Thinking About Selling Your New Smyrna Beach Home?

Helpful tips for interviewing a listing agent in New Smyrna Beach

Below is a list of quick tips in order to assist you in your agent selection process. Your property is unique and it deserves the right agent, the right price, and local knowledge.

Quick Tips

Find out if the agent is local– Why this is important: Some listings may require immediate attention, having an agent right down the street can often times avoid major issues with showings or security and maitenance issues. If you want your agent to accompany to showings this allows far more flexibility than an agent driving an hour from Orlando. It’s also a major contributing factor to area and neighborhood knowledge, in a tricky comparable property situation a local agent knows where to find the supporting values outside your subdivision when necessary.
Find out how long your agent has lived in New Smyrna Beach– Why this is important: Searching listings in an MLS or finding comparable homes based solely on maps and photos cannot genuinely define the unique characteristics of your neighborhood. An agent that is born and raised or has been in the area for 20+ years has seen a multitude of changes throughout the community and specifically your neighborhood. Buyers love to hear about the history of the area around their potential new home, it provides a sense of comfort and grounding.
Find out how many years the agent has been licensed and practicing full time– Why this is important: Real estate can very much be a fair weather “side hustle” for some. It will prove exceptionally valuable if/when a tricky situation arises in a transaction to have an agent that has navigated years of market changes and transactions. A flurry of transactions over the course of 5 years might represent all very similar market conditions, the agents that shine have dealt with market and buyer sentiment changes and adjust accordingly.
Find out how many listings the agent is carrying prior to listing your home– Why this is important: Quantity does not mean quality. Higher inventory carried by a single agent can mean they are unable to allocate enough time to your listing and it can mean they chronically overprice listings only to give off the appearance of being highly successful. Racking up days on market keeps their sign in the yard and their social media ads going but it doesn’t help you the client.

Find out if the agent themselves will be working the transaction or if you will be passed off to a TC (transaction coordinator) or an office assistant– Why this is important: Assistants and TC’s have never been in your home, they also do not know the details of the negotiation. This becomes a huge problem when contract changes arise. The TC can make errors that cause documents to be invalid (things as simple as misspelling a sellers name – yes this happens), or an assistant may allow access at a time that is unsuitable simply because they have no relationship with the seller.
Find out what they feel the correct amount of Buyer’s agent compensation should be offered by the seller– Why this is important: Some agents will not take listings if the seller is unwilling to offer compensation to the Buyer’s agent. Buyers are not always able to financially compensate their broker, and a non represented Buyer can be a liability to the seller. Commissions are always negotiable so it helps to have an agent who is flexible and works seamlessly with other agents.
Find out what marketing techniques the agent will use beyond social media– Why this is important: Although social media can seem like an excellent marketing tool, it’s main goal is to attract new clients (buyers and sellers). A fancy social media video may spur a Buyer to click a link, it won’t actually sell the property or even encourage a showing. Buyers are not actively searching social media for listings, they are searching credible IDX sites that sync with MLS data i.e. this site, Zillow, Realtor.com etc. How is your listing going to stand out in a sea of similarly priced listings?
Consider whether or not the agent is giving you an accurate price range or just inflating the price to get the listing– Why this is important: As mentioned earlier a listing that sits is of no use to the client. Agents often hear the phrase “I’m in no hurry”. When that’s the case the seller will typically see what they can get and test the market at a higher price. This seldom works in the modern era due to the plethora of information available to prospective buyers and their agents. A Buyer working with a local knowledgeable agent will immediately have their agents opinion of the value and in times of higher rates and uncertainty Buyers will not be in a position to “overpay”. If your potential listing agent is honest and upfront then you can decide which strategy suits your needs without being surprised the listing didn’t sell at the inflated price.

We selected Lindsey Baldwin to sell our New Smyrna Beach home. She gave great advice with regard to pricing and market timing. Lindsey is a local resident and knows the area and market. She is consistently available by phone and email. I highly recommend Lindsey for your real estate needs.

Lindsey was an outstanding realtor and an absolute pleasure to work with. She is extremely knowledgeable about the homes in our area, including the different types of materials and construction methods used, which gave us a lot of confidence throughout the process. She was always attentive, punctual, and quick to respond to any questions we had. Lindsey truly went above and beyond to make sure everything went smoothly, and we felt supported every step of the way. We couldn’t be happier with our experience and would highly recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell a home.

Lindsey was incredibly responsive throughout the entire process. From start to finish she handled every detail professionally and was quick to respond to any questions or concerns we might have. Whether buying or selling, we would highly recommend Lindsey if you need a top notch real estate professional. She is a terrific agent.