13 Tips on Finding the Best Listing Agent to Sell Your House
Selling your home can be one of the biggest and most important events in your life. A home is most people’s largest investment, and it can be one of the most emotional attachments.
There are many things to take into consideration when selling your home. The price point and timing of sale are paramount, as is the condition of your home and making it attractive to potential buyers. Additionally, having your home properly exposed in the marketplace is important as well.
Another decision that will determine the best return on the sale of your home — from maximizing the profit to negotiating conditions to ensuring the legal complications of the contract are met — is finding the best real estate listing agent.
Your listing agent is crucial to your entire experience as a home seller. The listing agent will be involved in every step of the process, from preparing your home and determining the optimum asking price to marketing your property and negotiating the transaction. They’ll also ensure the contract is in order and the conveyancing is complete.
Like in any industry, real estate agents vary in abilities, personalities and motivations. It’s vitally important to find the “right fit” in a real estate agent, and choosing the right agent can be a challenging, stressful task. Finding the right agent to list and sell your home can make the home selling process a pleasant dream rather than a nightmare.
Here are tips from CENTURY 21 Core Partners in York PA on finding the best listing agent to sell your home.
- Get Referrals: Word-of-mouth is one of the most important ingredients in the real estate business, and this applies as strongly to choosing the best listing agent to sell your home as it does in purchasing a property. Real estate sales is a people business more so than a property business, and finding the right fit from a listing agent is likely to come as a result of referrals from other people.
Often referrals to real estate agents come from family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors or other acquaintances. Excellent referrals can come from professionals like your banker, lawyer, accountant, business associates or people in other parts of the real estate business like developers, builders and contractors.
Remember that the credibility of the referral to a real estate listing agent is only as good as the credibility of the source. Always keep an open mind and an open ear when assessing referrals.
- Interview Three Different Agents: Interviewing at least three different real estate agents before deciding on the right fit for you is common advice that you’ll find repeatedly given. As in getting multiple quotes for renovating your kitchen or bathroom, speaking with a number of potential listing agents will give you a feel of who’ll be the right fit and best work with you to list your home at the proper price point to give it the best exposure to buyers.
Be aware of an agent who is far off the mark in price point. A figure too low or too high may be a warning sign that the realtor is out of touch with your market or has an ulterior motive in representing you. Also, be aware that different REALTORS® have different agendas for taking on a contract for listing your home. Some may be desperate for income and some may be currently overloaded.
Pick your three candidates carefully before asking them for their time to interview them. High producers are busy people. They’ll be assessing you as a candidate to work with as well. It’s best not to exceed three potential REALTORS®. A professional realtor should be asking you how many other REALTORS® are competing for your listing. By exceeding three candidates, you’re significantly reducing their chances of getting your listing, and they may not want to put in the time and effort of giving you the attention you need to properly assess them.
Additionally, be careful of interviewing candidates within the same agency. Be fair to the REALTORS® who you’re interviewing and they’ll be fair to you.
- Examine Productivity: A sign of an effective real estate agent who will professionally list and market your home is the number of sales they’ve recently completed. Ensure you ask a potential agent about their performance record and take the time to look up their recorded sales at your local real estate board’s records of recent sales. They’re publicly available online as well.
The best listing agent for you will likely be someone who has moved property in your price range and in your neighborhood within recent months. Those agents will have a pulse on current market conditions and will be in the best position to accurately set the price of your home to get the best return on your sale in terms of maximum profit and minimal length of time on the market.
An agent who has five recorded sales in your price range and area within the past three months is more likely to give you the best service than someone with one or two sales, especially if the price bracket is much higher or lower than the value your home should be set at.
- Professional Accreditations and Education: All professional real estate agents must be licensed and in current good standing with their agency and local board. Agents who display a capital “R” in their Realtor designation are certified members of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and have pledged to adhere to the NAR code of ethics.
