Listing a Home in Sacramento and Interviewing Realtors

There is no rule about interviewing Realtors that means you can’t pick the first agent.

Many of the sellers I’ve been meeting with lately to list homes in Sacramento have been interviewing Realtors. It makes sense to ensure it’s a good fit between client and agent. On the other hand, most of my sellers already know they are going to hire me just by talking to me on the phone and reading my online reviews. I also encourage them to hire me. You betcha. I mean, who else has as much experience as I do? I’ve worked in real estate since the 1970s, and I am not ashamed to admit it. I don’t sell 3 or 4 homes a year like 90% of the agents in town. I have real hands-on, day-in and day-out experience that saves my sellers a world of future headaches.

One seller told me yesterday that she’s already interviewed a couple of agents. One agent suggested to her that she should interview more agents; said the seller should talk to at least 3 agents. What kind of agent would say that? I don’t know. I tell sellers they don’t have to interview anybody but me, but if they insist, I’ll probably look that much better by comparison. That always gets a laugh. When the seller said one of the agents told her we are in a slow market, I razzed her, “Hey, was this the same agent who accused you of doing a bad job of interviewing Realtors?”

Our market in Sacramento is still red hot. Listings that are priced right are getting attention and quickly selling. We have more buyers than we have listings. Some lucky sellers are the only game in town, the only home for sale, so you can bet I’m going to position them to attract top dollar. It’s what I do. It’s unusual for me go on a listing appointment where the seller is interviewing Realtors and not walk out with the listing.

Success breeds confidence. But even when I wasn’t so overwhelming successful, like when I first moved to Sacramento and was getting to know the marketplace and everybody in it, I never felt like a failure. I was talking about this topic with my husband yesterday because some people, like BoJack Horseman, OK, he’s not a real person, well, some people are insecure. They second-guess their decisions and down deep worry about everything.

An example. We watched the new Mike White movie, Brad’s Status, at the Tower Theatre in Land Park on Sunday, starring Ben Stiller. A very adult-looking Ben Stiller, unlike the guy from Midnight at the Museum or Zoolander, where he sucked in his cheekbones and pretended to be a model. In Brad’s Status, he has a mid-life crisis, worried that he’s failed in life. It also stars the guy from Masters of Sex, Michael Sheen, and Luke Wilson, who was also in Roadies. Stiller imagines everybody else is better than him. I’ve never had that feeling. I’ve always known I had the ability to do whatever I wanted to do.

Motivation is not a problem for me either. I am self motivated. I set goals and achieve them. Winning listing presentations when sellers are interviewing Realtors is one of those goals. I believe in myself and my clients do too. It comes through loud and clear.