Selling your home is a big decision, especially in a complex real estate market like New York City. In any market, finding the right agent to guide you along the way is critical. However, research by our colleagues at Zillow found that 63% of sellers contact just one agent before selecting a listing agent to help sell their home. It’s tempting to follow the majority on this, but reaching out to multiple agents increases your chances of finding the right agent for your sale.
The process can be tedious, but thankfully, StreetEasy can help you narrow down your options and choose the best agent for the job. Just follow this handy checklist for NYC home sellers in your quest for the perfect listing agent.
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CONTACT STREETEASY CONCIERGE🗹 Get Personalized Recommendations
To make the process of finding a listing agent more efficient — and effective — StreetEasy’s personalized matching service pairs sellers with handpicked agents from our Experts Network. Experts have proven experience selling homes like yours, and must meet our standards of service and market expertise. Plus, on average, top StreetEasy Experts sell homes 1+ month faster than the market, and have a sale-to-list price ratio that is around 14% better than the market.*
All you need to do is contact the StreetEasy Concierge for sellers and tell us a little about your home. The Concierge will recommend Expert agents who are well qualified to sell your particular home, based on their deal history and how much it matches your property’s characteristics. You’ll see Experts who’ve sold homes similar to yours, perhaps in the same neighborhood or even the building.
🗹 Learn About Each Agent
Once you have your personalized selection of Expert matches, you’ll want to compare and contrast them based on your specific needs. It’s all about finding the right fit for you and your home.
You can learn more about each agent by going to their Expert profile, which contains a trove of information about their experience and past sales. Take a look at their recent deals and see how they compare to your home, as well as the neighborhoods and buildings where they have expertise.
Manhattan Homes Under $800K on StreetEasy Article continues below
🗹 Interview Agents
Reach out and schedule interviews with two or three of the Experts you’re matched with. Tell them about your home and your selling goals before the call to help maximize your time with them. Share any unique features of your home, your desired timeline to sell, and your thoughts on pricing. In addition, it’s helpful to provide your motivation for selling. For example, are you trying to sell as quickly as possible for a time-sensitive move? Or maybe to maximize the potential purchase price during a hot market?
Agent Interview Checklist
Here’s a list of important questions you can ask during the interview to determine which agent is the best fit.
- How long have you been working in real estate?
- What percentage of your listings have sold?
- Can you share listings you’ve sold that are similar to my home?
- What is your average listing price?
- Do you have any specialties?
- How would you describe the market for my home?
- Describe your typical sales strategy — how would you market my home?
- Are you supported by a team?
- How many clients do you work with at a time?
- How often can I expect to hear from you? And what is your preferred method of communication? (e.g. calls, texts, emails)
- Do you have any references I can contact?
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🗹 Schedule In-Person Appointments
At this point, you may want to meet with the agent(s) you’re interested in. It’s common for these meetings to take place in the seller’s home, so the agent can get a firsthand look at the property — the more they can familiarize themselves with it, the better. You’ll also want to use this time to get to know each other and see if you vibe. Ultimately, you want to move forward with an agent you trust.
🗹 Request a Listing Presentation
Finally, now that the agents have gotten to know you and your home, we recommend requesting a listing presentation from each of them. In the presentation, the agent should highlight how they’d market your home for sale, and why you should work with them. (And don’t worry, you’re not obligated to work with any Expert!) Think of it like a pitch deck for selling your home.
We’re confident that this checklist for NYC home sellers will help you find your ideal listing agent. Be sure to check out our full suite of seller tools, and contact our Concierge if you’re ready to be matched with a StreetEasy Expert.
*Source: StreetEasy (2012-2023). Market defined as borough, unit type, price point, and share of listings by year.
Disclaimer: StreetEasy is an assumed name of Zillow, Inc. which has a real estate brokerage license in all 50 states and D.C. See real estate licenses. StreetEasy Concierge team members are real estate licensees, however they are not your agents or providing real estate brokerage services on your behalf. StreetEasy does not intend to interfere with any agency agreement you may have with a real estate professional or solicit your business if you are already under contract to purchase or sell property.
