• Experience is critical. A newbie Realtor may cost the same an an old hand in commission, but could cost you thousands in a number of other ways. I have been listing and selling homes in the Boise Idaho area for 19 years. Since 2001, I've listed over 100 homes with better than a 75% success rate, a respectable number in hot & cold markets and for sellers with varying degrees of motivation.
• Brokers over agents.  All agents are licensed through brokers.  In Idaho, real estate brokers must have at least 2 years experience as an agent and meet much more stringent education standards and testing to be licensed.  Therefore, brokers in general are more experienced, educated and qualified to represent you.  
• Letters behind their name. The best Realtors educate themselves to better serve their clients. Limit your search to the upper-echelon of Realtors, those who have earned meaningful designations. At the very least, Graduates of the Realtor Institute (GRI) because it takes several years and substantial investment to earn. I am most proud of my Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation. After meeting very high production standards and taking many outstanding courses, I can tell you Realtors with a CRS are the cream of the crop.
• Knowledge of the market. Even an experienced agent must know the area. For example, I know where water-in-the-crawl-space is common in Boise & Meridian. Or how that split-entry design in Boise affects your resale. Or how those boxy no-frills new homes in Nampa & Caldwell will sell. Or that Kuna has the tightest supply of homes in the valley. Or how high levels of foreclosures may affect your sale in Eagle and Star. I have spent my entire career listing & selling homes in the Boise area and constantly study the market. 
• Knowledge of Financing. The loan programs available today play a key role in who your home should be marketed to. The condition, price range and many other factors can affect financing and the pool of potential buyers for your home. After hundreds of transactions, you could say I have a masters in the School of Hard Knocks and can counsel you on the costs, advantages and drawbacks of each loan program.
• Attention to detail.  A simple mistake on the listing or missing features can cost you thousands if likely buyers can't find your home. You would be amazed how many mistakes I find in the MLS, from wrong lot size categories to lack of pertinent terms to lack of photos. Also, when you are considering offers, I provide a good faith estimate of your cash at closing based on the offer and expect to be held accountable when it comes to your bottom line.
  

Internet Advertising- is the most important marketing venue today, since the vast majority of home buyers start their search on the internet. Yes, the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) is your ultimate marketing tool worth many thousands of advertising dollars, but all Realtors provide it along with Realtor.com. There are many other places where your listing should be. My website host, Homes.com, is ranked 2nd behind Realtor.com for home searches and your listing is also distributed to Yahoo, Google, Frontdoor, Bob Villa, HotPads, Propbot, Zillow, Vast, Oodle, Harmon Homes, Trulia, Bargain Networks and more.

Video- The Hottest New Trend. Virtual tours are extremely popular with buyers today. But, I'm not talking about the common glorified slide-show with music and no real details. I produce a real custom video tour of your home, where I point out every feature and positive selling point, actively pitching your home to prospective purchasers 24 hours per day. This also prevents unnecessary showings when the home is not what the buyer is looking for.

Personality- the X-factor. Finding a Realtor is like dating- good looks are not everything. I've got the experience and competence to professionally represent you, but am I a pushy jerk? There's only one way to find out. Call for a free market analysis and consultation and interview me.

Dan Rowe ABR CRS GRI, Broker

(208) 866-3481

danrowe@cableone.net