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When selling your home, you want to make the most money
you can. To do that, you generally have to sell fast. If your
home sits on the market for several months, buyers will wonder
what's wrong with it. Furthermore, it may be easier to sell
your home while you're still living in it. Your furnishings
convey a personal warmth that is sorely lacking in bare walls
and floors.
Maximum exposure
The key to selling fast and getting the top dollar is exposure.
The more people who see your home, the sooner you will find
a willing buyer. How do you get the most exposure? If you sell
the home yourself, you will get some exposure by putting up
a sign, running several ads, and telling all your friends. On
the other hand, if you work with a REALTOR® you will get instant
and massive exposure to a large number of prospective homebuyers.
Here's why.
A REALTOR® generally takes part in the Multiple Listing Service
(MLS), if one is available. This service, usually a computerized
system operated by the local Association of REALTORS®, compiles
information about listed properties in the area and distributes
it to member companies. As a result, when a REALTOR® lists your
home, REALTORS® from other companies learn about your home and
try to match it with buyers they are working with. The buyers
may include people from out-of-town who are trying to relocate
to your area. But let's not kid ourselves. If it were as easy
as sticking a sign in the ground, every house would sell. There
are, on average, over 10,000 homes for sale in the Columbus
area, but only about 2000 sell each month. Picking the right
REALTOR® IS important.
A REALTOR® can speed the selling process in other ways: By specializing
in real estate, a REALTOR® knows market values and thus can
help you set a competitive price for your home.
A REALTOR® can free you from the hassles associated with showing
your home and screen out people who are merely curious.
A REALTOR® is objective when negotiating with buyers and experienced
in reading the fine print of contracts.
By staying on top of the mortgage market, a REALTOR® may know
how to wade through financing muddles and clinch a sale.
Selling a home is not something that everyone can do in their
off hours. It's a specialized service best done by a professional.
Choosing a REALTOR®
You want a REALTOR® who you can rely upon. Ask your friends
and relatives who have sold homes recently for recommendations.
Phone the companies and arrange to meet with the recommended
REALTOR®. During the interviews, you may simply exchange information,
or the REALTOR® may ask you for a listing. As you talk, ask
about the company's services and the REALTOR®'s own professional
background.Keep in mind that not every real estate broker is
a REALTOR®. The broker that is a REALTOR® has pledged to uphold
a strict Code of Ethics and is a member of the REALTOR® organization
on the local, state and national levels.
Does the company take part in MLS? Does the company offer relocation
services? Does the REALTOR® specialize in residential rather
than commercial real estate? Does the REALTOR® work primarily
with buyers or sellers? Is the REALTOR® familiar with your neighborhood?
If so, which homes has the REALTOR® worked with in the past
year or two? How will the REALTOR® market your home? After you
have interviewed several REALTORS®, think about which one you
feel most comfortable with. The REALTOR® should know the local
market and be enthusiastic about selling your home. You want
someone you can talk to and who will listen to you, especially
if you don't like the way things progress.
If you would like to talk about your property, give me a call.
I promise NO pressure to list, but if and when you choose to
use a real estate professional, I would like to interview for
the job.
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