You know how it goes—you say you are moving and putting your home on the market, and all of a sudden, everyone has a friend or a friend of a friend who is a REALTOR.
Maybe it’s someone in the family. Aunt Betty, who has worked in a doctor’s office for years, tells you she has her real estate license, and can help you sell your home. You feel obligated to list your home with a family member or a good friend. How can you say no? Besides, it doesn’t really matter which REALTOR lists your home—or does it?
While it’s a lovely gesture to want to try and help a friend or family member, or maybe she offers to list your home at a discounted rate. The bottom line is you want to sell your home for the best price in the shortest time.
Now, I’m not saying your family member or friend isn’t a great REALTOR, and the best one to sell your home. A lot of the time, however, it’s something they just dabble in on the side, or they live clear across town, don’t know your area, and won’t be available to meet potential buyers to show your home. Interviewing several agents, including your family member or friend, will help you make an informed decision about choosing the right REALTOR to list your home.
With so many REALTORS out there, all the flyers and mailings you receive, and everyone claiming to be the local expert, how do you navigate through it all to find the best REALTOR to sell your home? As in any other industry, all REALTORs are not equal. While anyone can list your home, it is the education, knowledge, experience and integrity of the REALTOR, as well as the company for which they work that gets your home from a listing to a sold for the best possible deal.
Here are just a couple examples of the knowledge and expertise you should expect from a REALTOR, but there are many more.
Understanding the Market
A top REALTOR will understand the current market. Our market constantly is changing. One minute we are in a seller’s market, with a shortage of inventory, and the next, we are in a buyer’s market, with more supply than demand. Each market type calls for a unique strategy when listing your home. In addition, knowing and understanding the current market can make all the difference in your home sitting on the market or a successful sale.
Knowing The Area and Neighborhood
If your home is in East Mesa, you want a REALTOR who knows all about the local area, lives and works here, and knows not only about the housing market but the city itself. A REALTOR from Scottsdale may be a great REALTOR, but not know this area, and all it has to offer. Therefore, she may not be the best REALTOR to sell your home.A REALTOR who lives in your community has firsthand knowledge of your specific neighborhood, the community, and all the amenities it has to offer. This REALTOR knows how to price the homes. For example, a single-story home may get a premium price over a two-story home in one neighborhood but not in another.
Marketing
More than 90 percent of buyers start their search for a new home online. So, having a top-notch marketing plan, which includes all the top Internet sites is a must. It’s not just the regular sites anymore, such as Realtor.com, Zillow, etc., but also social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, etc. If your REALTOR doesn’t have a strong presence to market your home on all the top sites and social media networks, your listing won’t be getting the full exposure to be seen by potential buyers.
Please contact me directly for the full article, and a list of questions to ask when interviewing a REALTOR, or visit my Web site at www.Homes2SellAZ.com.
Lorraine Ryall is a multi-million dollar producer, and recipient of the Coldwell Banker International President’s Circle Award. For more information, call (602) 571-6799, or visit her Web site at www.Homes2SellAZ.com.