Who will be my main point of contact?
• How will showing activity and feedback be communicated?
• How will offers be presented?
• If the primary agent is unavailable, who handles the listing?
• How will important decisions or changes be communicated?

The point isn't that there is one communication system every seller should prefer.

It's that you should understand the system before deciding whether it works for you.

What Experience Can the Agent Actually Demonstrate?

Experience shouldn't be reduced to a slogan.

Ask for information you can evaluate.

That may include relevant sales history, experience with transactions similar to yours, client reviews or testimonials, and an explanation of how the agent and brokerage will handle the listing.

You can also verify a New York real estate license through the state's public licensing system.

Past transactions and reviews can provide useful information about an agent's experience, but they don't guarantee what will happen with your sale.

The question is whether the agent can demonstrate relevant experience and explain how that experience applies to the work you're asking them to do.

What Services Are Being Offered, and How Is Compensation Structured?

Don't compare listing agents only by a commission number.

Understand what services each agent is proposing and how compensation is structured.

Broker compensation is negotiable. It shouldn't be treated as a universal or fixed percentage.

Before signing a listing agreement, understand the services being offered, the compensation terms and the other material provisions you're agreeing to.

If you're comparing agents, compare the proposed service and agreement as a whole rather than assuming that the highest or lowest compensation automatically represents the better choice.

Understand Who Will Actually Handle Your Listing

If you're hiring an individual agent, team or brokerage, understand who will be responsible for the different parts of the process.

Who is your primary contact? Who handles property preparation and marketing? Who handles inquiries and showing coordination? Who presents offers? Who communicates with you as the transaction moves forward?

The exact structure can vary.

What matters before you hire someone is understanding who is responsible for what.

Compare the Agent's Process, Not Just the Presentation

A listing presentation can tell you what an agent proposes to do.

Your job is to understand the reasoning and process behind it.

Before choosing an agent, you should be able to explain:

1. Market analysis: What information is the agent using to understand the market around my property?
2. Property analysis: How is my home being compared with relevant alternatives?
3. Pricing: How was the pricing recommendation developed?
4. Preparation: What, if anything, does the agent recommend addressing before listing, and why?
5. Marketing: What specifically will be done to present and market the property?
6. Communication: Who will communicate with me, and how?
7. Offers: How will offers and their material terms be presented and compared?
8. Experience: What relevant experience can the agent demonstrate?
9. Services and compensation: What am I receiving, what are the compensation terms, and what am I agreeing to?
10. Responsibility: Who will actually handle each part of the listing and transaction?

You don't have to choose an agent because they answer these questions exactly the way another agent does.

The purpose is to understand what each agent is proposing so you can make your own comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions About Choosing a Realtor in Westchester County

What should I ask a Realtor before listing my Westchester home?

Ask how the agent analyzes your property and local market, develops a pricing recommendation, prepares and markets the listing, communicates with you, presents offers and structures the services and compensation being proposed. You should understand both what the agent recommends and the reasoning behind it.

Should I interview more than one Realtor before selling my home?

You can. There isn't a required number of agents you need to interview. If you're comparing agents, use the same core questions so you can compare their market analysis, pricing reasoning, services, marketing plan, communication process, relevant experience and compensation structure.

Should I choose the Realtor who recommends the highest listing price?

Not based on that number alone. Ask each agent to explain the property and market information behind the recommendation. A higher proposed list price does not by itself establish a higher market value or eventual sale price.

How should I compare Realtor fees or commission?

Compare both the compensation terms and the services being proposed. Broker compensation is negotiable and should not be treated as a fixed universal percentage. Review the listing agreement so you understand the compensation structure and what services and other material terms you're agreeing to.

How can I check whether a Realtor is licensed in New York?

Use the New York State Department of State's eAccessNY Public License Search. It allows consumers to look up real estate brokers and salespersons and verify licensing information for an agent they're considering.

When should I talk with a listing agent if I'm not ready to sell yet?

You don't have to be ready to list before having the conversation. If you're still deciding whether or when to sell, an initial discussion can focus on the property, relevant market information, preparation questions, timing and what the selling process would involve before you decide whether to move forward.

The Bottom Line

Choosing a listing agent isn't just about comparing personalities, proposed list prices or compensation.

Understand how each agent analyzes your property, explains the market, develops a pricing recommendation, plans to market the home, communicates with you, approaches offers and structures the services being proposed.

Then you can compare what each agent is actually offering and decide what makes sense for you.

If you're considering selling a Westchester home, you're welcome to ask me the same questions in this article.

I can walk through the property with you, review the relevant OneKey MLS information and explain how I would approach the pricing, preparation, marketing and selling process.

You don't need to decide to list first.

The conversation can start with understanding the property and the approach I would recommend. Then you can decide whether it makes sense for you.

I'm John Buoninfante, a Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker with Real Broker NY LLC. I move people in and out of Westchester.

John Buoninfante
Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker
Real Broker NY LLC
477 Madison Ave., 6th Floor, Suite 648
New York, NY 10022
John@JohnWestchesterRealtor.com
johnwestchesterrealtor.com