When you interview Real Estate Professionals, the question of commission should be secondary to "What valuable services are you going to provide for me?" These services cost money and no one works for free. Remember, you really DO get what you pay for. And in the information age, your top priority should be how active your real estate representative is on the INTERNET.
Here is a link to just ONE source citing how crucial internet exposure is to selling your home:
http://www.brokeragentnews.com/news/residential/2007_2/2_19_2007_yb_1171947893.html
If you do a search, you'll find the results staggering. Make sure that when you cement a relationship with a real estate practitioner that your listing is going to be put into various websites (including but not limited to sites such as a brokerage website, an agent's personal website, Homes and Land website, and Realtor.com). There are a multitude of very important websites that show up on the front page of the google search, and these are ones you may want to ask your real estate representative about!
When I list property, I do everything I can to make sure the listing gets as much internet exposure as possible. The listing gets put into a minimum of 25 websites, including my own, my brokerage's webpage, the franchise webpage, yahoo real estate, homes.com, trulia, oodle, nls, mls, homes and land website, realtor.com, craigslist...I mean the list goes on and on. The longer your listing sits on the market, the more money it costs BOTH of us (mortgage payments and other household expenses in your case), and in my case, I'm spending an additional amount on advertising above and beyond what my office provides. This is why it is important for me to take a listing and come out with "guns blazing". No one benefits in the slightest if your home doesn't sell!
I am a firm believer in the power of the internet when it comes to marketing real estate. You're sitting here reading this, aren't you? ;)
Angela Elliott is a licensed Florida REALTOR® with Century 21 Classic Properties in Gainesville, FL. Please visit my profile for more about me and browse my Gainesville, FL real estate website for additional Alachua County information and listings. Your phone calls are always welcome at (352) 256-7038 as are your e-mails to angela.elliott1@century21.com. A portion of all my closed sales will be donated to the Alachua Co. Humane Society (View my mission statement).
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