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Health & Fitness

Real Estate Q & A

Q.   Is it best to list our house with the person we bought it from 15 years ago, or to list with a Realtor in our neighborhood we have known since we moved in?
The person we bought from has kept in touch and thinks we are only considering them, but we know the neighbor is a very competent Realtor.  What should we do?

A.   That is a question that often comes up.  It can  involve neighbors, friends, co-workers, people you go to church with, even family members.  A seller feels like they are on the hot seat and no matter what they do, they lose.   It is very difficult to make a decision.  What I advice is to evaluate every person that you are considering.  What do you think of their real estate career?  Are they full time?  Does it seem like they are active in the real estate market?  What kind of experience do they have, how long have they been in the business?  Do they appear to be professional?  Are they involved with the community?  Do you relate well with them?  After you go through this if there is no anyone who is standing out I suggest all things being equal you choose the one that is closest to you, family, friend, neighbor.  Don't neglect to tell the ones you don't choose the reason for your choice and tell them it was a difficult choice.  That won't take all the pain of you not listing with them away, but at least they will know that you considered them and that you were concerned with their feelings.  Or....you can just list with a complete stranger and tell all the Realtors you are involved with that you could not make a decision between them because you respected all their  real estate abilities.  Sometimes this is best.

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