Most real estate agents are "happy to help". Just like you have a lawyer, dentist, doctor, mechanic in your personal phone book, under the "R"'s should be a REALTOR. Just because you say you are "thinking about selling", doesn't mean I am going to come over with a lockbox and sign the same day! Real estate is highly localized and today's market it comes down to your personal situation and the subdivision and city you live in.
When you go to the doctor, he/she tells you want you NEED to hear and not what you WANT to hear. Same with a Realtor today. We provide helpful information--recent sales in your neighborhood, days on market, list-to-sale ratio, etc. We don't tell everyone "sell, sell, sell!"
I have access to monthly absorption rates, weekly absorption rates. This shows you how many other homes are on the market for sale, how many go under contract each week and each month, and how long it will take your property to sell. A seller can no longer look just a "CMA" or comparative market analysis of your neighborhood. Your next buyer is not just looking only in your neighborhood, but in overall areas and price ranges. Realtors help you take a look at the "big picture".
I also have access to daily new listings, listings under contract, expired, withdrawn and sold. Ask any Realtor--it will give you the daily pulse of the local real estate market. You'll see list-to-sale prices, market times, and other information which will equip you to make the right decision for your situation.
When the time is right-we will both know. By then, you will have been getting helping information on a regular basis and you'll know your agent is in for the long haul rather than a quick fix.
If you're selling and then immediately buying, look at the big picture. You may not get what you think you can get on the selling side, but it will be paid up on the buying side. Look at where your final destination will take you, not where you are today, and make a plan from there!
Comments(1)