Professional REALTORS® take ongoing education courses. They’ll be astute to the local real estate market trends and cycles. Take into account what a realtor’s commitment to their professional development is. The best agent to list and sell your home will have a track record of educating themselves on your market and the industry as a whole.
- Measure Their Experience: There’s a saying in the real estate industry that anyone with under five years of experience is learning off of you. This may or may not be true and it’ll depend on the individual realtor. Some junior REALTORS® may be very astute and eager for success whereas senior REALTORS® might be satisfied with what comes their way and not go the extra mile to serve you.
As in many other professions, gauge the ability of a realtor on many things, not just the length of time they’ve been working in the real estate industry. Experience is just one factor to consider when finding the best listing agent to sell your home.
- Ensure They Are Detail Oriented: Real estate contracts can be complicated documents, and the successful sale of your home can depend on whether the documentation is properly completed. Professional real estate agents are trained in the legal requirements necessary to list and close the sale of your home. Details include addendums of disclosures, terms, conditions, subject-to’s, inspection reports, lien clearances, easements and rights of subsurface claims. The right agent to list your home must be analytical and detail orientated. There’s no place for sloppy or casual approaches to the legal requirements of real estate contracts and conveyance.
- Research Their Reputation: A real estate agent’s reputation is the most valuable asset they have. The industry depends on networking. It’s not just the interaction between other real estate agents or agencies — it’s between all the professionals like financial providers and investors, insurance brokers and public officials. It’s also the word-of-mouth passed through satisfied clients and their sphere of influence.
- Test Their Market Knowledge: Knowing the market in which your home is situated is crucial. Your listing real estate agent must be aware of current conditions, competing listings, pros and cons of locations and above all, the proper listing price.
The right listing agent will provide you with a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) that will show you what properties have recently sold in your area and in your price bracket. A thorough and realistic CMA is necessary to set your price and give you the confidence in competitively placing your home on the market.
A fundamental principle in the residential real estate business is that a home is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. A home priced too low may result in a snap sale while one priced above the fair market value may sit stagnant on the listing pages.
Pay close attention to what a real estate agent advises you when presenting a CMA. The right listing agent will have done their homework and be able to confidently stand behind their recommendations.
- Ensure They Specialize in Your Market: The right listing agent for you must know and be active in the market your home is set in. You may have a single-family property in a rural location, a townhouse in the suburbs or a condo in a dense urban high rise.
Many REALTORS® specialize in these types of properties and are competent in knowing how your listing fits into the competition for sale.
Someone who sells nothing but high-end luxury homes or vacation properties likely won’t serve well to sell your detached bungalow in the suburbs. Conversely, a real estate agent who mainly moves speculation properties for developers likely won’t be the best fit to sell your condominium.
- Place Value on Honesty: Balancing optimism with realism, diplomacy and brutal honesty is a quality to look for when finding the best listing agent to sell your house. Be aware of the nuances in the real estate business where an agent can experience a conflict of interest between getting you the fairest price while maximizing their commission.
REALTORS® often experience multiple offers, and an unethical agent may not be open to presenting offers which conflict with the agent’s maximum return on commission. As with reputation, take into account your impression of an agent’s ethical performance.
- Consider First Impressions: First impressions do matter when it comes to selecting the right listing agent. We all have an inner sense that speaks to us when we first meet someone new, and it’s important to listen to yours.
The realtor’s dress and deportment, the vehicle they drive, their punctuality, communication skills, handshake, eye contact, preparation for your meeting and especially the agency they represent, are all part of an overall assessment of who will be your best listing agent.
The realtor’s website is another leading indicator of their ability. Websites must always be current, informative and easily navigated.
- Determine Their Level of Dedication: Many REALTORS® do not work full time in the industry. Some hold their license as a convenience and pick up listings when they can without putting in the real effort it takes to properly list and sell your home.
