When it comes to selling a home – whether it be because you are moving for a job, downsizing or have finally found your perfect dream home and you need to sell the one you’re in to make it work – having your Solutions agent by your side to help you through the process can make all the difference between an easy vs. a difficult transaction and transition.
Pricing and selling a home
There are lots of sites where you can view price estimates for your home before you list it for sale, but you take a risk using them. In some markets, online estimates can be off by as much as 35%, and they often rely on tax records and data that can be as old as 6-12 months.
Your Solutions agents know the local market, have access to the freshest sale data, and can price your house in line with the market to maximize your earnings.
The selling process generally begins with a determination of a reasonable asking price.
As we mentioned in previous blogs on listing your home, your Solutions agent can give you up-to-date information on what is happening in the marketplace and the price, financing, terms and condition of competing properties. These are key factors in getting your property sold at the best price, quickly and with minimum hassle.
Marketing
The next step is the Solutions marketing plan. Often, your agent can recommend repairs or cosmetic work that will significantly enhance the salability of the property.
Marketing includes the exposure of your property to other real estate agents and the public through our company website. In many markets across the country, over 50% of real estate sales are cooperative sales; that is, a real estate agent other than yours brings in the buyer.
Your Solutions agent acts as the marketing coordinator, disbursing information about your property to other real estate agents through the CAAR Multiple Listing Service or other cooperative marketing networks, open houses for agents, etc.
The REALTOR® Code of Ethics requires REALTORS® to use these cooperative relationships when they benefit their clients. In place for over 100 years, this Code of Ethics ensures that consumers who work with a Solutions agent are treated professionally and ethically in all transaction-related matters.
Advertising is part of marketing. The choice of media and frequency of advertising depends a lot on the property and specific market. For example, in some areas, newspaper advertising generates phone calls to the real estate office but statistically has minimum effectiveness in selling a specific property.
Overexposure of a property in any media may give a buyer the impression the property is distressed or the seller is desperate. Your Solutions agent will know when, where and how to advertise your property.
There’s a misconception that advertising sells real estate. The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® studies show that 82% of real estate sales are the result of agent contacts through previous clients, referrals, friends, family and personal contacts.
Security
When a property is marketed with a Solutions agent’s help, you do not have to allow strangers into your home. Agents will generally pre-screen and accompany qualified prospects through your property. You can require 24 hours notice and ask to have an appointment made at a time that is convenient to your schedule. This will give you peace of mind and ensure your house is protected while on the market.
Ever-changing real estate regulations.
Buying or selling a home is not like purchasing a concert ticket. Every home is different, and laws change every year and vary from state to state. Generally speaking, people purchase a new home every 7-10 years, and a lot can — and usually does — change between transactions. Your Solutions agents are immersed in real estate, and they must stay current with all the updates in regulations, laws, contracts and practices, and they put that knowledge to work for you.
Value of Commitment
When you work with a Solutions agent, their fiduciary responsibility is to you. That means you have an expert who is looking out for your best financial interests, and one who’s contractually bound to do everything in their power to protect you.
That’s big — the value of that commitment cannot be overstated.
