Find a Pinellas Realtor and Marketing Agent Instead of an Ordinary Listing Agent. Here’s How.

If you need to find a Pinellas Realtor to sell your home, there are over 5,000 to choose from.  The majority of those agents aren’t working in the business full time – or at all.  About half of those left are Pinellas Realtors that don’t regularly list and sell homes (they prefer the ease of working with buyers).   So, of those left that do represent home owners, how do you find a Tampa Bay listing agent that you can trust to get your property sold?  How does one find that agent that actually does something differently than the herd to market your home? 

Mark’s Story:  A Typical Homeowner’s Search for an Agent

We recently received a call from Mark who had a Clearwater townhome for sale For Sale By Owner or “FSBO” for a few months.   He liked reading our testimonials from other happy clients and wanted to discuss listing his home  for sale with us.  He was frustrated and had talked to a couple of other agents before calling us.  They all said they could list his property in the MLS and help find him a buyer – yet – something about the other agents’ presentations did not feel right.  He felt like he was just another guy and his property would be just another listing in the MLS.  He didn’t feel like he would be given the special attention he deserved.

When we met with Mark, we asked him what was most important to him about the sale of his property.  Aside from getting a good feel about us as people, he wanted results and he needed them fast as his employer would be relocating him at the end of this year.   So, we listened to his needs, and shared how we could meet and exceed his expectations.

We then shared with Mark that THE KEY difference between hiring a regular ‘listing agent’ and hiring professionals like us is that we are MARKETING AGENTS who create strategic property marketing plans with the key purpose of getting extreme exposure while defending homeowner equity.    You see, we shared with Mark the truth behind what your standard ‘listing agent’ does:  They take a few pictures of your home, perform the data-entry into the Multiple Listing Service “MLS” online and then let their broker’s feed do the rest automatically without personally having to do much else.  (This automation is called ‘syndication’, and while it’s terrific, it’s by no means the end all when it comes to marketing.  And, don’t get me started, but there are quite a few companies in Tampa Bay that don’t even offer basic syndication, or certainly not extensively and internationally, too).

So, we shared our complete marketing strategy with Mark, the many things we personally do that are extra and beyond what REMAX International (the #1 brand in real estate) does.  And we clearly demonstrated how these tactics are the key extra tools that only Marketing Agents know how to implement – and take the time and expense to implement!   Mark decided having a Marketing Agent was important to him, took action and listed with us.

Tips for Finding a Marketing Agent

Few agents are full-blown Marketing Agents, and many aren’t even familiar with the term or what it entails, let alone what technology and other skills are required to be one.   We predict that someday the tactics of today’s new field of Marketing Agents will become mainstream, but we’re probably years away from that – and by which time the true Marketing Agents will be once again one step of the herd with technology and innovation.  We’ve learned from the brightest and the best out there across the country – so we’re the first to say that we didn’t invent the concept or the techniques we employ to sell homes, yet there aren’t many of us, and we know we have our own special recipe and twist on that just for Tampa Bay.  So please do your homework and find yourself an agent that’s a step ahead AND someone you’re comfortable with…

First, be sure to ask your agent what specific marketing he or she does that’s EXTRA, not just what their company does – and have them differentiate the two!  Ask them to show you examples of each.  If you get that ‘deer in the headlights’ look, run for cover!   While you’re at it, it’s important to ask for proof of how many homes they’ve sold this year, or even their overall ranking within Pinellas County or Tampa Bay.  Ask for references.  Yet, above all else, find yourself a Marketing Agent and not just a listing agent!

The Happy Ending to Mark’s Story .. In 11 Days

We got Mark’s home under contract in exactly eleven days, with all paperwork signed and delivered in twelve days!  Our marketing plan delivered two offers (having two offers almost always drives up one or both offers), and Mark is closing on the sale of his property just before Christmas.   He’s moving on to his new adventures worry-free and doesn’t have the stress of paying for two homes (plus property taxes and insurance) in two states at once.

Mark’s story has a wonderful ending – and if you follow these tips for interviewing agents about their marketing and results- yours can certainly have a happy ending, too.

As Pinellas Realtors, we know that happy endings are what it’s all about!

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