Full-time REALTORS® are professionals and make their entire income from the listing and sales of homes. You should expect nothing less than a full commitment that your listing agent will properly present your home and get you the fairest price in the most reasonable time.
- Follow the 90 / 10 Rule: It’s a fact in the real estate industry that 90% of the sales are made by 10% of the REALTORS®. When choosing the right listing agent, take into account where they rank in sales productivity.
If the agent you’re assessing has very few sales recorded, especially in your price range, take that as a warning sign that the agent may not be for you. Also, take into account that a highly productive realtor in a heated market may not want or be able to give you the attention your listing deserves.
Take the 90/ 10 rule as a guideline in selecting a real estate agent. It’s just one of the overall factors to consider.
The Biggest Mistakes to Avoid
Making the right choice in finding the best listing agent for your home is more than just assessing the right qualities. It also involves knowing the pitfalls that can happen in not finding the right fit:
- Highest Price: A realtor who suggests an unreasonably high listing price may be ignorant of the market or trying to maximize the return on their commission. Too high of a price will almost always prevent a timely sale and give the property a black eye when forced price reductions take effect.
- Lowest Commission: You get what you pay for. A realtor who entices you with a commission rate below the industry standard may tarnish the listing and prevent other REALTORS® from showing it.
- “Mister Lister”: Some REALTORS® focus on getting as many listings as they can and then depend on the buyer’s agents to move the property for them, without putting in the proper time and money investment in promoting the property.
Ask the Right Questions
Ensure that you ask questions of a real estate agent who you’re considering giving your listing to. Here are some helpful tips and examples.
- What is your sales commission rate?
- What and where are your recent sales?
- What is your list price to sales price ratio? (It should be above 95%)
- Will you present me with a CMA before I commit to giving you my listing?
- What is your marketing plan for my property?
- What is your current listing load?
- What length of contract do you want?
- Is yours an exclusive listing or an MLS?
- Are you co-listing with another realtor?
- Are you part of a shared real estate team?
- Do you have an assistant?
- What differs you from other REALTORS®?
- How long have you been a realtor?
- Are you a full-time realtor?
- Do you have satisfied client testimonials?
- What communication form do you prefer?
- Will you have my property professionally photographed?
- What is my ability to cancel your listing if I’m not satisfied?
- What other questions should I be asking you?
All CENTURY 21 Core Partners in York, PA are professional, dedicated real estate agents. We know the local market and are the best listing agents in York, PA.
CENTURY 21 York PA agents represent the CENTURY 21 national real estate brand that exemplifies customer service with:
- Dedication: CENTURY 21 Core Partners work endlessly to ensure the home selling process is as easy as possible for you.
- Insider Knowledge: CENTURY 21 Core Partners know the York, PA area and give you insider recommendations.
- Top Skills: CENTURY 21 Core Partners have excellent negotiation skills. We’re at the forefront of the latest real estate trends and have extensive and regular training sessions.
- Convenience: CENTURY 21 Core Partners pledge to make your listing and selling process smooth. We schedule meetings and showings within your schedule including evenings, weekends and holidays.
CENTURY 21 Core Partners of York, PA, is proud to say that for three years in a row the J.D. Powers Home Buyer/Seller Satisfaction Study has ranked us as the highest service provider in the real estate industry.
These prestigious J.D. Power awards prove that CENTURY 21 Core Partners of York, PA is your preferred real estate partner.
Recent Company Testimonials
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“When I met Stacey for the first time she made me feel like she was really interested and help me to understand the process what to expect about looking and buying a home. at the first showing I knew that I was going to stay with her, I was previous that I should try other Brokers not just one, but I was very much satisfied with her knowledge time and patient with me to the end. She really did help me alot.”
