Sellers

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a REALTOR to Sell Your Home

Choosing the right REALTOR can be the difference between a smooth sale and months of frustration. There are thousands of agents in Sarasota County. Very few know how to manage all the moving parts that actually determine whether your home sells quickly — and for the right price.

Start with these questions.

1) How many homes have you closed in the past 12 months?

This tells you if the agent is active in today’s market — not living on past success.

2) How many total transactions have you closed in your career?

Experience matters because every property, buyer, and situation is different. Patterns repeat. Problems repeat. Experienced agents know how to solve them before they become deal-breakers.

3) Do you work full-time in real estate?

You want someone who does this every day, not between other commitments.

4) Are you comfortable working in my specific neighborhood?

Every area has nuances: flood zones, construction eras, zoning, school districts, buyer trends. Local knowledge matters more than most sellers realize.

5) Can you provide recent client references?

A confident, active agent will never hesitate.

What Most Sellers Don’t Realize

Putting a home on the market is not just “taking photos and putting it in the MLS.”

It’s a sequence of decisions that start before the listing goes live.

Preparing Your Home for Market

First impressions are everything — especially online.

Is there too much furniture?
Does the layout feel natural when you walk through?
Are small repairs visible?
Will the home photograph well?

Photography is storytelling. Most buyers will see your home online before ever stepping inside. Poor photos cost sellers money. Professional photography and drone imagery are no longer optional.

Pricing Is More Than “Running Comps”

True property value is influenced by:

Condition
Construction quality
Location on the parcel
Updates and improvements
Current supply and demand
Reproduction cost and depreciation

Pricing correctly at the start creates momentum. Pricing incorrectly leads to long days on market and price reductions.

Understanding the Market Cycle

Is the market rising, leveling, or softening?

Days on market, inventory levels, and absorption rates all matter when deciding how to position your home.

Marketing Is More Than the MLS

Once a property hits the MLS, it syndicates to thousands of websites instantly.

But here’s what most agents miss:

Photo order matters
Description quality matters
Data accuracy matters
How Zillow and other portals display your home matters

These sites must be monitored and corrected if needed.

Knowing When to Adjust (And What to Adjust)

It’s not always the price.

Sometimes it’s:

Presentation
Photos
Description
Showing strategy

Interpreting buyer feedback correctly is a learned skill.

The Contract Is Where Many Deals Fall Apart

Today’s purchase agreement is over a dozen pages. Price is only one term.

You also have:

Inspection periods
Financing timelines
Deposit structure
Contingencies
Critical dates

Missing a date can cost a seller thousands.

Inspections and Negotiations

How inspection issues are handled often determines whether a deal survives. This only comes from experience and steady communication.

Title and Survey Issues (Most Agents Miss This)

Title problems and municipal liens are far easier to fix before listing than two weeks before closing.

A preliminary title review can prevent major delays.

Why Some Homes Sell Faster Than Others

Strong curb appeal
Move-in condition
Professional photography & drone work
Proper staging and layout flow
Accurate pricing from day one
Effective online presentation
Monitoring syndication sites
Understanding buyer feedback
Hiring the right REALTOR

Local Experience Matters

As a third-generation broker with nearly 400 closed transactions across Venice, Nokomis, Osprey, Englewood, and Sarasota, I’ve likely sold a home near yours. More importantly, I understand how to prepare, position, market, and manage a listing from start to finish in this market.

Selling a home today is not about putting a sign in the yard.

It’s about managing dozens of details that most sellers never see — but that directly impact the outcome.

When your home is represented by the Sotheby’s International Realty® brand, it benefits from the worldwide recognition and prestige of Sotheby’s name and gains exclusive access to a highly qualified global clientele. Call Brad to see how the Sotheby’s International Realty brand is successfully connecting homes with buyers worldwide.