The New York Times had an interesting article recently on how agents are using technology and social media to reach new buyers and sellers. Brokers are going “way beyond learning how to post listings with 360-degree video tours, slide shows, layouts and maps with satellite views on dozens of Web sites like realtor.com, zillow.com, cyberhomes.com, YouTube and Craigslist.”

Check out the article here.

In our experience, a great agent will use a variety of marketing methods, concentrating on the media forms most applicable to the demographic they are trying to reach. If they are selling a $10m penthouse, twitter won’t help. On the other hand, a studio in the LES may be perfect for a Facebook foray.

We often hear a version of the following question, “Why does having a proven New York real estate agent matter—aren’t they are all about the same?” If you’ve ever wondered something similar, here are 10 reasons why you might want to consider investing some effort to a finding top-notch New York real estate agent.

1. The value of experience. There’s no substitute for experience. Even the New York agents with the most raw talent will not have seen enough transactions in their first couple of years to have developed a level of true expertise. Experience will give a top New York real estate agent the perspective to know when a deal is going sideways, to know how to deliver what a client really needs (even if they can’t articulate it themselves), to know the inventory in a market inside and out, to spot a property priced below market, etc.

2. Time savings. Top New York real estate agents know how to save their clients time. For buyers, that means avoiding properties that are not within budget or that don’t match the client’s sense of style. For sellers, it means not wasting time on unqualified buyers, setting listing prices unreasonably high just to win the listing, or pursuing unproductive marketing tactics.

3. Neighborhood/property type knowledge. Top New York real estate agents often specialize in a certain neighborhood and/or property type. When specializing in a certain neighborhood, they will typically know everything there is to know about that neighborhood—the best shops, the various schools, the most interesting bars and restaurants, etc.  If a New York real estate agent specializes in a property type, like townhouses for example, they will know trustworthy contractors, maintenance issues specific to townhouses, Landmarks issues, etc. They’ve typically seen it all before and can provide invaluable advice. New York can be a difficult and expensive place in which to make property mistakes; having an experienced adviser can make a huge difference.

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When selling a New York City home, we recommend having at least two different agents give you listing presentations so that you can compare and contrast styles and opinions. Here’s what you want to know before you make a decision.

Agent overview

1. Tenure in profession. How long have they been selling New York City homes?
2. Sales history: number of sales, dollar volume, number of sellers he/she represents as compared to number of buyers
3. Why you? What do you offer that is different from other agents?
4. If you take vacation, how do you handle your listings?
5. How do you communicate with your clients? Electronic? Calls? What regularity?

Firm overview

1. History of the agent’s firm
2. What is the firm’s unique position and how will that benefit the sellers?
3. How does the firm reach the local market? How many New York City homes are they currently marketing?
4. How does the firm communicate with the brokerage community?
5. When does the firm co-broker its listings?

Market overview

1. Current state of the market
   1. Discuss inventory of New York City homes on the market, sales velocity and pricing trends
   2. Breakdown of properties within the price/size segment
2. New York City home market outlook
   1. Understanding that no one has a crystal ball, it would nonetheless be helpful to hear future predictions

Your property and pricing

1. Marketing and media strategy
   1. Who do we need to reach? How? Why?
2. Pricing
   1. Comparable sales and comparables currently listed or in contract
   2. What could be done to improve pricing, value of targeted renovations, if any. Above everything else, accurate pricing is paramount in selling an apartment. It is important for the agent to present a coherent plan as to how to best position your home on the market. They should be able to defend their pricing estimates with specific examples and articulate the types buyers they will target and how they will be reached.

Another purpose of the listing presentation is just to see how your respective personalities fit together. Can you work with this person? Do they click with you? Even if an agent is a top professional, their personality may just not suit yours. Since you will be in constant communication with your agent (or at least should be) and will be relying on them in potentially stressful situations, make sure you select someone you both like personally and trust professionally.

For independent reviews and profiles of top agents who know the ins and outs of selling New York City homes, visit TopAgentGuide.com.

We often hear a version of the following question, “Why does having a good Manhattan real estate agent matter—aren’t they are all about the same?” If you’ve ever wondered something similar, here are 10 reasons why you might want to consider investing some effort to a finding top-notch Manhattan real estate agent.

1. The value of experience. There’s no substitute for experience. Even the agents with the most raw talent will not have seen enough transactions in their first couple of years to have developed a level of true expertise. Experience will give a top Manhattan real estate agent the perspective to know when a deal is going sideways, to know how to deliver what a client really needs (even if they can’t articulate it themselves), to know the inventory in a market inside and out, to spot a property priced below market, etc.

2. Time savings. Top Manhattan real estate agents know how to save their clients time. For buyers, that means avoiding properties that are not within budget or that don’t match the client’s sense of style. For sellers, it means not wasting time on unqualified buyers, setting listing prices unreasonably high just to win the listing, or pursuing unproductive marketing tactics.

3. Neighborhood/property type knowledge. Top Manhattan real estate agents often specialize in a certain neighborhood and/or property type. When specializing in a certain neighborhood, they will typically know everything there is to know about that neighborhood—the best shops, the various schools, the most interesting bars and restaurants, etc.  If a Manhattan real estate agent specializes in a property type, like townhouses for example, they will know trustworthy contractors, maintenance issues specific to townhouses, Landmarks issues, etc. They’ve typically seen it all before and can provide invaluable advice. Manhattan can be a difficult and expensive place in which to make property mistakes; having an experienced adviser can make a huge difference.

Read the rest of this entry »