Salida Colorado Real Estate: Picking the Right Agent - 3 Seller Tips

Salida Colorado Real Estate: Picking the Right Agent - 3 Seller Tips

If you live or have a lot in the Salida area but not right in town, these tips will help.  If you have a home with acreage, acreage outside of town or live in one of the towns around Salida like Buena Vista, Poncha Springs, or the Down Valley (Howard, Coaldale, Cotopaxi or Texas Creek), then these tips are critical. 

Although 90% of the country is in a seller's market, we are not yet. The tipping point for the market to swing towards a sellers market is 180 days on market. In theory, less than 180 days makes it a seller's market and more is a buyers' market. Even in Salida, the average market time is 182 days.

Howard: 242 days
Coaldale: 123 days 
Cotopaxi: 183 days
Buena Vista: 271 days
Nathrop: 275 days

These 3 tips will help you choose the right agent to get your home or land sold. 

Do not try to cut the commission.

What you may not know is that this decreases the number of agents who will show buyers your home. If a buyer's agent is setting up showings, s/he cannot help but look at the commission split. If you were an agent, would you rather spend time showing a home with a 2% commission or a 3% commission?  

Also, ask your agent what split s/he gives the buyer's agent. The 50/50 split is much more enticing for a buyer's agent than a 60/40 split which is common in Salida. We do 50/50 for all our listings now, even in town. Buyer's agents work hard too and we want to encourage them to show our listings!

Make sure your agent uses more internet marketing that what the MLS does automatically.

Most of our buyers are from out of town. They will have a hard time finding your house without a strong internet focus. Do not fall prey to "we market to 400+ homes on the internet". Ask what they do personally that is NOT done by putting the home on the MLS. In our area, we have something called ListHub that automatically sends the listing out of 400+ websites. We do not lift a finger for that service.Don't be satisfied with print advertising. 2/100 homes are sold with print.  What you should expect is this

1. your own URL
2. Your own website
3. Your home on craigslist a minimum of 1 time per week
4. At least one other web-based marketing that is provided by your agent, not the company or MLS. Do they blog? Post homes on facebook? Google Plus? 

Make sure your agent has a strong personal (not company) internet presence.

Not the company, your agent. Your agent sells your home, not the company. Your AGENT's website should be in the top 3 pages of a google search for real esate in your area. Try ""yourtown colorado real estate" or "homes for sale in yourtown CO". If the agent you are considering does not show up with his/her own website, how is a buyer going to find them and your house?

If only the company is in the top 3 pages, here is what often happens. A buyer goes to the company site. If they have to sign in, the leads are dispersed to all agents in the office who are looking for BUYERs and are not  selling YOUR house. If buyers don't have to sign into a website, they stay invisible and often move on... without anyone having a chance to connect with them.

We hope these tips help. If you have any questions, call either Micheal (719.221.351) or me (710.221.6108), google us or go to southerncoloradohomesonline.com. Good luck in your home selling endeavor. Here is to a great market!

Salida Colorado Real Estate: Picking the Right Agent - 3 Seller Tips