Not all real estate agents and their companies are created equal.  Unfortunately this is more true than anyone wants to admit.  If your listing your home for sale you want to make sure your real estate agent is working to secure the last ten percent of sales price.  Why?  That last ten percent pays for the real estate commissions and usually encompasses all of the preparation (paint, etc) and presentation (staging) costs associated with selling a home.  The last ten percent is very important to the seller and unfortunately not as important to all real estate agents.  Some agents want the sales transaction to be quick and easy (minimal time for them) and will not always recommend the optimal approach to selling a home.  In the San Francisco Bay Area's prime locations, if your agent does not recommend preparations like interior/exterior paint, landscape enhancement, floor refinish/ carpet replacement, house and window cleaning to help the buyer feel the home is move-in ready as well as presentation activities like staging and great photographs, then the home seller will not likely receive the best price and could sacrifice the last ten percent of sales price.  Remember for a $700,000 home that's $70,000 (quite a chunk of change to not receive).  How to get the best real estate agent? - interview several agents, get referrals, or ask professional companies like us.  Our goal are aligned with the home sellers - to secure the best price for your home sale.