Girl

Go with the woman, not just because of the enthusiasm, but because she has a solid mentor/partner in her corner. It is an unbeatable combination.
Jo

Girl that is local to your neighborhood. Knowing the immediate area can be crucial in some markets. I think you'll get more personal attention from her as well.

I have to agree with the others. Enthusiam over your listing weighs alot more to me than just being "another listing".

I'd go with the girl. She will be more likely to do "on the spur of the moment showings" and I think enthusiasm is a major asset.

Go with the person familar with your area & the person that will BABYSIT your listing.

There is nothing more frusting then when a REA lists your property too high & is totally dishonest with you. One that promises you everything but delivers very little. One who totally loves your house BEFORE the listing,but after the fact hounds you to make concessions, lower the price, change decor & is not around to answer questions or give feedback.
I like someone who is not too busy, but is very concientious & available.
I used to check REAs by calling them & seeing how quickly they respond & IF they respond.
The point you need to remember is that the chances of your listing agent selling your house is nil so you need someone to SERVICE the listing & the feedback.

Having a more local presence would be the decider for me.

I'd go with the gal. Sounds like she wants the listing more than the boys.

Finding someone "hungry" really appeals to me. But, one often worries about their lack of experience. Did you interview the manager? Is she a good fit for you? If you really feel the manager will play a strong role in the process, then I'd go with the girls.

I'd be worried about being off the radar with the boys...

I do think that I am leaning toward the girls. However, like amysrq, that lack of experience worries me.

I am most afraid that the young girl will end up being the primary agent and that the manager will disappear into her busy life after securing the listing. The boss talked the whole time during the interview and did almost all of the presenting and the girl said almost nothing, except "yeah" with a big smile. They said they donÂt use assistants  they just do it all themselves. Does this mean that the young girl IS the assistant? Sounded like the girlÂs number and pager would be on the sign and sheÂd be receiving all the calls about the house. But I donÂt have confidence that she could negotiate well or field crap-offers or deal with any surprises at the closing. She seemed more interested in "playing house" and staging and creating pretty flyers and writing copy and oohing and ahhing. Which is great and what I meant about enthusiasm, but I also need someone strong to get me through the legalese, business and monetary details

The boss seems like a good negotiator, but when I asked if theyÂd both be present at the closing or if theyÂd both be presenting offers, they gave each other a "look" and the boss then revealed that she was also the office manager and had 2 kids who were always at some event or another, so it would be "hard to predict which one of us would handle the offers or closing."

This team is in the same office as one of the 7% dynamos that I chatted with for 3 hours but ultimately decided not to use, so IÂm not sure if that is a conflict or not.

I also sent the girl an email this morning, and she still hasn't responded, which to me isn't a good sign. The boss responded very quickly to my email last night - but so far nothing from the girl. I simply must be able to communicate by email with my agent - especially if I'm going to be out of town/already moved while the house is on the market.

So... does this change anyone's mind? Are my worries justified? Or I am just being nit-picky? I don't have a problem with helping to train a new agent, but I need some kind of reassurance that the business end will be handled appropriately.

Is there any other choice? Yes your worries seem justified? The girl seems unsure of herself and I don't like the broker taking over the situation and not being available at signing. Yes 2 kids take up time, but sorry to say sometimes this type of job takes priority.
Sounds like the boss wants the listing, but does not want to assume responsibility for train her properly. The "new" person should do most of the talking with the broker being the teacher. If you do sign, go for 3 months only with a clause you can get out for any reason. Yes that can be done.

DH spoke at length with the manager (who answered her phone even late on a Friday night), and she assured us that she will be the primary agent and would be handling all the deals. So I think we're going to go with her, with a cancel anytime clause and only for 3 months. Hope I'm not making a huge mistake. Thanks everyone! I never realized how stressful selling a house could be.

Get it in writing!!!

And good luck! I hope it all goes well for you.