e keys to success.

Enthusiasm: When an agent is truly enthused and excited about your home, it will shine through in all the marketing materials and in every conversation he or she has with customers and other agents. People listening will know they MUST see this house!

If, on the other hand, an agent comes through your house and begins pointing

With over one MILLION Realtors working in the U.S., you probably have at least a couple dozen in your own community to choose from. Which of them will serve you best?

Consider these three major areas:

• Enthusiasm
• Marketing
• Communication

I know, other people will tell you to look at experience and number of transactions closed. Yes, maybe. But a new agent can often do a stellar job when he or she is not only excited about your home, but focused on selling it above all else - rather than being scattered and pulled in 17 directions by other listings.

If you do decide to go for experience, be sure to learn how much of that experience has been in homes in your price range. Some agents will take every possible listing, but only work at selling the high ticket homes. Shy away from them! They are just hoping that some other agent will sell the lower priced listings and they'll get half the commission.

Some people recommend working with a real estate team. I don't. But that is my personal bias. To me, working with a team to sell a house is the same as trying to work with large corporations where no one ever knows what anyone else is doing. For me, working with one agent who knows every detail of the activity on my listing (and sale) is worth far more than the presumed efficiency of a team.

You may feel differently.

Meanwhile, here's why I believe enthusiasm, marketing, and communication are the keys to success.

Enthusiasm: When an agent is truly enthused and excited about your home, it will shine through in all the marketing materials and in every conversation he or she has with customers and other agents. People listening will know they MUST see this house!

If, on the other hand, an agent comes through your house and begins pointing

maybe. But a new agent can often do a stellar job when he or she is not only excited about your home, but focused on selling it above all else - rather than being scattered and pulled in 17 directions by other listings.

If you do decide to go for experience, be sure to learn how much of that experience has been in homes in your price range. Some agents will take every possible listing, but only work at selling the high ticket homes. Shy away from them! They are just hoping that some other agent will sell the lower priced listings and they'll get half the commission.

Some people recommend working with a real estate team. I don't. But that is my personal bias. To me, working with a team to sell a house is the same as trying to work with large corporations where no one ever knows what anyone else is doing. For me, working with one agent who knows every detail of the activity on my listing (and sale) is worth far more than the presumed efficiency of a team.

You may feel differently.

Meanwhile, here's why I believe enthusiasm, marketing, and communication are the keys to success.

Enthusiasm: When an agent is truly enthused and excited about your home, it will shine through in all the marketing materials and in every conversation he or she has with customers and other agents. People listening will know they MUST see this house!

If, on the other hand, an agent comes through your house and begins pointing

take every possible listing, but only work at selling the high ticket homes. Shy away from them! They are just hoping that some other agent will sell the lower priced listings and they'll get half the commission.

Some people recommend working with a real estate team. I don't. But that is my personal bias. To me, working with a team to sell a house is the same as trying to work with large corporations where no one ever knows what anyone else is doing. For me, working with one agent who knows every detail of the activity on my listing (and sale) is worth far more than the presumed efficiency of a team.

You may feel differently.

Meanwhile, here's why I believe enthusiasm, marketing, and communication are the keys to success.

Enthusiasm: When an agent is truly enthused and excited about your home, it will shine through in all the marketing materials and in every conversation he or she has with customers and other agents. People listening will know they MUST see this house!

If, on the other hand, an agent comes through your house and begins pointing

me as trying to work with large corporations where no one ever knows what anyone else is doing. For me, working with one agent who knows every detail of the activity on my listing (and sale) is worth far more than the presumed efficiency of a team.

You may feel differently.

Meanwhile, here's why I believe enthusiasm, marketing, and communication are the keys to success.

Enthusiasm: When an agent is truly enthused and excited about your home, it will shine through in all the marketing materials and in every conversation he or she has with customers and other agents. People listening will know they MUST see this house!

If, on the other hand, an agent comes through your house and begins pointing

e keys to success.

Enthusiasm: When an agent is truly enthused and excited about your home, it will shine through in all the marketing materials and in every conversation he or she has with customers and other agents. People listening will know they MUST see this house!

If, on the other hand, an agent comes through your house and begins pointing out its many faults, just say "next." This can be a tactic to push you into a lower price so the house will sell faster. It can also mean the agent just doesn't like your house. Either way, you don't need that agent.

*Note: Being enthused doesn't mean being blind. Your agent may love the layout, the view, the location, and many other things, but still give you recommendations for repairs before the house goes on the market. These are recommendations designed to show the house in its best light, so listen!

Marketing: A strong web presence is a must, and there is no excuse for being weak in this area. A good job means taking plenty of photos and writing descriptions that go far beyond the old basic "Three bedroom, two bath, deck" variety.

Your presence on the web should be in the form of a home tour that offers enticing details. Details that make prospective buyers drool at the thought of living in your home.

The MLS listing should include as much of that as allowed, and the flyers your agent hands out should radiate enthusiasm for the many special benefits your home offers. The flyer in the box out front should offer a glimpse of what buyers will find when they get inside… NOT merely show them a picture of the house they see in front of them and tell them something they can see from where they're standing.

When you're considering agents, ask to see their marketing materials for other homes. Then you will