Hiring The Right Realtor First
Will Save You A Ton Of Headaches
Of all the decisions home buyers and home sellers need to make, choosing a Realtor is by far the most important. Hiring the wrong person can make an already stressful experience even worse. Hiring the right person can make your transaction smooth and problem-free. Given the importance of selecting the right Realtor, why do some consumers make a poor choice? Generally, they interview too few candidates, ask too few questions or allow their emotions to interfere with rational decision-making. But more to the point, most people just don’t know how to hire a Realtor.
The biggest mistake buyers make is to start shopping for a home before they select a Realtor. Rather than interviewing candidates and making an informed choice, they drive off with whoever happens to be holding an open house in their preferred neighbourhood. Or they pick a Realtor whose name is on a for-sale sign or who answers the brokerage’s telephone when they call about a home advertised in the newspaper.
Top agents rarely hold open houses personally, nor do they sit around the office answering cold telephone calls. (This duty is known in the industry as “duty time” or “floor time”) Productive agents are busy with repeat and referral business from former clients and personal marketing efforts.
There are exceptions of course. Some solid agents enjoy holding open houses. And some enthusiastic new licensees use duty time to build a client base. It’s okay to hire a Realtor who does these activities, but you shouldn’t hire someone based primarily on the chance encounter of one telephone call, one open house or one for-sale sign.
Sellers make similar mistakes. Some select a Realtor because he or she sold a few other homes in the neighbourhood or sent out seed packages last spring. While these “neighbourhood names” may be worth considering, sales and see packages shouldn’t be the sole factors in the decision.
Another common mistake among sellers is to hire a Realtor because he or she states a high opinion of their home’s value. Some agents suggest an inflated price to flatter the seller and capture the listing, only to argue for a price reduction after a few weeks. Other agents suggest a low price so they can sell the home quickly or attract multiple offers. Rather than being a factor in selecting an agent, pricing decisions should be made in consultation with the agent, based on market trends, recent sales of comparable homes and how soon you want to move.
The right way to hire a Realtor is to know your own needs and find someone who will meet those needs. Talk to several candidates and take notes. Start by getting some background information about the agent. Ask: How long have you been in the real estate business? What special training or qualifications do you have? Do you have an assistant? What difficult situations have you faced in this market and how did you handle those situations? What are your strengthens in negotiating? How many buyers/sellers did you work with in the last year? How many of those people bought/sold a home through you? What is your view of market conditions? Then find out whether the agent is experienced with low-downpayment financing, condominium associations, lease-options, multiple offers, high-end homes, disclosure concerns or other special needs you may have. Finally, call the agent’s references and ask them whether they were pleased with the service they received.
Why Choose A Tech Savvy Realtor?
As the internet continues to simplify the way people do research on selling or buying their home, there are many good reasons to choose an agent who can harness the power of technology to provvide you with exceptional service. As a tech-savvy realtor I can:
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Send up to date information by email for you to review at your convenience.
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Provide you with an online home evaluation so you can stay on top of current market trends.
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Forward new home listings to you as soon as desirable properties hit the market.
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Deliver e-newsletters to keep you informed about market trends and other valuable pointers.
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Showcase your home on the web to help you sell it for top dollar.
Whether your're thinking about buying or selling, or simply want to stay informed about the real estate market, using new technology helps me consistently provide you with the timely information and outstanding service you deserve, and have come to expect.
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| 1. Emotional appeal. Make sure your home looks feels and smells its best. You’re competing with 900 - 1,200 other homes for sale. Buyers buy on emotion... let your home be the cleanest, freshest and cheeriest, and you’ll have a much faster sale.. at a higher price. 2. Read our “How To Show Your Home” flyer very carefully. If your home is logically a good value, but a buyer doesn’t feel warm and emotionally attracted to the home, it will not sell. Buyers buy on emotion, not logic. You want lots of people to say or think... “Wow! This is nice! I would like to live here!” 3. Lots of light. For maximum effect, turn every light on, even on a sunny day. Open all window shades. Clean your draperies and curtains. Make sure your windows are spotlessly clean. Let the sun in and keep all those lights on. Leaving all your lights on for two hours costs only 23 cents, and makes your home look larger and more spacious. 4. Weekly open houses. You can’t expect to sell a house quickly at the top price unless you get lots of buyers inside to see it. There are more than 1,000 homes competing with yours for attention. Your home must be exposed to buyers regularly and repeatedly to get a fast sale at the full price. Weekly home showings are the key to the success. 5. Constant exposure. Your home won’t sell unless buyers know about it. To get top dollar, be sure to have your home repeatedly and regularly exposed to qualified, ready-to-buy buyers. Some brokers charge you a discount commission, and then don’t advertise your home. This is a mistake. The $500 or $1,000 you save in commission is more than offset by a sale price of $4,000 or $10,000 less than what you would have received if your home had been properly marketed. Remember, buyers can’t know about your home unless you or your broker has a marketing plan to ensure that your home is brought to the attention of home buyers. 6. Non-traditional advertising. 