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Hiring The Right Realtor
By Christine Hancock
On the surface, it may seem there are lots of Realtors to choose from. But just because there are lots of Realtors out there doesn’t mean they can all do the same job for you. The right will keep you from making some common mistakes when selling your home.

Mistake #1: Pricing Your Home Incorrectly

Every seller wants to realize as much money as possible when selling their home. The natural inclination is to price the home high, thinking you can always come down in the future.

But a listing price that is too high frequently nets the seller LESS money than an original price at market value. Why is this? Because people looking for homes in your price range will reject your home in favor of other homes in a reasonable price range.

And here’s the real clincher: Agents who would readily bring buyers through your home will automatically cross it off their showing schedule because it’s priced too high. They’re only motivated to show homes with the highest probability of selling. Agents simply will NOT show overpriced homes because they work by commission. They know market values because it’s their job to know. And they don’t want to waste their time.

So you price your home high, thinking you can come down. Problem is, the agent and buyer community doesn’t look at it that way. They see it as an overpriced home. After a few months go by, 8 or 10 open houses, signs, tours…and not a nibble. So you decide to lower your price again. But it’s too late…your home has already been “branded” by the community. So you reduce your home a little more. And little happens.

Finally, in order to attract attention back to your home, you’ve reduced your home price more than you ever thought you would, and you’re now netting much less than if you had priced it correctly in the beginning. And think about this: the money you lost is not just the lower sales price, but all the extra interest you paid on your mortgage…all the extra property taxes and other carrying costs that accrue while your home is waiting to sell. I’ve seen it happen time and again!

Real Estate Fact: The Seller Is Solely Responsible For How Much, And How Quickly Their Home Sells! Overpricing almost always increases time to sell, and adds to your carrying costs.

Here are a few areas that a professional can help you with:

Ø How to set the asking price to maximize exposure and a profitable sale…
Ø How do you really define and compare market value between homes?
Ø How the principle of “substitution” affects the value of your home…
Ø How to protect yourself from crime when selling your home…
Ø How to handle buyers during a showing to help yield the highest price.

Once you understand these important issues, you’ll know how to price and sell your home for the fastest, most profitable sale. Also, with this information, you’ll never pay too much for any home you buy for the rest of your life.

Mistake #2: Limiting The Marketing Exposure Of Your Property

The most obvious marketing tools everyone uses (Open Houses and classified ads) are only moderately effective. Successfully marketing of your home (getting the highest price, at the right time, and with no hassles and problems) requires much more.

Surprisingly, less than 1 percent of homes are sold at an open house. Agents use open houses to attract buying prospects, not to sell your home. And advertising studies show that less than 3 percent of people purchased their home because they saw it in an ad. That’s why the most competent will have a broad spectrum of marketing activities, emphasizing the specific strategies that will work best for YOUR particular property or area. This way, your home is NEVER put “On Hold” or a showing is delayed for a single minute when a hot inquiry surfaces.

Mistake #3: Thinking Your Appraisal Is The Market Value Of Your Home

An appraisal is an opinion of value for an entirely different purpose than selling your home. Usually an appraisal is to provide a bank or mortgage institution information to fund a loan. If a lender is motivated to loan you money, his appraisal may come in higher than the true market value of your property. The appraiser might ignore other issues in his analysis, such as foreclosures in the market or distressed sales. When a buyer looks at a home, they look at all the factors: foreclosures, distressed sales, bankruptcies, divorces, and area fluctuations. Don’t make the mistake of thinking the “appraisal” value of your home is what a diligent buyer would pay.

Mistake #4: Not Understanding Your Rights & Obligations

Real estate law and regulations can be very complex. When you sign a contract for the sale of your property, it’s a legally binding document. An improperly written contract can create many problems for you: a sale could fall through, cost you thousands in forced repairs, inspections, and remedies for items included or excluded in the purchase offer.

You must understand what repairs and closing costs you are responsible for in a contract. And you must know whether the property can legally be sold “as is,” or how deed restrictions or local zoning will affect your transaction.

