Common sense dictates that if you want your Markham, Ontario real estate to sell better, faster, you should hire a real estate agent to expedite your move to Washington. But when you search the ads for a likely candidate, you see all kinds of different types: buyer's agents, selling agents, listing agents, dual agents, and just plain agents. Which is the right type for you? We'll help you figure it out by describing listing agents and what you can expect yours to do for you if you hire one.

A listing agent is just a fancy name for a seller's agent. So if you're selling a home or another piece of property, this type of Toronto real estate agent is the one you want to hire. Listing agents take their name from the fact that they will be listing (or advertising) the property on your behalf. Listing agents commonly work only on residential property or only on commercial property, though some agents (usually in smaller locales) may do both. Make sure you hire an agent with the appropriate specialty to sell your property.

When you hire a listing agent, you're getting someone who will effectively do all the legwork in selling your Acton real estate. They can't legally sell the property for you, but they can advertise and market it for you, arrange the photos and ad copy for the listing, host open houses, deal with buyers, conduct home tours, negotiate with the buyer's agent to get you the price that you want, and oversee all the paperwork that comes along with a real estate transaction.

Generally speaking when you see someone advertised as a listing agent, he or she will only be involved with helping sellers, but some (especially in small towns) will also represent buyers as well. In rare cases, agents may even represent both the buyer and the seller of a house for sale in Mississauga, but this is a situation you'll want to avoid as it's not in your best interests. Most listing agents work out of an office where real estate agents with other specialties can handle the other aspects of the transaction.

In exchange for your listing agent's assistance in selling your Plano, Texas real estate, he or she will expect to earn a commission on the sale of your property. Commissions are usually between 2.5% and 3.5%. But when you're budgeting, remember that you will also be responsible for the buyer's agent's commission, which will be the same amount again for a total of between 5% and 7%. Some agents work for flat fees but general wisdom states that commissions help motivate agents to work harder at getting a higher price for you (and by extension, themselves).