If that doesn't work I would recommend you approach any agent you may be considering and test them from a buyers perspective. See how long it takes them to return your phone calls but remember its important to identify yourself as a potential buyer, not a seller. I am not asking you to do anything dishonest, just ring up the real estate agent and ask what they have on the market at the moment in a similar style to your own property i.e. number of bedrooms suburb position etc. This also is good information for you and will establish how active an agent they are and what other homes are going to be competing with your property.

All real estate agents will chase after sellers, but do they chase the buyers as well? That's what you need to know at this stage, when identifying your $10,000 representative.

Choosing the right real estate agent to sell with I know can be a chore but I have got to say I just love the real estate agents. Why because these guys and gals are the ultimate salespeople if they are any good you just can't beat having one on your side when you are selling real estate. I guess the chore part of the process is trying to figure out if they any good. What is the definition of a good agent? many things, but here is a few points to consider when looking to employ a real estate agent:

1. Empathy

Your real estate agent must be able to relate to what you are going through. Selling real estate can be a stressful time mainly because of the financial issues as I have already discussed, but it also can be an emotional time leaving a property that has been the family home. Your real estate agent needs to be able to appreciate this and be able to relate to what you are going through. Please note empathy is a lot different to sympathy; if your property hasn't sold you want your agent to take charge and do what needs to be done not to feel sorry for you.

2. Understand they are employed by the seller

I must admit that a lot of agents seem to forget this major point. I think what happens is they try so hard to look after their buyers that when negotiations are going on they get a bit mixed up where their loyalties lie. The bottom line is the real estate agents commission is deducted from the seller's final price. The selling real estate agent is employed by the seller to get them the best result possible agents should never forget that this is their duty; they should be proud of the work they do on behalf of the seller.

3. Negotiating skills

Major point that really defines a great real estate agent from an also ran. If the agent you employ is a good negotiator, chances are the extra money you get for your property will more than cover the real estate agents fees. Many things make a good negotiator; you can see my page on negotiating if you like, but for your agent if they are doing the things mentioned here that would be a good start.

4. Good time management skills

Time management skills are essential when you are an real estate agent. This is one of those skills that if your real estate agent can master, they will be available to you as a seller when you need them, and they will also be available to the buyers. The demands on the real estate agent can be excessive, especially on weekends or show days so managing your time is a must. This is a really good indicator of how competent a person the real estate agent is, as their home life will also suffer if they can't manage their time.

5. Easily accessible

This is really a follow on from time management and is also a confirmation with what I suggested above. How quickly did they answer your initial enquiry will give you some indication to how long you will be waiting to get answers when you are on the market. You need your real estate agent or someone from their office to address your enquiry promptly and efficiently. A lot of the better real estate agents are now working with assistants, so even though your agent may be with a client your enquiry is still professionally dealt with.P.S. If you can't get hold of your real estate agent imagine what your potential buyers must think when they experience the same thing.

6. Local knowledge

Local knowledge really pays dividends when selecting a real estate agent; essentially all any buyer who is going to live in the property is buying is a lifestyle and your real estate agent needs to be able to sell lifestyle of your area and property. The only way they can do that is by having great local knowledge and a healthy belief in the lifestyle of your neighborhood. I could also put forward a strong case that the agent you choose should live reasonably close by.

I am a strong believer that in most cases you should also list your property with a local real estate agent (unless they are complete buffoons) as this is the real estate person that will have the buyer enquiries for your area. It annoys me when I see real estate agencies listing properties for sale way outside of their geographic zone of their business as they clearly would not be dealing with buyers for that area.As realtors we have what is known as a service area i.e. an area we service, make sure your agent stays in theirs.

7. Likeable

Lastly but by no means least of course, you have to genuinely like the person you choose to be your real estate agent. You are going to be relying heavily on this person to get an important job done and you need to like them enough to enjoy talking to them everyday if necessary. Your real estate agent needs to be perceived as likeable by the buyers as well or else it is unlikely that they will open up and tell the agent what it really is they want to buy, and when those all so important negotiations start about how much the buyer will pay if they like the real estate agent again they will probably pay more.