Las Vegas, Nevada -- Many think real estate is easy. Looking at model homes all day seems glamorous and fun. Selling a home is even easier. All you need to do is put a “For Sale” sign in the yard, snap a few photos, print some flyers and buyers will be lining up at your door to write offers. In reality, it doesn’t quite work this way. Selling a home is a complex process. There’s a gazillion things that can go wrong. This is why real estate agents must be licensed in each state. There are many false stereotypes and misconceptions about real estate agents. Here are some of them:
ALL REAL ESTATE AGENTS ARE THE SAME
Everyone has a friend or co-worker in real estate. Assuming they have the experience to properly represent you is the biggest mistake buyers and sellers can make. For example, imagine you’re selling a home and receive a list price offer. You excitedly accept the offer and begin planning your move. You find a new place and schedule a moving truck. After spending weeks packing up your home, moving day finally arrives. Once your furniture and belongings are in the truck, you receive a call from your agent informing you that the buyers’ loan has fallen apart and they no longer qualify for financing. Unfortunately, this type of scenario happens more often that you think.
The easiest part of real estate is showing homes to buyers or putting a listing in the MLS. You certainly don’t need a real estate license to take photos of a home, make a flyer or hold an open house. Anyone can do this. Experienced agents help you navigate the process and protect you in a variety of ways. For example, a good agent will never advise you to accept an offer without doing their due diligence on the buyer. Experienced agents know how to avoid many of the pitfalls in real estate.
DISCOUNT AGENTS SAVE YOU MONEY
Discount agents claim to save sellers money by charging less. This is a myth. While commissions are negotiable, there are many other negotiable expenses when selling a home. Some agents offer to work for a reduced commission but make up the difference by charging more in other areas. (i.e. transaction fees, storage fees, compliance fees, etc.) Additionally, a significant portion of the commission dollars are used to advertise your home. How can a discount agent afford all the bells and whistles paid for by full service agents? Full internet exposure combined with traditional real estate marketing tends to attract higher offers. A 2% commission reduction doesn't amount to much when your price is discounted 10% or more because your agent couldn't afford to give you full market exposure.
GOOD AGENTS ANSWER THEIR PHONES
Busy real estate agents are rarely at the office. They are out showing homes, attending home inspections, supervising escrow signings or taking listings. The rest of their day is spent driving. If an agent doesn’t answer their phone right away, it’s probably because they are very good at what they do. When you call a doctor, do they pick up the phone? When you call a lawyer, do they answer? If you call a bank after hours, do they answer? A good agent will return your call in a timely manner. A very good agent will call you back the same business day. If an agent answers the phone each time you call, maybe it’s because they have no clients, no experience and nothing better to do. Is this who you want representing you?
OPEN HOUSES SELL HOMES
Open houses were a great way to sell homes before the Internet was born. Today, they are ineffective. In fact, according to some studies, only 2% of homes are sold as a result of an open house. According to the National Association of Realtors ®, approximately 90% of homebuyers start their search online. If you want to expose your home to the largest pool of homebuyers, then you home must be advertised online. Why do some agents still do open houses? Have you noticed that the agent who actually does the open house is rarely the listing agent? That’s because experienced agents know that open houses DON’T SELL HOMES. Brokers encourage brand new agents to do open houses as a way to meet new clients. Unfortunately, many of the people who enter the home aren’t qualified to buy it. The majority of people who show up are either nosy neighbors or drivers passing by who need to use the restroom.
Bill and Francoise Myers with Simply Vegas Real Estate are Las Vegas Top Real Estate Agents. Bill Myers is an internationally published real estate author. His most recent book, “Clients are Everywhere. How To Find Them in the Internet Age” made Amazon’s best seller list. They are experts at online real estate marketing.
Call The Myers Team at: 702-677-4343
For Traditional Sales, CLICK: http://www.LasVegasList4Less.com
For Short Sales, CLICK: http://www.NevadaShortSaleInfo.com
Myers Best Selling Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4BZ5F6
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The Myers Team are licensed Real Estate Agents. They are not CPA’s, Accountants or Attorneys. The content above is for information purposes only and should not be construed as tax or legal advice. Real estate commissions are negotiable. The information provided is obtained from public records, it is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
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