Great article! Have you had these thoughts about your agent?

From Dave Ramsey:

3 Signs Your Real Estate Agent Needs a Kick in the Pants

Your partnership with your real estate agent plays a large role in the success of your home sale. To get your home sold quickly and for top dollar, you should follow your agent’s advice about pricing your home and getting (and keeping) it in tip-top shape. You’ll also need to keep your schedule open so your agent can show your home to as many potential buyers as possible.
If you’ve done all your agent has asked of you but you’ve only had a few nibbles while other homes in your area have sold, you might need to step back and figure out why. Take a close look at your agent and their advice, and evaluate their performance in these areas:

Your Agent May or May Not Call You Back—It’s a Roll of the Dice

Good real estate agents are busy people, so it’s not always easy to get in touch with them. But a good real estate agent also knows it’s important to keep in contact with their clients, and they make a point of returning calls as soon as possible. If your communication with your agent feels one-sided, that’s a red flag. Even if nothing new has happened, it’s reasonable to expect your agent (or someone from their team) to contact you every week to discuss strategy and whether you need to make any changes to get buyers’ attention.

Your Agent’s Marketing Plan Is Based on Positive Thinking

You made the decision to work with an agent because you know you aren’t a real estate marketing whiz. You should be able to depend on your agent to develop an effective marketing strategy that will attract buyers. If the plan isn’t working, your agent should also be willing to step up their game and try new methods to reach buyers. Most importantly, your agent should not blow off your concerns and questions about how much time your home is spending on the market.

Your Agent Has More Attitude Than Most Teenagers You Know 

That leads us to overall attitude. Do you feel like your agent is super-serving you? Or do you feel like you’re one more box to check off their to-do list? Is your agent showing up late for appointments? Avoiding you altogether (see Roll of the Dice)? Showing a lack of patience with your questions (see Positive Thinking)? Always remember, you don’t have to put up with a bad attitude to work with a great agent who will get your home sold.

 

 

You Can Do Better

If you’ve decided your current agent isn’t the right one to help you sell your home, you might be hesitant to choose another agent. We have a suggestion that will help you narrow down the field and find an agent who will work for you: Look for experience.
Dave recommends agents who have at least five years of experience, but 10 or more years is preferable. You should also look for an agent who closes on a minimum of 40 home transactions per year. When you work with an agent with this kind of experience, you can be confident of two things:

1. Your agent’s got this! They’ll know what to do in tough market conditions because they’ve been through them before. They’ll know how to price your home to attract buyers, and if they don’t hit the bull’s-eye, they’ll be ready with a back-up plan. You can trust them to base their decisions on solid research, and they’ll be willing to discuss all the details with you.

2. You’ll feel like the center of the universe. Word gets around, and real estate agents with a reputation for poor service simply don’t stay in the business long. An agent with several years’ experience has learned to focus on meeting their clients’ goals, and they’ll work hard to make sure you meet your goals as well.