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“Edward Gonzales was an absolute gentleman and professional. I felt supported just as much as the seller did. I would strongly recommend Edward to friends and family in the future. I love my new home and have no regrets whatsoever! P.S. LIz at the title company was top notch as well. Really appreciated them both being with me through the process. Felt like I knew them both forever. Smiles for Miles! Meredith Gerecht, York, PA”
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“Edward did an excellent job finding houses that fit my needs. He understood exactly what I wanted and did everything in his power to find the right house for me. He was very professional yet laid back at the same time. He did not exhibit a pushy salesman demeanor and was very patient with me as I was a bit picky with my house search. I feel like we worked very well together as a team and we found the right house for me.”
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“Stacey Sechler was a pleasure to work with. Besides being very knowledgeable of her craft, she was also very kind and honest. This was my first time buying a house and I felt she was looking out for me and not just trying to get a sale. She accommodated to my schedule and worked quickly to line up the houses I wanted to see. Once a house was chosen, the paper work process was prompt and easy and all negotiations were handled by Stacey and handled very well. I would recommend her to anyone who is currently looking to purchase a home. I cannot thank her enough and very much hope she’s still involved in the real estate profession when I go to buy my next home!”
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“We live 250 miles from where we were buying a home. Heather made it easy for us by keeping lines of communication open, until we narrowed in on what we wanted in our pric range. She offered insight and expertise that was invaluable.”
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“Heather is amazing; she does heartfelt work and is very tenacious in meeting her clients' needs.”
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“Personable, knowledgeable, professional - Dwayne's a topnotch agent!”
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“Our search for the right home was a long one (over two years!) and we had a lot of questions going into the home buying process. From beginning to end Leroy Moore went above and beyond to make sure all of our questions were answered and our needs met. We can honestly say that Leroy was far more help throughout this than even our mortgage company. He made sure that we fully understood the entire process and handled anything that popped up with such ease. We recommend Leroy to any of our friends thinking about starting the home buying process. Our family couldn’t say enough about how great he was when going through this long adventure.”
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“I was in the process of looking for housing in the York community. In January I reached out to a previous agent that we used to sell our previous home. It was not the greatest experience in working with her when selling our home but I am comfortable with those I am familiar with. In searching for a home in the community I ran across a home that Mr. Leroy Moore was the listing agent. I contacted him to look at that home. He shared that the home was already under contract but he immediately got to work on sending other similar homes in area. His immediate response caught my attention and after communicating with him, he thoroughly impressed me. Highly professional, attentive to my needs and very knowledgeable. He was so impressive that I contacted the agent that I was working with and informed her that I no longer needed her services. Mr. Moore's quality of service continued throughout the entire process. When I thought he could not impress me anymore he took it a step further to demonstrate how well he can negotiate and advocate, all the while seeking whats in the best interest of my wife and I. Attention to detail, immediate response, excellent communication throughout the process, education, personal service, personal interest, and many other impressive qualities. Mr. Moore is an excellent representation of a true agent who is genuinely invested in servicing his client's. What an amazing experience. If I need to purchase and sell anytime in the future I will absolutely seek him out. He would be very difficult to replace. This is my third home I have purchased and I have never been so impressed. WELL DONE and Century 21 should be highly appreciative to be represented by Mr. Moore.”
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“Mr. Moore, from the moment we first spoke with him, displayed a high level of competence and knowledge with respect to his business as well as the task with which he was presented. From the time he was contracted to the closing of the sale he actualized these characteristic in multiple ways, indeed, often in manner beyond my initial expectations. It was our pleasure to work with him!”
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“Everyone on Leroy's team that I worked with throughout the process provided the highest quality service. We spent a lot of time finding the perfect home for our family and Leroy and his 21st Century team were there with us throughout it. He provided great guidance and local knowledge. In the end due to market conditions timeliness was critical to secure the property that we selected and Leroy was readily available to ensure we were successful in securing our new home.”
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“Eva Kelly is an outstanding agent. Communication was excellent and she always attended to my needs in a timely manor.”
