Selling your home is a big deal. Some of your most important personal and family goals hinge on the success of your sale. Of course you have a lot of money, time and energy on the line, too.  

Choosing the right real estate agent can make all the difference between having a positive and a negative home-selling experience. Below are 8 questions which will help you select the right agent for your sale. 

Listing Agent Question #1

Why are you in real estate? This is an open-ended question that has no one right answer. Hire an agent who has a passion for real estate that goes well beyond making a sale. For example, an agent may truly value the trust that is earned and the relationships that are built during the home-selling process. She might enjoy

This weekend, fire up your grill, enjoy brats and live music at the World's Largest Brat Fest, and then on Monday, take some time to visit downtown Monona. The city is hosting it's 61st annual Memorial Day Parade, the largest parade in Wisconsin. The event begins at 10 a.m. at the 4400 block of Monona Drive.

The parade is an annual tradition, and includes floats, bands, and entertainment, along with the opportunity to honor our military, both past and present. "It's important to honor veterans for many reasons," says parade organizer, Kelly Slack. "Many have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and our freedom. It is also important to recognize those individuals who have made the choice to serve our country and protect what America stands

Sometimes in real estate we get too wrapped up in quantity. We tend to measure ourselves by the number of closings or the volume of sales that we have in a year. As a home or condo seller, your concerns are more about quality. For example, when you hire your listing agent, how do you know you're getting a good one? Fortunately there are 3 simple measures that will help you answer this question. 

View our home selling results here. 

Measure #1: Listing Success Rate

A listing can either sell or it can expire. This simple measure identifies the percentage of an agent's listings that actually sell.  We calculated the listing success rate for the entire South Central WI MLS on May 17th and found that the average listing success rate in 2016 is 68%.

Walk into Cracovia Olympic Foil Fencing School, and you'll notice a large purple crest right away. A display stand holding foils is to the right. Keep walking, and you'll enter a large, open practice area. High ceilings, wood floors and sound panels that double as practice targets make for a beautiful studio. "En Garde!"  A fencing match is beginning. The new fencing facility opened this month, and is a dream come true for owner Krystyna Kostecka.  A world class fencer from Poland, Kostecka has decades of experience as a competitive fencer, and her love of the sport is contagious. Her students dress head to toe in protective fencing gear, and maneuver back and forth, challenging their opponents and protecting themselves at the same time.  "Safety First!"