Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - For sure the vast majority of Banderas News readers have bought and sold properties both "at home" and at your "second home" here in Puerto Vallarta. In general, listing a property means choosing an agent and an agency to "hang a shingle" outside your home and show the properties to perspective buyers. On the surface, this can sound easy enough and unimportant enough that anyone with a reasonable amount of intelligence and people skills could handle it.

In this article I hope to show you why you should dig deeper when choosing your agent as some of the behind the scenes work can make the difference on whether your home sells or doesn't. I have nothing against listing with your hairdresser or semi-retired friend, but it is a competitive market and perhaps they are better as friends than listing agents.

Here's how I would approach the topic:

1. Seek top agencies and agents. This can be as simple as seeing a lot of their signs around town, getting referrals from friends or via social networking sites. You may not make your decision based solely on this, but it's a good place to start.

2. Interview. It is essential that your prospective realtor (and their agency) have their act together for marketing your property. You want to know the agent's strategy to sell your home. If the agent chokes on the question, move along. This is business and you want to know what competitive edge they will offer you with their sales plan. If they cannot impress YOU with their knowledge and strategy, they are very unlikely to impress perspective buyers. Buyers need believe in the agent, their system and in your home to get their checkbook out and make the investment.

3. Maximize your take after the transaction. Are they knowledgeable about taxes? Do they work with top-notch attorneys? What is the fee for their services and why do the deserve what they charge? Be careful with this one, there is a saying in Mexico "lo barato sale caro." This translates to "cheap ends up expensive," which alludes to cheap services. On the surface they may seem like a cost-savings, however these can cost you money in the long run as all they produce is time wasted, and no sale at all.

4. The 80/20 rule. Like many things in life, 20% of the people produce 80% of the results. This is really true in marketing and sales. Twenty percent of the agents make 80% of the sales in Puerto Vallarta. These agencies have systems set up for their teams to produce results. There is no luck, nothing haphazard regarding their approach to the job. These professionals are worth every penny and will have by far the greatest chance to sell your home. "The race does not always go to the swiftest but that is how you want to bet."

5. Comfortable business relationship. Lastly, of the best of the best, who do you connect with? This person needs to communicate with you well - there is much strategy involved in offers, counters etc. and this person is your tour guide in the process. It's all about trust- is this a person you have a great "gut feel" about or is something not quite 100% when they walk out the door? You need to feel you are in good hands. A great agent pays for themselves and gets you results! Settling for less could be expensive.

If you have any questions, or need expert advice on buying or selling a Puerto Vallarta home or condo, contact Boardwalk Realty PV today at (322) 224-0014 in Vallarta, Toll Free from the US: 1-855-239-0640, or Toll Free from Canada: 1-855-244-1306.

John Swanson is a real estate and lifestyle expert at Boardwalk Realty PV. He is a long-term resident, homeowner and has raised his family here. He is a contributing writer for Banderas News and as a hobby, performs locally in the Texas Embassy Blues Band. You can contact him at john(at)boardwalkrealtypv.com, or visit his website on living in Puerto Vallarta at pvlifestyles.com.

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