You also need competent review of your title, and whether or not your property is in conflict with local restrictions

or laws. If you have to remedy these items yourself, you can spend thousands on legal bills, fines, contractors, and other costs. Using a competent up front can help identify and avoid these issues before they become “problems.”

Mistake #5: Signing A Listing Agreement With NO WAY OUT!

Just about every agent has good intentions about helping you sell your home. But situations and circumstances change. The agent might have personal problems, or simply decide to retire or get out of the real estate business. Or other situations may arise where the agent isn’t doing his or her job as you expected. The home may not be getting the exposure you desire. Or perhaps you haven’t heard from your agent in 6 weeks! What do you do now? When this happens, you should have the right to fire your agent. But the listing agreement you signed is with the BROKER, not the agent. If you’re unhappy, the broker may assign your home to another agent – someone you neither personally selected, nor do you want. But you’re stuck with him or her until the listing agreement expires. And that can cost you a lot of money. Always protect yourself by 1) carefully selecting the right Realtor, and 2) make certain that in a “worst case” situation, you have the flexibility to cancel your listing agreement.

Mistake #6: Selecting The WRONG Realtor

Do you remember the old riddle that goes, “What do you call the person who graduated dead-last in their medical school class?” Answer: “DOCTOR!”

Well, it’s the same with Realtors. Someone with vast experience and extraordinary professionalism usually costs the same as someone with little or no experience, or with compromising standards. You need to know how to tell the difference up front. Bringing competence and experience into your transaction may mean the difference between a higher negotiated sales price and losing money, selling in less time or in more time (costing you potentially thousands in added interest), and experiencing problems and hassles or a problem-free transaction. Most communities are loaded with Realtors who are WRONG for you, your area, and your home. Some agents are in business part time for a little extra cash. Others are subsidizing other businesses or careers. And then there’s your “cousin Harry,” whom you feel obligated to because he “really needs your business.” Selling your home is probably the most important financial transaction you will ever make. Your should take their business very seriously.

Here’s what your should offer to market your home:

Ø A full-time marketing specialist, a full time asisstant, a cellular phones, a laptop computer, 32 phone lines, and and you should never wait more than a few hours for a return call. This is the difference between agents who simply “sell” real estate, and those who COMMIT to whatever it takes to serve a client beyond their expectations!

Ø A who has been in the business for at least 5 years, and sold at least $35 million of homes. They should be intimately familiar with the neighborhood/area, and specialize in selling homes in your price range.

Ø They should be a full-time Realtor, well educated and have a complete resume for your review, and make it a priority to educate YOU on every aspect of your transaction.

Ø They should have a list of references, past clients, and professional associations whom you can call at any time to discuss the quality of service they have provided to other people just like YOU.

Ø They should have a specifically designed marketing tracking systems for every home they sell. They should also have specific update systems so you are fully aware of ALL activity and progress updates on your home on a weekly basis. So you will NEVER feel out of touch!

? They should guarantee everything they do!

? They should have references for reliable title companies, escrow companies, financing sources many agents are clueless about, insurance companies, inspectors, attorneys, and others directly relating to your transaction. If you choose to use any of them, you won’t be dealing with arbitrary people. These should be professionals they have used personally in other transactions.

Ø They should schedule showings around your schedule, and to respect your personal and family time. This requires special planning and forethought most agents do not consider.

Ø Most Importantly: They should generate at least 50% of their clients through referrals. They should focus 110% of their efforts into providing such outstanding service that their clients are inclined to refer your services to family, friends and acquaintances.

Ø When selling your home, the LAST thing you need is added pressure. That’s why you need a to answer all of your questions. And give you one less thing to worry about during these hectic times.

Christine began her Real Estate career proving herself to be a top producer on a new high rise development. This experience gave her valuable knowledge of construction as well as the buying process and resulted in 4-million dollars in sales her first year. www.realestate.pn