fsbo|realtor|real estate

If the office is not location in the market area where your home is located the sales representatives from that listing office will be less likely to show your home to perspective buyers. Most real estate agents work out of a 15 miles radius from their office location. So if the office is not near enough to your home that will affect the amount of showings you will get from your listing company.

It will be more difficult for your listing agent to provide the level of service you would expect because of this location situation. An example might be scheduling and attending open houses, meeting buyers and agents at the home for showings, arranging for and meeting inspectors, meeting with you to discuss feedback, offers and marketing strategies. Simply put it is a whole lot easier for a local agent to provide the level of service you will expect to receive for the commission.

The office marketing program may not cover your area as well as a local broker making advertising less effective. Most buyers meet real estate agents at there office. When the office is not near the property the buyer has to go out of their way to see your home. This can cause you to lose a lot of potential buyers.

LENGTH OF TIME IN BUSINESS

o Of course a solid track record should be a consideration.

Years of success shows a solid foundation. Your listing broker will be more likely to be able to deliver the services promised.

The individual experiences of the owners, managers & agents plays a key role in making sure all the details that go into marketing your home and closing a transaction happen on time and without errors.

REPUTATION

o What do you know about the company you are considering listing your home with?

Have they marketed and sold homes in your area before?

What is their customer service record?

Do you personally know of anybody who could recommend this company, or can the office and agent provide recent references?

In general does the company seem to be active in your local market area?

SIZE

o The size of the real estate company and the amount of business it does on a yearly basis is important.

If it is too small and the company will not have the resources to affectively market your home to all potential buyers. Typically these are companies with less than 10 active full time agents!

If it is too big and your home can get lost in the shuffle if it doesn't sell right away. Many times you may end up working with an assistant instead of the agent you listed the home with. Most of these companies will claim to have 40 or more agents working out of a single office.

Try and pick a company and agent who will cater to your needs.

Dont put to much trust in the amount of business the company or agent does. You will quickly find out that there is a huge different in quantity as opposed to quality! Agents who do the most business rarely can provide the best service. They may be highly successful if you base success on how much money they make. But that doesnt automatically mean they are providing excellent service to their clients. There is only so much time in a day! In addition, avoid agents that will delegate you to an assistant.

Back

What services should you receive?

Its not just about a property evaluation (CMA)!

Most real estate agents can come up with a CMA (Comparable Market Analysis), estimate of your properties value if they have access to the comparable sales data and have a solid knowledge of the market place and market conditions. So although getting an accurate property evaluation is important, it is not of high value as a service since most any agent should be able to perform this service for you.

So what is important?

The Company & the Agent! All companies and agents are unique. Even when working with the top real estate companies in your area, within each office you will have above average, average and below average agents.

The real estate company is the backbone of a successful real estate transaction. It provides the training, marketing plan, tools and support that agents need to do their job. The listing agents job is to maximize the sellers bottom line, to accomplish that task in a reasonable time frame and to also protect the seller from any problems that might arise during the transaction. In the end the seller should feel that whatever commission their agent was paid that he/she was worth every penny!

Agent Attributes

What attributes you should be looking for in a real estate agent?

Honesty

o Is the agent telling you the truth or just what he/she thinks you want to hear just to get the listing?

Dedication

o What proof can the agent provide that they will follow through on the promises made to you?

Accessibility

o Will your agent keep you informed and return your calls. Will you be dealing with an assistant instead of the person you hired?

Knowledge

o Does the agent have a combination of training and experience to deliver the service required to maximize your results.

Support

o Does the real estate company that the agent works with have the resources to expose your home to the largest market share possible.

Your real estate agent should be able to;

First, Numero Uno! Understand your situation and needs.

Present a comprehensive plan that will find buyers that are willing to pay the highest price for your home, under your terms and conditions.

Go over pricing strategies. What is a good asking price?

Discuss what can be done to the property that will enhance its saleability.

Give an overview of the current market conditions and future expectations.

Discuss pros and cons of different commission rate options. What effect might a lower or higher commission have on your bottom line.

Outline all the things that will occur once you sign the listing agreement. Go over the time line, chain of events.

Discuss options if your home does not attract buyers.

Explain why you should hire him/her over anyone else. What does he/she bring to the table that can be a benefit to you!

DO IT YOURSELF

FOR SALE BY OWNER

For the most part the reason a seller wants to sell on their own is to save the real estate commission. Although the idea of saving money is certainly a solid concept the process necessary to accomplish the task is difficult and not likely to produce the desired results. Here's why...

First of all, the buyer, in all reality, is paying the commission not the seller (we'll explain how this is true). For sure that the commission proceeds come out of the sales price, but most buyers work through real estate agents for the following reasons.

1. The process is difficult and at times confusing

2. A experienced agent will reduce the time it takes to find a home.

3. Agents can help buyers save money, loan fees, interest rates and closing costs.

4. Agents can and do recommend reputable service providers that all buyers need to complete the transaction on time.

5. The real estate agent becomes the buyers one reliable source for answers to any of the questions they will have during the process of finding, financing and closing on a home.

      6.   After the closing, if there are any problems, the real estate company is a
            resource to solve the issue. Compare it to buying a used car from a car dealer
            or private seller, which are you more likely to be able to recover any damages
            from after the sale?  And of course a home is a much bigger purchase than a
            vehicle!

Because of all the benefits of working with a real estate agent the vast majority of buyers dont seek out for sale by owner because they dont want to lose all the benefits an agent provides. Think about it, most home buyers arent familiar enough with the area they are planning to move to, or their time is very limited not to use an agent to find a home. Its not that buyers are unaware that some owners are selling privately, its just that most home buyers want the security and valuable services real estate agents provide. Why would a buyer pay top price to a for "sale by owner" and not get the services and benefits of a agent? Home Buyers know they will pay a little more for a home using a real estate agent but what they get in return is far greater than the cost. Thats why we say that the buyer pays the commission!

Additionally, the buyers looking for a home without a real estate agent generally are doing so to reduce the sales price of the home. So there are trying to save the same money as you are, how can that work? There really isn't any other reason for buyers not to use an agent to buy a home except to get a bargain. Think about it, what would you do if you were the buyer?

One other issues a home seller needs to consider when trying to sell on their own is SECURITY!  That's right, who are you giving out your personal contact information to and who are you letting into your home. YOU DON'T KNOW! As real estate agents we take precautions to make sure we are only meeting with sincere people and not anyone who may have other agendas.