Do not be a victim of insanity!  Your previous agent was unable to sell your home and it is time to move on to a new one!

Questions you may have:

1. What does it mean that my home is expired?

   -An expired listing is simply a house that did not sell in the allotted time specified in the contract with the current listing agent.

2. Can my house still be shown even though it is expired?

   -Your home may no longer be shown without your direct permission.  This means that the showing service may no longer handle setting up appointments for you.  Your home will no longer show up in the active listings in MLS, so most agents will not find your home unless you re-list.

3. Do I need to lower my price to get it sold now?

   -The price is not always the reason a house was unable to sell.  There is a great deal involved in selling a house.  Price, Location, Condition, and Marketing are the driving forces that sell a home.  Determine which of these four aspects was missing when you tried to sell your home and a Realtor can usually help you with this.  

4. What do I do now that my house has expired?

   -Since your home expired from the MLS, expect to have several Real Estate Agents calling and mailing you. 

The First Step:  Don't be in a huge rush to re-list your home.  Sometimes people rush and either re-list with the same agent, or with the first agent that contacts them.  Don't make the same mistake again.  Take a day or two and prepare.  It could save you months in marketing time!  You will get several calls.   Remember to be polite, because any one of these agents could have a buyer for your home even if you do not list with them.  Your first step to getting the type of agent you really want is to look through the mailings, take the calls, and determine who you would like to investgate further.  This will help narrow down your choices.

The Second Step:  Ask the agents that made it past the first step to send you a sampling of their marketing materials and a resume.  The ones who are not prepared to send you this right away need not apply for your business.  You should then sort through the information and determine who you want to actually interview. (If you are in a hurry to re-list, tell them to have their information delivered within 24 hours.  if they provide the level of service you deserve, this should be easy for them to do.)  Now you just need to call and set up interview with the agents you feel comfortable with.

The Third Step:  Call and set up interviews with the agents you chose.  You can interview as many as you would like, but can get confusing if you do.  Try and interview 2-3 and if you are still not comfortable, set more interviews.

The Last Step:  Be prepared for your interviews.  Most agents depend on the same marketing methods and have access to the same tools.  You need to find the one that has the tools and marketing techniques to set them apart from the rest.  Be sure you include the line of questioning that gives you the information you need to make the best decision for YOU! 

Click below for a list of questions you should ask your Realtor.