TIPS ON SELLING YOUR HOME
Tip #1 - Hire the Right Agent!
A Listing Agreement is a sacred thing. It is a contract written between seller and a licensed real estate salesperson working hard together to accomplish the goals of selling your home for the highest and best price. It is not just a bunch of words on a piece of paper. It is put together with an enormous sense of trust. Hiring the proper agent to do the job is a must. Understanding that all agents are not created equal is an important factor when you hire an agent. While the contract to list your home is with a Real Estate Agency, your agent is truly the key in selling your home.
What to look for you ask? A key factor when hiring your agent is to ask about availability to handle the job. I am not talking a 24/7, 365 days a year, but a reasonable effort to provide continuous service is important. Your agent needs to be around when you need him/her and when an offer comes in your agent needs to be around to negotiate a deal before it leaves town with the buyers. While I don't mean taking calls in the middle of the night, you should expect your agent to be available, to return calls and allow other agents the ability to contact him/her during weekends. Those are basic standards.
Picture this scenario. I am a buyers agent and I show your home to serious buyers on Saturday morning. I write up an offer on Saturday afternoon after lunch. The offer is scanned and emailed to the proper address with return receipt requested. I call the office of your agent (by the way the listing agent is the broker/owner) and I'm told that he is out of the office and no cell phone number is available for me to contact him directly. A message is left with the receptionist about the offer with a request for a return call. Nothing happens. Absolutely nothing happened all day. Sunday morning I call again requesting to speak with this listing agent and is told "he'll be back on Monday, do you want to leave a voicemail?" NO, I want to speak with the listing agent!!
Sellers, this is not something to be happy about. I have an offer and your agent is absolutely no where to be found and his staff doesn't know how to get in touch with him. That is a serious problem if you are actually looking to sell your home! While we all understand that being available 24/7 is impossible, a backup system absolutely, positively needs to be in place. Your staff should know how to find you or the person that is taking care of your clients.
I am now waiting to hear back from someone from this office. I was told that the receptionist will try to locate the office manager to see what she can do for me. She is hopeful to get back to me sometime today. In my book this is truly unacceptable.
SELLERS BEWARE! When hiring an agent to sell your home ask questions relating to the process of how they answer their phone.
- Know what hours your agent is available
- How fast are calls returned
- Who covers for them if they are sick or on vacation
- Call their phone number before you sign the listing agreement. See how it goes. If it goes to voicemail, see how long before they get back to you.
While no agent is able to speak with two people at once, certainly a return phone call within a few minutes should happen. Cell phones, texting and voicemail make our lives easier with being readily accessible when needed.
If your agent can't be found, how can he/she sell your home?
When hiring an agent know how your home will be marketed and how your agent will respond. Ask Questions and make sure you get detailed explanations. Specifics matter! For more info and tips on choosing a REALTOR, check out more!
published by: your real estate expert Janis Borgueta Key Properties of the Hudson Valley as a community service in the Hudson Valley. To receive more real estate information please subscribe to this blog. Looking to buy a new home? Search the MLS for New Homes in Hudson Valley. You can contact Janis at (845)-527-7115 or find her on Google+
This post was originally posted at "Selling Your Home? Where is Your REALTOR?" by Janis Borgueta of Key Properties of the Hudson Valley.
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