So you’ve decided to sell your home. Congratulations! It’s a big step, and definitely a life-changing event not to be taken lightly.
An obvious question you might be asking yourself is: How do I put this all into motion and formulate a plan that will work best for my family?
Truthfully, once you’ve decided that selling your home is the next thing on your to-do list, call a professional, local Realtor. In fact, call two or three of them. We’d love to interview for the job!
- Here’s a great place to begin the process:
It’s always a good idea to speak with multiple agents to make sure you’re hiring the right person. Google search, call local real estate offices, or ask a friend who’s recently sold a home for a recommendation.
- But why hire a Realtor? Why not just handle it yourself?
Selling your home without representation could place any family in a compromised position with complex, and expensive consequences in the event something goes terribly wrong. If you don’t understand your State’s real estate laws and practices about disclosure, fair housing, and contract negotiation (just to list a few examples) could find yourself sweating in a court room, when you should be relaxing in your new living room. Professional and competent real estate agents absolutely bring uncompromised value to every transaction. Keeping family’s on target and staying clear of trouble is imperative.
For those people who don’t normally buy and sell a lot of property, or don’t know any Realtors personally, it can be easy to overlook, or be completely unaware of all the hard work that actually goes into the home-selling process on your behalf. You’d be surprised to learn how much weight an agent can really carry for you. It’s also interesting to note that they perform these tasks at no charge to until a closing takes place. That’s pretty impressive when you consider the time and money that goes into this extremely involved process.
- Yes, Realtors must follow the National Code of Ethics.
Realtors in the United States are required by law to stay informed and take continuing education every two years. Otherwise, they can’t renew their license or practice real estate at all. Realtors spend a lot of time and money receiving education and being involved in the day-to-day challenges/events that not only protect the public, but serve their clients individual needs. The competent agents must have a deep understanding of how the business works. You on the other hand, are not required. Often times, this is where trouble starts.
What makes selling a home yourself even more challenging is the simple fact that it’s not every day that people sell homes. The National average says that most families stay in their homes for a period of thirteen years. Our world evolves quickly and at the rate information is exchanged these days, thirteen years is quite a long span of time! So much can happen, and new rules and regulations are put into place all the time. This is why you should strongly consider hiring a professional Realtor.
- A quick note about full-time Realtors:
We work in a full-time capacity and spend a lot of time dealing and negotiating with other colleagues “in the biz” and often form strong alliances. Friendships and networking can work to your advantage and bear fruit when buyers are out looking for that “perfect” home that isn’t on the market yet. Sometimes, word of mouth between agents about an up and coming listing gets a deal negotiated and closed without even needing the MLS.
- What to expect from us as your Realtors:
Advocacy, Communication, and Education. We will identify areas where you can make simple changes to maximize sales price, hire professional photographers to present your home in the best possible light, create an enticing marketing description, use all social media and online real estate sites to share your listing and generate buyer interest, follow up with all agents who show the home, negotiate on your behalf, and keep you informed throughout the process.
- A Simple Reality about Modern Buyers.
These days, it’s not just a “clean” home that attracts modern buyers. Today’s home shoppers are more educated and expect more than ever before. With so many Reality TV shows promoting fix and flip or home restoration style programming, along with having access to everything at their fingertips at all times via the Internet, the modern buyer is at a better advantage then yesterday’s buyer. They expect their home buying options to include more functional, clean spaces, trendy color pallets, powerful appearances, tasteful upgrades, and a smart use of storage. This is where our team excels! We can offer low cost, simple modifications you can make to your home that will result in a higher sales price and higher net payout when you sell.
