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You Need to Sell Your Home...Where Do You Start?

By
Real Estate Agent with Real Living - The Hatmaker Group

The news is not good...The media reports are a daily dose of negativity...The numbers are down across the US...and YOU need to SELL YOUR HOME!  Where do you start? Sold Sign In Front of House

First...try to have a positive attitude.  A good attitude can be the beginning of good things, and it will allow you to start the selling process on the right foot.  Even in the worst of situations, a good mindset will give you more creativity, more options, and more peace about the whirlwind of activities in which you are about to embark.  Remember, you'll need more than ads and signs to sell your home.  You'll need someone to be your Trusted Advisor, Skilled Negotiator and Expert Facilitator.  Hire a REALTOR®!

REALTOR ResearchOnce you've made the decision to sell, you'll want to locate a REALTOR® that knows your market and its current conditions. Just because the media reports home sales are down, doesn't mean your local market is experiencing the same thing.  Even if home prices, or number of homes sold is a little off...an experienced agent will know how to deal with it.  You need someone that understands today's technology (and, embraces it!) to help market your home.  You need someone that thinks "outside the box" and incorporates multiple ways of getting the word out to consumers, as well as other REALTORs® alerting them to the great new property on the market!  Most importantly, find a REALTOR® that adheres to the National Association of Realtors Code of Ethics. 

Finally, Your REALTOR® should be prepared to negotiate the best possible price for your home, negotiate the most favorable terms, work to secure a Buyer in the shortest amount of time, and...be there to help relieve you of the stress and inconvenience that often occurs in selling a home.

 Satisfied Clients

Look for our next post when we'll discuss...

Six Critical Elements of A Sale!

 

Comments (6)

Jenny Kotulak
RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage - Oakville, ON
Broker - Oakville Ontario Real Estate

Hi Michelle,

Great post.  You are right about hiring a REALTOR who knows the market and current conditions.  I've had people tell me the last few days how slow the market is and I tell them that I just ran the May stats and we are up both in sales and price over last May.

They are so surprised to hear good news for a change.

Jun 06, 2009 02:50 PM
Home Loan Search.Online
Home Loan Search Online - Newnan, GA

Great blog. Sellers need to understand the benefits of working with a professional that knows and understands the local market and that will negotiate the best terms to get the home sold.

Jun 10, 2009 12:13 AM
Michelle Hatmaker
Real Living - The Hatmaker Group - Galveston, TX
Houston Galveston Real Estate

Jenny - If more people would listen to the REAL(TOR) professionals...and NOT the media...they get more reliable information.  Thanks for spreading the good word about how well your market is doing!  Best of luck!

Darrell - Thanks for your comments!

Jun 19, 2009 11:24 AM
Renée Donohue~Home Photography
Savvy Home Pix - Allegan, MI
Western Michigan Real Estate Photographer

Seriously I wanted to go pouncing through my TV and strangle the "Street Meat" people on Fox Business this week.  They were telling how it is still a buyer's market and how great deals can be found!  A buyer's market NATIONALLY ~~~  MAYBE  ~~~ in many of the harder hit distressed areas we have NO inventory and prices are being run up!

I am finding my CMAs are SHOCKING people with the facts these days.  You can NEVER beat a good local subdivision Comparative Market Analysis from your local Realtor.  Great post Michelle!

Aug 30, 2009 06:15 AM
Michelle Hatmaker
Real Living - The Hatmaker Group - Galveston, TX
Houston Galveston Real Estate

Renee--Thanks for your comments.  With the current NAR media campaign, and in our area the Houston Association of Realtors' (HAR) continual media involvement, maybe more consumers will stop listening to the uninformed reporters and start looking to their informed local REALTOR.  Looking forward to keeping up with your informative posts!

Aug 30, 2009 12:00 PM
Not a real person
San Diego, CA

Just because the media reports home sales are down, doesn't mean your local market is experiencing the same thing.

Such a powerful sentence. Why can't we get all the news outlets to end their real estate stories with that sentence?

Gig 'em, Aggies!

Oct 02, 2009 01:30 PM