It's really no surprise Wal-Mart has laid off local workers at their Home Office in Bentonville.  Over the years they've done various forms of this process.  It's been called "Right-Sizing", "Restructuring", "Reorganization", etc.  Any way you spin it, there are hundreds of people and families affected.

I worked for Wal-Mart for 15 years - starting at the Bentonville Dispatch Office and working my way around the country until I returned to the Home Office in various roles.  I left in the fall of 2005 to begin a career in real-estate.  Talk about timing - just about the time I got licensed and all set to go, the bottom fell out of the market!

I've since worked hard to get my GRI Designation and my Executive Broker's License.  I've done ok.  I specialize in listing properties and have a good marketing program to get them sold. 

For those of you affected either directly or indirectly by the recent lay-offs, my heart goes out to you.  I wish you only the best in your endeavors to get back into the job market and find something comparable or better financially.

The other evening, I slipped off to my neighbor's dock to do a little fishing.  I wasn't really expecting to catch anything, so I just dug up a couple of worms and grabbed an old pole with a hook and a bobber on it and set out to waste about 30 minutes and relax.

After about 10-15 minutes, the thought crossed my mind that it's a pretty good thing I'm not relying on my fishing skills to keep me fed.  Especially since I didn't arm myself with some quality bait and tackle.  I got to thinking that a lot of home-sellers do the same thing.  They just throw a hook in the water and wait to see if a fish accidentally hooks itself. 

Serious anglers know what they're doing.  They've studied the waters, they've gathered information on what's biting and what they're biting on.  Even those that don't have the time to do all the necessary pre-work can get an advantage by hiring a guide and listening to their advice.

Serious home sellers do the same thing.  They study the market, they gather information on who's buying and what they're purchasing.  Those that don't have the time or expertise hire Realtors® to guide them.   A Realtor® can tell them what's selling, what to expect, some of the things they can do to make their bait more attractive, and they can reduce the amount of time just sitting and waiting.

Call your local Realtor®-guide today and let them help you reel-in a good buyer.