Selling a house is something most people don't do very often, so you might not know what questions to even ask. Some people would rather just list the house with a real estate agent, then trust them to get the job done.
But here's a little tip from an insider - require your agent to show you the MLS printout, the full printout that shows the part that's not available to the public. This is something I do for all my clients, even though most don't know to ask. I get them a copy of everything I put out there, so they can check it over and let me know if I got anything wrong, or they want to add something, etc.
There have been times I've shown a house while the owners were present, and when they saw me carrying my printout around they asked to see it, because their agent hadn't shown it to them. That's just not right.
Here's some things I've seen in the MLS:
- An agent put the number '1' for the number of square feet a house had. I don't know if they didn't want to take the time to look it up, were afraid to 'create liability' for themself, or just didn't know better.
- An agent put in the broker's comments: "Seller will pay $1,000 of buyer's closing costs." That would be fine - if the seller agreed to it. But in this case, they had no idea their agent was saying that.
- A listing that had a cartoon rendition of a house instead of a photo.
- A five million dollar home with no interior photos.
- A two million dollar home with '0' where the number of bedrooms and bathrooms are supposed to be
- A two-story home listed as a bi-level (bi-levels are the least popular style, and here between Denver and Boulder they sell for less per square foot than any other style)
The purpose of this post is not to scare the public, or to run down my profession. Most agents I've worked with were hard-working, conscientious, and honest. But people can make a simple mistake, and every industry has those who have never developed a good work ethic. Selling a house is such a big life event, you deserve the best.
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I write posts on real estate issues and local events in the Denver metro area, especially those *communities between Denver and Boulder, as a public service. My hope is to give people an idea of the 'flavor' of our community, in case they're new or moving to the Denver area.
I am a residential real estate agent, happily helping folks buy a house or sell a house in the beautiful and friendly *suburbs northwest of Denver.
*Arvada, Broomfield, Lafayette, Louisville, Superior, Westminster; also Thornton, Golden, Wheat Ridge, Northglen, Lakewood
Read more about Arvada Colorado, a historic small town between Denver and Boulder.
Find Homes for Sale, no Matter Who Listed Them, at Dream House Hunting.
Copyright © 2011 Joetta Fort
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