We gave Ran the exclusive to sell our apartment. After a brief but thorough procedure of knowing the apartment and taking a professional photo of it, he showed it patiently and courteously for several months. We gave him a key and felt full confidence that he would come in when we were away (and even when only the kids were at home). He was very pleasant to those interested and to us. Always coordinate ahead of time, and gives an advanced reminder. He collaborated with other brokers, which greatly increased the number of interested buyers.
He set the price for the apartment together with us and shared with us when he felt the need to lower it a little. The discussion was always pleasant and professional, leaving the feeling that the decision is ours.
When offers came Ran passed them on to us, heard the possibility of flexibility on our part and returned only with a final offer after he negotiated for us. That was the most important part – the feeling that someone represented us and our interests and got us the best deal without having to deal with the tension and unpleasantness of negotiation.
In summary, many times sellers do not understand why a realtor needs to claim a “free coupon”. In Ran’s case, he justified every penny we paid him and I’m sure he got a much better deal for us than we could get ourselves.