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“Leroy is so fun and down to earth and a real pleasure to work with. He is extremely knowledgeable in the process. When we wanted to see a property, he was on top of it and always got us scheduled immediately. We will always use him in the future. Leroy is extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of the real estate field. He never misses a beat. HE ROCKS!!!!”
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“She’s great! Even though this is business and it needs to be professional which she is she also simply comes off like someone you could be friends with and have over! Great personality! I have no reason to go with anyone else and if/ when I move in the future I’ll be giving Stacy a call”
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“Always returned my calls and texts in a timely manner”
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“We had the pleasure of working with Stacey Sechler for our recent home sale. From start to finish Stacey was very responsive, kind, knowledgeable and a constant professional. She is top notch and can’t be beat! We had a great experience!”
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“Leroy is an amazing agent, very considerate and attentive to your needs. Leroy seems to genuinely care about his clients. Leroy never left me feel like I was in the dark. Always went above and beyond to make sure I understood the process and what was going on I couldn't have asked for a better agent. Leroy is number 1 and I will definitely recommend him in the future.”
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“I really felt at ease with Leroy. He spoke to me with confidence and was at a level to where I did not feel like he was above me. He explained things to me so I could understand and was never condescending. Would tell anyone looking to buy or sell a home to see Leroy. Very good realtor and gentleman. Leroy's wife Tavy is just as pleasurable to work with in all aspects also. Will recommend anybody I know buying a house that I had an outstanding realtor. Thanks again Leroy and Tavy for helping a dream be accomplished.”
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“We've worked with Larry for many years. Always have complete confidence in his knowledge and willingness to go the extra mile, to come to a positive conclusion.”
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“She helped my mom buy her house and was extremely helpful and attentive throughout the entire process. I knew that she would be awesome helping me with buying my first home. She was honest, timely, and extremely helpful with helping me choose my new home. Anytime I had a question she would answer back almost immediately. Eva is amazing.”
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“Eva Kelly was always able to answer our questions and explain things we were unsure of. I would definitely use her again.”
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“Leroy was very helpful in the process of finding a home that had the floor plan I was looking for he also walked me through the process step-by-step where it was very easy to understand Leroy is very knowledgeable , professional and always kind to me and my family and I appreciate his services and will recommend him to my friends and family”
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“Leroy is a wonderful fellow, always willing to help!”
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“Rocio palacio was striving to bring the best options to me, she worked numbers that wouldn’t accommodate me. I would recommend Rocio palacio because she handles everything professionally and the job definitely gets done.”
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“Eva is excellent at her job. Very upfront and honest, she was great at helping us every step of the way, she defenately has our business if we ever sell or buy a home again,I would recommend her to any one buying or selling a home! We are very satisfied clients! She was wonderful i would highly recommend her to any one!”
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“Dwayne is knowledgeable about the market and a good problem solver. He is a good listener and is willing and able to adjust to my needs. I would highly recommend Dwayne to anyone interested in buying or selling a property.”
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“Eva is a great realtor! She really puts forth the effort to understand her customer and their needs. Would recommend her over and over.”
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“I lived out of state and Tonya checked in with me regularly Tonya made the experience easy on me by getting the carpet cleaned and she took care of blocking off the parking meters in front of the building. Tonya answered all of my questions in a timely manner.”
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“HE ALWAYS DID WHAT HE SAID HE WOULD DO. HE ALWAYS DID MORE THAN HE NEEDED TO DO. HE WAS ALWAYS VERY POLITE AND RESPECTFUL. HE WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO MAKE SURE THINGS WENT THE WAY THEY SHOULD AND WHEN THEY DIDN'T HE MADE CALLS FOR ME THAT I COULDN'T MAKE BECAUSE OF WORKING. HE WENT OVER THINGS WITH ME TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD EVERYTHING. I WAS VERY IMPRESSED AND THINK HE IS A GREAT ASSET TO YOUR COMPANY. I WOULD RECCOMMEND HIM TO ANYBODY THAT I KNOW THAT IS TRYING TO BUY A HOUSE.”
