Your home is one of the most important investments you will ever have. When it comes time to sell it, you should protect your investment. This means finding the right agent who will work hard to get you the most money, in the least amount of time and with the least amount of stress. When interviewing real estate agents, they should give you proposals that spell out their commission rates and marketing plans. In today's day and age, it's important to hire a real estate agent that is experienced, local and tech savvy.

An Informed Agent

It's to your advantage to find an experienced real estate agent who has been in the business for many years and has worked through various types of market conditions. An experienced agent will be able to offer an educated opinion of home values. Experience is key. It's also important that your agent knows the area very well. Your agent should know the schools. She or he should know the location of the hospitals, stores, restaurants, park district buildings and other places of importance and interest to buyers. It's important that your agent is tech savvy and has kept up with real estate trends and education.

Real Estate Agent's Proposal

Your real estate agent should have a written proposal to go over with you and give you to keep and refer back to. It typically has four compnents. The first is general information about the real estate agent and the company the agent works for. An agent may include a resume which lists their experience and any statistics they take pride in. The second part is the agent's marketing plan. This will include the marketing the agent will do to help sell your home. Be sure your agent provides a full-service marketing plan. Don't hesitate to ask detailed questions on where is will appear online.

The third portion of the proposal is the agent's commission rate. The final part of the proposal is called the comparative marketing analysis. This is where the agent will analyze the home values of other similar properties in the area that have sold and are currently for sale. This is how the agent determines the suggested listing price for your home.

Marketing Plan

A tech savvy marketing plan is key. Over 90% of buyers look at listings on the internet before they contact a real estate agent to go see homes in person. It's so important to have good website presence with professional quality photos. Tech savvy agents will also include videos, virtual tours and drone photos of the exterior of your home and property. Be sure your listing will appear on the major real estate websites. These sites include Zillow.com, Trulia.com, Realtor.com and the like. Your listing should also appear in the agent's local multiple listing service.

Commission Rate

Most agents charge a flat percentage rate, which is negotiable. Rates will range from 3% to 6% depending on the region of the country and the amount of the sale price. Part of the commission goes to the listing brokerage company and part of the commission goes to the buyer's agent's brokerage company. Commission is negotiable. However, be sure to make it a win-win situation with your real estate agent. You get what you pay for. If you pay an agent to work hard for you, you'll usually receive a better price for your home.

It's important to hire a real estate agent who is professional, provides a well thought out written proposal and is flexible in meeting your needs. An agent with a plan if often one that will go the extra mile to get you more money for your home.