In today's market, choosing the right agent is more critical than ever.  He or she must skillfully market your home; negotiate your contract and service all of your related needs; and most buyers and sellers do have MANY related needs...although exactly what you will need is yet to be determined.  So, it is hard to know what questions to ask when you are interviewing an agent. 

No matter what else you decide is important to you, make sure it is a good personality match - buying or selling a personal home is an exciting, but stressful time in your life.  Find an agent that understands that, who will guide you through the process, who will help you examine your options closely without allowing you to get overwhelmed by the decisions to be made. 

The best way to do that is to ask for references and read testimonials.  By asking for the contact information for the last 3 clients that closed a transaction with your agent, you will get a feel for whether they are working more with buyers or sellers and how much business they are doing.  Plus, past clients are the best resource - they have lived through it with their agent; and they can tell you what was most important to them.  In talking with previous clients, you will be able to quickly determine what strengths the agent has; and learn about the flexibility and adaptability of your agent to the various scenarios that are presented during a real estate transaction.    If previous clients are not raving about the agent - move on.  You can get better service elsewhere.

Take a look at some of the comments received from my clients and colleagues! 

Tom & Lisa Beatty
We had a great experience using Vicky as our realtor.  She is extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of selling and buying homes and works hard to keep abreast of the current market conditions.  She provided great insight on the current real estate market and kept us informed of the ongoing mortgage/lending changes that were being implemented by the federal and state governments.  Vicky is a friend, but was always extremely professional while acting as our realtor.  We definitely feel that we had the best representation during the whole home selling process.  I would highly recommend Vicky for anyone buying or selling a home during these difficult times.  Thanks!

William E. LaRock
Vicky provided invaluable assistance to me in my recent effort to acquire residential investment property. Her experience, enthusiasm and follow-through exceeded my expectations; which were high. There was even a remarkable incident in which she clearly put my interests above her own. I would highly recommend Vicky.

Marty Schmamann
Very good.  Very, very helpful.  Found something for my mother very quickly during what was a very difficult circumstance.  (She) did an outstanding job!

Tom & Anna O'Brien

Dear Vicky,

Thank you for everything you have done to sell our house.  You went above and beyond the call of duty, and even when we called with a question or needed assurance on something you always made our calls feel welcomed and never a bother.  In our minds you are the best REALTOR(R) in the world!!!!!

Thanks again. 

Love always,

Tom, Anna, Joshua & Jessica OBrien

During a recent follow-up call, Mrs. O'Brien added:
"She's excellent.  Very willing to answer questions.  She was patient, energetic and creative.  She's the best!"
testimonial

William Beach, Beach Carpentry
All experiences have been great.  (Vicky has) done nothing but good for me.  I have dealt with real estate agents for over 25 years & Vicky comes up with new ideas that always seem to work.  She has gotten more on properties than I thought would be possible!

Diane Buxton
Could not be better!  She really cares about people.   (Vicky is) warm & caring.  It feels like she is my sister at this point.  (She is) patient & kind.  Changed my opinion of real estate people.  Aboslutely nothing negative. Goes the extra mile. Said she would go online & find a light for my kitchen when that was probably the last thing she would want to be doing - and did it with a smile!

Shane Frazier, RBC Builder Finance
I have worked with Vicky in various capacities over the past 3+ years and highly recommend her to anybody that is looking for a top notch, extremely motivated, intelligent, and dependable real estate professional. Vicky has proven time after time that she is a very knowledgeable professional regarding the real estate industry from selling properties for land owners/homeowners, managing commercial properties, locating land/lots for developers/homebuilders/investors, and offering consultation services for the real estate industry. I have never met such a well rounded individual who is well equipped with a wealth of knowledge for the real estate industry (both commercial and residential, mainly focusing on residential). Vicky is a very good colleague to have on your side with a number of years of experience in real estate. I will only use Vicky to buy and sell properties, personally, and always refer her to my clients for helping them in any way possible to maximize their profitability.

Lisa Hale
(Vicky was) very personable.  Great for a first-time home buyer or seller!  She didn't just say 'This is the way we sell a house', but made it personal instead.

Mrs. Hall
I would rate her as excellent!  I was impressed by her efficiency and truthfulness.  She sold my home in less than 30 days, whereas the first agent we listed with only showed it once in 3 months.  She (Vicky) contacted us weekly and did not keep us guessing about anything.  I regret not hiring her as our first agent.

Teresa Cherry
Thank you so much!  I could not have a better situation than to have someone I trust so much working on my side.

Teresa Hagaman

As a professional home stager and entrepreneur, I have staged over 1,100 homes and work with numerous investors and agents. Over the past 4 1/2 years, Vicky Chrisner has assumed VIP status as one of my clients, as well as become a valued peer and colleague. She exemplifies excellence in all areas of professional real estate: compassionate customer service, strategic sales & marketing, and artful negotiation. Vicky continually monitors and studies market statistics and trends to provide her clients with knowledgeable guidance, whether they are purchasing or selling a home.

-Teresa A. Hagaman
President
TAH-DA! Inc.
Formerly trading as StagedRite, Inc.

Brian Grupac
I can say nothing but great things about our experience with Bo (Licking Valley Construction).  We’ve been trying to do this for two years, encountering set back after set back.  He went above and beyond our expectations in building our home.  There were things he did to help us that you wouldn’t expect a builder to do.  It was great to have an agent like Vicky to guide us through each step.  With outstanding customer service, the two of them working together made it a seamless process.  We are very thankful to Bo and Vicky.  They’ll be in business for a long time helping people like us.  I will definitely call upon them again for our next home!
testimonial

Stacy Dade
Thanks so much for helping me with this.  It really means a lot to me.  Your hard work and dedication to your career is very evident.  The entire process couldn't have been easier.  If I ever hear of someone in the market I will definitely send them your way.