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“Always available & fast replies to questions. Keeps you in the loop as to what is happening A+”
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“Stacey was on top of everything. She knew my families needs , and was concerned about the school districts , and quality off life our family can enjoy in our new home . She is highly recommended”
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“Eva was outstanding! We were in a tight budget situation and she told us from the start she was willing to work with us. She came through on her promise which was amazing. She made it happen!”
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“Very professional, dedicated and helpful, will definitely do business again and recommend to friends and family.”
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“Eva Made the buying process easy and shes the most trustworthy realtor i've ever worked with”
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“The first time I met with Deb she was very patient in explaining the home buying process to me (it was my first time buying a home). She answered all my questions thoroughly. Deb was very organized and was always looking for things to point out as we went to go see houses. She also provided suggestions of houses to go see based on my personal preferences she had learned of in our first meeting. Even though these preferences changed, she remained patient with me. Deb exceeded my expectations for a realtor. She truly kept my best interests in mind and always responded to my questions in an extremely timely manner. I would highly recommend selecting Deb as your realtor for this reason.”
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“Tonya went above- and- beyond for us, every step of the way. We know we were in good hands! Because of Tonya's hard work and dedication, she was able to find us our dream home! We couldn't be happier, and will continue to refer family and friends to her!”
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“Stacey is very knowledgeable and courteous, she was always available if I had questions. I would definitely use her services again.”
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“Leroy was wonderful from start to finish. Very genuine and I would recommend him to my friends and family looking for a home. He was a pleasure to work with. Excellent Working with Leroy I learned a lot and he explained everything well.Leroy treated us like family and kept us updated on everything very quickly. if there was something he didn't know he would work hard to get us the answer. I would definitely recommend Leroy to anyone looking for a home.”
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“From start to finish, Heather was there for every question or concern I had. I would never think about using or recommending anyone else. Absolutely a great experience working with Heather.”
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“Stacey knows the business well. I would definitely recommend her.”
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“Deb is a wonderful realtor, she is very caring, easy to reach, reliable, professional and insures what is best for her clients. We are very fortunate to have worked with her.”
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“We met Leroy Moore at an Open House and appreciated his professionalism, knowledge and helpfulness in discussing selling and buying a home. Leroy is very detail oriented and extremely reliable. He kept in constant contact with us and informed us of important details during every step of the process. He was very patient in answering our many questions. Leroy Moore was extremely helpful throughout the process of buying our home. He is a great communicator and very knowledgeable. He was a pleasure to work with. He and his wife were so kind to leave a house warming gift and card for us in our new house the day we closed. We now count Leroy and his wife our friends.”
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“Thank you for all your help. You did a great job.”
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“Leroy was awesome. Always willing to take us looking even at 9pm on a Sat night. We'd ask to see a house and he'd set it up for next evening. Even set up to let us see 6 or 7 in one day. He also always responded right away if I texted him. Great agent and we highly recommend him. Really liked his wife that came along too!! Great experience overall and we love our house!!”
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“She sold our house in 48 hours. I couldn’t ask for more :) Very quick to respond to emails.”
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“Leroy Moore is very knowledgeable and experienced . Leroy Moore explained the entire buying process in detail that It made the decision making tasks easier.I would recommend Leroy Moore to everyone.”
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“I enjoyed working with Dwayne; he never made me feel uncomfortable. He was friendly, helpful and always respectful. I would recommend him to anyone who expressed the need of a real estate professional. If I had the need in the future, I would not hesitate to call him. Thanks, Dwayne!”
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“I would recommend Jenn to anyone looking for a home. She was kind and understanding, persistent but not a pest. Jenn is amazing! She got us a home perfect for our family and our needs.”
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“Dave is a very considerate, caring, knowledgeable, people person and I/we enjoyed working with him.”
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“Leroy made the process easy!”