83% of buyers looking for a home in the $275,000 to $375,000 price range are first time home buyers. Many first time home buyers don’t even know they can afford a home. They don’t know that owning a home costs less than renting. They think that they need 20% for a down payment, plus closing costs! If your home is in the first time homebuyer price range, a substantial portion or your marketing dollars should be aimed directly at first time home buyers. This means advertising and marketing in areas other than the “Homes For Sale” classifieds or Sunday Open Houses 7. Education. First time home buyers are more likely to pay top dollar for your home. If your home is in the first time home buyer price range, make sure that your marketing program shows first time buyers the benefits of home ownership and how affordable your home is. Design a marketing plan to get first time home buyers to see the inside of your home. 8. Multiple signs. Many home buyers don’t even see traditional “for sale” signs, because they aren’t actively thinking of buying. They often don’t realize that they can afford a much nicer home. The strategy of an additional sign in the yard shatters the “Advertising Protection Armor” that every consumer wears. 9. Aggressive Target Marketing. Lots of buyers will buy your home for less that it’s worth. The secret in getting top dollar is to find a buyer who is perfectly “matched” to your home. Right now there are at least ten buyers who would love to own your home, can afford it, and would pay a fair asking price… if only they knew about it! Some of these buyers may not even be thinking of buying yet, but if they knew about your home would love it! It takes a lot more than just a sign in the yard and an ad in the paper to market a home effectively. Aggressive target marketing will find those buyers! 10. Create Urgency. The Rule Of Full Price states that if a buyer feels the asking price is fair, and has a sufficient sense of urgency, he will pay the full asking price. The Auction Effect causes people to become more excited and enthused about your home, thereby creating a sense of competition and urgency which results in full price sales for 96.5% of our clients. As a free service, we would be happy to prepare a Personalized Marketing Plan for your home. This Marketing Plan comes to you free of charge, and without obligation. 1. Not Preparing Your Home To Look Attractive To Buyers. Your home is competing with more than 1,000 other homes. Buyers buy on emotion, not logic. The best marketing program in the world can only bring lots of buyers into your home, it can't make them like the home. See our "How to Show Your Home" brochure. 2. Signing A Long Term Listing Without A Written, Specific Performance Guarantee. Don't rely on verbal promises. Make sure that you receive a written promise stating that you can cancel without charge if the performance is other than what was promised. 3. Not First Obtaining A Qualified Bank Appraisal And Commitment For Financing From A Home Lender. How would you feel if your home sold for $356,500 and then you find out from the bank appraiser that it was worth $360,000? In today's real estate market, this happens often! Your home will have to be appraised by a licensed bank appraiser sooner or later. Sooner can result in several extra thousands of dollars in your pocket. Bonus: Buyers are afraid of paying too much for a house. That's why they often make low offers. A certified bank appraisal helps you sell for full price because the buyer can see that the price was established by a professional third party. 4. Not Obtaining Written Pre-Approval For A New Home Loan For Your Next Home. Nothing is more heart-breaking than to sell your home and find your new dream home, only to find that you can't obtain financing for the dream home. Do not confuse a "pre-qualification" with a formal pre-approval! Verbal pre-qualifications are just that - verbal. They are not binding on the home lender. Many people have received verbal pre-qualifications only to later be denied a home loan. Because your home may well be your largest asset, selling it is probably one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. And once you have made that decision, you'll want to sell your home for the highest price in the shortest time possible without compromising your sanity. Before you place your home on the market, here's a way to help you to be as prepared as possible. To assist homesellers, a new industry report has just been released called "27 Valuable Tips That You Should Know to Get Your Home Sold Fast and for Top Dollar." It tackles the important issues you need to know to make your home competitive in today's tough, aggressive marketplace. Through these 27 tips, you will discover how to protect and capitalize on your most important investment, reduce stress, be in control of your situation, and make the most profit possible. In this report you'll discover how to avoid financial disappointment or worse, a financial disaster when selling your home. Using a common-sense approach, you get the straight facts about what can make or break the sale of your home. You owe it to yourself to learn how these important tips will give you the competitive edge to get your home sold fast and for the most amount of money. Order your free report NOW. BACK TO TOP BACK TO TOP |
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Preparing For A Showing Homes Tend To Sell More Quickly And For Higher Prices When They Show Their Best! Before each showing….. Pick up every room check counter, floors, halls and stairs. Straighten up or remove newspapers, magazines, mail, toys, clothing, and recreation gear, snack glasses and dishes. Turn on all lights even those in closets and storage rooms. Electric lights have an amazing capability for creating an illusion of lightness, airiness and largeness. Open all drapes, shades and blinds do all that you can to create a bright and light ambience. The bedrooms make up the beds neatly and attractively, early in the morning. This is a job you don’t want to have to do when you learn that the buyers will be there within the hour. The kitchen be sure all countertops are clear and squeaky-clean wipe down appliances be sure all dishes are in the dishwasher or cleaned and put away. The sink should be clear and clean. Clean air keep air fresheners in closets, bathrooms and kitchen. Be especially careful to keep kitchen odors fresh; coffee brewing or a cinnamon coffeecake baking in the oven have a lasting inviting effect. Music, music, music perhaps you don’t have something baking in the oven every time, but soft, pleasant background music may be very effective. Fireplace a warm cozy fire may be just the extra tough that turn the trick Air conditioning if the weather is warm and sultry, have it operating. The bathrooms keep a set of fresh attractive towels in each room that you can change instantly. The entryway it’s the first and last impression that your buyers will have of your home make it a good one! Check it regularly for sharpness Prepare well for your showings! Set the stage to make the bestImpression on each prospective Buyer. |
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