The realtor you hire to sell your home can change your selling experience, and can directly affect how much of a profit or loss you get for your property. While hiring the very best seems like an intuitive and sound idea, you may want to check your reasoning..

Why go for the underdog? There are quite a few reasons that one of the “second best” will work harder to sell your home ~ on your terms.

First and foremost, remember that this is a business. A realtor’s income is totally dependent on earning commissions; this means you need to find a realtor who has your best interests at heart, not a quick paycheck. Many top realtors will press to price your home on the “lower end of the range” to sell your house quickly, sometimes at less than what it’s worth. The top realtor in your area is an expert at making quick sales, which may include using their experience to bully you into taking an offer that is too low, or convince you to lower your asking price before you’re ready… but, it doesn’t take a “top realtor” to sell your home at a bottom price.

A higher sale price only means a minimally higher commission, and more money in your pocket, versus a quick pay out on a property with your top agent saving hundreds on advertising/marketing and TIME.

An experienced realtor is an asset, but the “top producer” may actually hurt your property’s value. The top realty professional in your area probably has a high work load, taking on lots of properties. He or she may not have the time to spend on properly preparing you and the home for sale, extensive “out of the box” marketing, and showing your home immediately to those showing interest. Top realtors rely on volume of sales, rather than on individual experience. Underdogs in the business often have to work harder and do more for their client to compete.

Want to keep more of your money? Selling commissions are negotiable! High quality second tier agents often offer lower commissions, which can save you thousands of dollars..

Remember the vast majority of realtors use the same marketing strategies (primarily internet based and fully automated) to sell properties ~ all agents rely on other agents to sell their listings… and every agent has access and uses the MLS… the “Top Agents” don’t have any tricks other than getting YOU to list your home for where it will sell NOW..

When hung up, calling a realtor’s references will often give you more insight into how quickly and at what value he/she can sell your property—all while keeping your interests a high priority..

There’s no need to hire the “top dog” (or who you assume is the top dog) when a less known realtor will probably sell your house in the same way as the top brand name will, and you may even pocket more money..

Remember, anyone can buy a park bench ad—it doesn’t make a realtor more effective..

Author Jeff Hammerberg is the Founding CEO of www.GayRealEstate.com ~ Free Instant Access to the Nation’s Top Gay, Lesbian and Gay Friendly Realtors Coast to Coast ~ 1.888.420.MOVE (6683).