You’ve said to your self, “it’s time to sell my house.” The reasons vary like the weather, but one thing is common to all home sales, it’s a life changing decision. Selling your home is more complex than your typical garage sale transaction. In fact, it’s a lot more complex than selling your car. So hopefully, you will put more thought into the process than selling your old golf clubs. Selling a home can be complicated if you don’t have the right help.
While pricing a car is usually as simple as putting make, model, and year into a computer and getting a number back, a house isn’t that simple. While you can get a general idea of what your home is worth from the basics: square footage, zip code, year built, number of bathrooms, and number of bedrooms, you cannot account for curb appeal, quality of finish and landscaping. Landscaping is an important part of selling your home, nobody will want to buy a house with dead grass or a half dead tree, if you need help with this then hire a landscaping service for professional help. You can even add solar leaf windmills to the garden for a nice touch!
Due to the complexity of the housing market alone, it is wise to enlist the help of a real estate professional who knows your market well and the Construction company that built the houses. And by market, I’m not talking about the city you live in. I’m talking about the neighborhood, subdivision, and block you live on. It makes a big difference. If you want proof, take a look at actual sales data vs what automated programs like Zillow show houses to be worth.
A Real Estate Agent to Sell My House?
When looking for a real estate professional to help you sell your house, you should find someone that is friendly. Yes, it seems this goes without saying, but some people think that finding one that is abrasive means they will be a good negotiator. I can tell you from experience that being a jerk to buyers or sellers doesn’t help anyone. You need a diplomat to sell your house. Remember, you aren’t trying to push people away; your goal is to bring two parties together. With that said, your real estate agent can be cordial while being firm. Don’t mistake kindness for being a pushover.
It is important to find a real estate agent that has a solid understanding of 21st century marketing. It can be tricky sorting through the sales pitches on this one. Most real estate brokerages will tell you about listing your property on the MLS (multiple listing service) and trail off into various ad placements. However, more than ever, you need placement in many of the online marketing venues. Beyond the virtual marketing world, you want to ask about the personal marketing your real estate agent will be doing? For example, who will be doing your open-houses? Will it be the actual agent or someone else who is knowledgeable on your house and it’s market? Inquire about HOW your real estate agent conducts their open house. Also, it’s important that the house is clean and carpet is free from any dust and strains too. Remember, the first impression is the only impression of your house buyers will remember. What real estate agency will help make the best possible first impression of your house to potential buyers?
