Time to Sell your Home?
Qualities of a Professional Real Estate Listing Agent
A good listing agent should be a full time real estate agent, analytical with numbers, have technology skills, be visually keen with staging, and have great communication skills. In today's market, there is immense competition. Because a large volume of homes are on the market and there are various financial circumstances that face sellers, we are in an unprecedented environment that takes more work from the agent and more patience and participation from the seller. We are back to the traditional methods of sales with people communicating with each other and solving problems the old fashioned way with WORK.
Why do people trust the marketing and price negotiations of their most expensive investment to a part-time real estate agent? The industry cannot understand this practice, but it happens daily. A full-time agent has a lot of information to constantly review to stay current with government policies and market trends and to be in the information pipeline of buyer's and seller's needs. Does your agent work full-time?
Differing positions of equity for sellers will require hours of analysis to arrive at the correct value to place on your home. A good listing agent should provide multiple comparisons to determine the correct price to list a home and how to place it on the market. If a house is not priced correctly, it will cost the owner unnecessary holding costs, because it is priced too high and will not sell. Your property becomes the house that everyone compares to and decides the competition is better priced. Does your agent know the homes that have sold in the last 6 months in your area?
In today's world of technology, an agent needs to have the necessary skills and equipment to communicate immediately through different forms of technology. An agent should be able to respond electronically to faxes, emails, and text messages throughout the day from anywhere. An internet presence is a must, as over 90 percent of all homes are previewed by buyers via the internet before they ever contact an agent. An agent should have an informative and readily accessible website for buyers to locate information needed to inquire about the listing. An agent must be knowledgeable of the three major sites where potential buyers search for homes or property and be capable of maintaining accurate information about the listing. Does your agent include syndication to these websites and maintenance of the website information?
Presentation is very important. Remember the old saying," A picture is worth a thousand words"? The first impression is hard to remove from someone's mind whether it is good or bad. Having a professional stager to survey a house and provide nonbiased opinions about how to neutralize a home for the most positive presentation is vital. Remember, the market has a lot of competition and the prettiest, cleanest, and most sound home has the best chance to sell. Does your agent include this in his or her marketing services as part of the fee?
But the most important of all considerations is communication. An agent must be willing to communicate to you through your preferred method of technology. This may be via phone, text, email, or smoke. (As long as the agent is not blowing you smoke.) An agent must provide accurate information based upon data not just his or her opinion. You trust your realtor with your most emotional and your largest investment, so you deserve a professional and knowledgeable person. You must ask yourself, "Is this person working for me and does he understand my needs?" Remember, a salesman listens more than he talks, because the discussion should be focused on you. Does your agent listen?
Consider your real estate advisor the key to selling your home when the time is right. Excellent communication, professionalism, visual skills, and technology and data proficiency create a systematic method to move your house to the front of the line for an offer you can't refuse.
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