"I met a fellow agent at an event and we were discussing what would be the one trait that made me stand apart from the competition.  Without any hesitation, I said, "my negotiating skills."

1. It is crucial to get the right representation for the sale of your property.

2. The agent acts as your voice to highlight the features of your property VS. that of the competition, to respond to queries regarding the price, to answer questions and concerns.

3. How those points are handled is critical, as the other agent determines their strategy depending upon what they hear and sense.

A good agent will put the interest of the client ahead of their own and will not be emotionally tied into the financial outcome of the transaction.  This can only happen if they have enough business, and yours is not their only one.

As a recent example, a client wanted to sell their condo in downtown Toronto.  I asked what their expectation was and they said it should sell for $330,000.  Another agent would have jumped on the price added a few thousand for negotiations and sold it for $330,000.  However, we recommended a higher list price as we were aware of the low inventory in the market, and sold it for $340,000 - $10K more than the clients expectations.

During the listing a similar unit on a higher floor was listed at $339,000.  Our client panicked (as no offer had come within the first 7 days on the market).  I assured him to leave his property listed as was, as our professionally staged condo showed much better than the other unit.  Our client's unit sold the same night.

On another note, a discount broker would have cost the clients less in fees, however the client would have netted less.  Hire an agent with experience and negotiation skill...it can make all the difference!"