I expect a number of you may be selling a home for the first time, just as there are many fisrt time buyers out there. While I have talked quite a bit about selling, I have not focused on this from the first time seller's perspective. There are a number of issues to cover, so I am not sure how many posts there will be yet- probably 3 or 4 at least. So here we go.

I am going to make an assumption that you have made the decision to move (could be relocation, since that is much of what we focus on here, but it certainly doesn't need to be). The point is you have decided to sell your first home and need to go about it in the right way. You've been a first time buyer, but this is different. And you need to look at it from a different perspective - that of a seller.

First off, you will need to select an agent to help you. If you want to go it alone, fine, but I advise against it. There are liability issues, it's hard to get the exposure you need in a crowded and competitive market, and you stand to make more money on a sale with a listing on the open market. So we will assume you are going to work with an agent. As you probably did as a buyer, you need someone who understands how to list and market a home. And who is knowledgeable about seller representation...watching out for your best interests (financial, liability, disclosures, confidentiality, and so on).

If the agent who helped you buy was terrific and has stayed in touch, I would contact that person for starters. If they lost track of you or you can't even remember who it was, that's a bad sign. Get a good referral from others who are VERY SATISFIED with their listing agents. Don't just pick one who has signs all over the place - they may be too busy to really help you. and lots of signs does NOT mean lots of sales. Some heavy listers only sell 50% of their homes or less - you don't want to be that statistic do you?

Before we get into the meat of selecting your agent, you might want to read these other references:

Mediocrity - You Don't have to Stand for it, Sellers (Part 1 of 4)

Sellers, What Are You Afraid Of?

Looking for a Good Listing Agent?

Stay tuned for more on the selection process and the listing presentation.