There Are So Many Reasons to Love working with a Real Estate Professional

There Are So Many Reasons to Love working with a Real Estate Professional

Does it really pay to use a Real Estate Professional versus tackling the enormous task of listing and selling your own home? Yes, yes it really does, and here’s why:

•  Paperwork. I could end this article right here. It’s a daunting task: offers, counter-offers, standard escrow closing dates, loan and inspection contingencies, removing contingencies, and if you manage to navigate all of this, there’s the Closing Paperwork… Wow! As an experienced agent working closely with the inspectors, lenders, escrow agents and the opposing agent, I will ensure the paperwork is complete and correct.  

•  Experience. There are so many ways that experience plays into your real estate transaction. What’s the best price for your property? Where should you market it? How should you market it? What features of your home will most appeal to potential buyers? How should your property be positioned against other homes in the market and what other homes are even on the market in your area? As an experienced Realtor I will drive traffic to your listing, and I have the industry contacts to maximize its exposure.

•  Negotiations. What’s reasonable to ask for, and to expect? What things can make or break a deal? Even just having the experience and confidence to stand firm at your price because as an experienced agent I KNOW that your property is worth what you are asking. It sounds simple but deals are won and lost in the negotiation. 

•   Pricing. What’s the competition in your area? What are the comparable homes for sale in your neighborhood priced at? These are some of the questions I ask myself before I even shake your hand for the first time. Additionally, homes sold by Owners typically sell for $41,000 less than homes represented by a Real Estate Agent. Ultimately a Realtor represented property typically sells for 19% more than those listed by owners.

• Understanding of Current Market Conditions. This includes such factors as when is the best time to list, what financing is available in the marketplace and how is that affecting home prices.  

• Time: For Sale By Owner (FSBO) listings take, on average 19 more days to sell. That’s money out of your pocket. And 20% of FSBO listings end up being re listed on the MLS which converts to an average of 68 days longer on the market than Realtor represented properties.

•  Ease of Transaction: Despite For Sale by Owner kits being available online, the total number of property sales by FSBOs has dropped from 20% to 9% in the last decade. And 70% of FSBOs said they had a significantly difficult time selling. Challenges included (in addition to understanding and performing paperwork) getting the right price, preparing the home for sale, helping the buyer obtain financing, attracting buyers, and closing the transaction within the desired time frame.

The bottom line is that as an experienced agent I can relieve a tremendous burden from the process of selling your home, while also maximizing your selling price and getting your home sold more quickly.

Thinking of listing your home? Call me today so that I can show you firsthand the advantages of listing with an experienced and customer service focused agent.