Questions for your Realtor, continued

Yesterday, we discussed questions regarding a prospective listing agent's knowledge of your community.
Today, in relation to that topic, the question is "What MLS are you a member of?"  Most people would think this question is irrelevant and assume that if someone is working in the area where your home is located, they definitely would be in that local MLS.  It would surprise you to know how many agents are not members of local MLS systems.  Here in the Naples and Marco Island area of Florida, we have two MLS systems:  The Naples Board of Realtors and the Marco Island Area Association of Realtors.  They each have their own MLS systems and those systems are not connected or share their information.  The reason knowing the answer to this is important question is simple:  You want your home exposed to the Real Estate agents who are most likely to sell your home.  An agent who is only a member of the Naples MLS but lists a home on Marco Island will only list the home in the Naples MLS.  When a Marco Island agent pulls listings to show their clients, they will not know your home is even available for sale and you will miss the opportunity to have it seen and sold.  That's not to say that a Naples agent will definitely not have access to the Marco Island MLS; many are in both the Naples and Marco Island boards just as most of the agents on Marco Island are in both MLS systems.  You just need to specifically ask what MLS(s) your home will be advertised in.  Choose an agent who is a member of more than one MLS.  This will maximize your exposure to other Realtors and increase your chances of getting sold.

Important Information When Listing Your Home

I recently read an article regarding whether or not it makes a difference if you use a Realtor who is local to your area or one who is a little outside of the immediate area.  In large cities and metropolitan areas, this could very well be a important factor. This got me to thinking about what questions you should ask when interviewing a Realtor who is applying for the job of marketing your home for sale. Over the course of  the next few days, I am going to address these different questions and explain what they could mean to you.
Today's question:
Are you familiar with my specific community?  Here in the Naples and Marco Island area of Florida, that question has a much different meaning than in other parts of the country.  We have hundreds of "communities" (or subdivisions, as they are known in other states) as well as specific geographic areas, each with their own nuances.  Some of the communities are gated, require membership in a golf club or other type of club, allow pets, don't allow pets, have beach clubs, etc.  We also have many boating accessible communities and areas which create questions about access to the Gulf of Mexico, seawalls, docks and much more. The best way to handle these important points of knowledge is to make a list of the details of where you live that you feel a prospective Realtor should be familiar with in order to help you sell your home.  Be specific, don't just ask "are you familiar with my community?"  Instead, ask "what do you know about my community?"  Knowing this ahead of time will greatly reduce your time and stress as you go through the process of selling your home.

Tomorrow's discussion: What MLS are you a member of?