--- title: "Seven Costly Sins - Sin #7" description: The final part in a seven part series, the 'Seven Costly Sins' that home owners commit when selling their home - Engaging the wrong marketing agent image: https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/hubfs/lineup-502x350-1.jpg --- [0800 030 646](tel:0800030646) - Search - [Contact Us](https://nzhl.co.nz/contact-us/) - [Find Us](https://nzhl.co.nz/find-us/) - [Client Login](https://nzhl.co.nz/login/) [![NZHL](https://blog.nzhl.co.nz/hubfs/Nzhl_January2019%20Theme/Images/logo-footer-nzhl.png)](https://nzhl.co.nz/) - [Home Loans](https://nzhl.co.nz/home-loans) - - [Change to NZHL](https://nzhl.co.nz/home-loans/switch-to-nzhl/) - [Buying your first home](https://nzhl.co.nz/home-loans/first-home/) - [Buying your next home](https://nzhl.co.nz/home-loans/next-home/) - [Interest rates](https://nzhl.co.nz/home-loans/interest-rates/) - [Home Loan calculators](https://nzhl.co.nz/home-loans/tools-calculators/) - [FAQ](https://nzhl.co.nz/about-nzhl/faq/) - - [How much could I borrow?](https://nzhl.co.nz/home-loans/tools-calculators/) - [Where's my nearest office?](https://nzhl.co.nz/find-us/) - [How much deposit do I need?](https://nzhl.co.nz/home-loans/first-home/getting-a-deposit/) - [Insurance](https://nzhl.co.nz/insurance) - - [Your Life](https://nzhl.co.nz/insurance/your-life/) - [Your Health](https://nzhl.co.nz/insurance/your-health/) - [Your Home and Car](https://nzhl.co.nz/insurance/your-home/) - [Your Income](https://nzhl.co.nz/insurance/your-income/) - [Request a quote](https://nzhl.co.nz/insurance/request-a-quote/) - [FAQ](https://nzhl.co.nz/about-nzhl/faq/) - - [NEW! 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Your choice for marketing agents is unlimited; you can hire a good agent or a mediocre agent, they all cost about the same. In order to get the best result when selling your home you need to be able to tell the difference up front. So how can you be confident that your agent is up to scratch? Be wary of agents whose appraisals seem unusually high. Some agents may distort the truth in order to gain your listing hoping to drop the price later. An incorrectly priced home will not sell quickly and often results in a sale price that is below market value. Be sure to ask any agent to show you recent sales data with facts and figures that support the suggested price in your area. The biggest advantage to using a marketing agent is that they are professional negotiators with natural objectivity. It's not uncommon to achieve more than market value through a sound negotiation strategy so it makes sense to leverage off this skill base. Check credentials to be sure your agent is suitably experienced and make sure they are dedicated to selling your home. Do they sell homes for a living or just to supplement their income? Most importantly, don't ignore your gut. Make sure you feel comfortable with your agent and always get enough information so you can make an informed decision on your marketing agent. Characteristics of good marketing agents - Honestly. Trust your intuition. Your agent should speak from the heart. - Experienced marketer. - Negotiation skills. You want an aggressive negotiator, not somebody out to make a quick sale at your expense. - Networking. This is a people business. Some homes sell because agents have contacted other agents. - Good communicator. Great communication and availability are key. Finally, ask for a personal guarantee. If the agent won't guarantee performance and release you from the listing upon request, don't hire that agent.   [Sin #1 – Pricing outside the selling zone](http://www.nzhl.co.nz/seven-costly-sins-sin-1/) [Sin #2 – Displaying your home ineffectively](http://www.nzhl.co.nz/seven-costly-sins-sin-2/) [Sin #3 -  Over Capitalising](http://www.nzhl.co.nz/seven-costly-sins-sin-3/)[Sin #4 - Ineffectively marketing your home](http://www.nzhl.co.nz/seven-costly-sins-sin-4/) [Sin #5 - Letting emotions cloud your judgement](http://www.nzhl.co.nz/seven-costly-sins-sin-5/)[Sin #6 - Choosing the wrong selling method](http://www.nzhl.co.nz/seven-costly-sins-6/)[Sin #7 - Engaging the wrong marketing agent](http://www.nzhl.co.nz/seven-costly-sins-7) *This is an extract from “How to avoid the Seven Costly Sins homeowners commit when selling their home” written by Mark Lambie* [Mark](http://marklambie.raywhite.co.nz/) is a top performing Sales Manager with Ray White in Christchurch and can be contacted via email (mark.lambie@raywhite.com), mobile (0274 400 200) or visit his [website](http://marklambie.raywhite.co.nz/) *The information contained in this article is of a general nature and should not be taken as advice. 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