Attempting to sell a house can be quite challenging. Putting up a For Sale sign won’t necessarily do the trick. You can’t expect eager and potential buyers to show up and come knocking on your door with a sweet deal! Moreover, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), properties that are sold with the assistance of listing agents sell for 3-11% more than homes sold by the owner.

Selling a house and obtaining the best possible offer takes a lot of marketing and sales know-how. A listing agent can succeed in getting the best viable price for your house. As real estate agents this is their specialty! Additionally, they will entice potential buyers through effective print and Web advertising, may hold open houses or attend private showings. Your agent will present the offers and assist you in negotiating with potential buyers and in closing a deal.

A common mistake committed by home sellers is to choose a selling agent based solely on the lowest commission rate and/or the highest suggested list price for your home.

Although these numbers are extremely relevant, the two criteria ultimately have little to do with hiring an adept agent, who will communicate with honesty and experience.

An agent can show you pending sales, active and comparable sales. This information will help establish the right list price but you will know soon enough, based on the level of interest you receive once the home is on the market.

Here are the things you need to know about choosing a listing agent:

Firstly, ask the agent to present you realistic figures supporting the suggested list price.  The ideal time for an offer is within the first 30 days on market. You’ll surely get an offer if the home is priced right. But if it’s priced too high, there’s a big possibility that potential buyers will rebuff your home, resulting in reducing the price, leaving buyers pondering about the original deal.

Agents have their own strategies, marketing techniques and advertising budget. You’d think you would gain substantially more exposure to the largest number of sure buyers when you choose an agent with a large advertising budget. However, online marketing can also reach a large number of people without costing a lot of money.

If the only advantage an agent can offer you is his cheap fee, think twice. It’s either the agent is hopeless for business or is unqualified and inexperienced. Dealing with this kind of agent is ultimately a pain in the neck.

Occasionally, full-service agents tend to haggle a lower commission under special circumstances like:

• You’re selling more than one property.
• You’re purchasing and selling a home at the same time, handling both transactions to one agent.
• You and the agent agreed to have you as a pro bono case.
• You don’t have ample equity to pay a full commission.
• You commit to allude to more business to the agent and result in multiple transactions.
• You’re in charge for all the legwork, marketing, advertising and pay for expenses to the sale.

If you still can’t decide and are choosing between agents who both offer similar services, request a track record of each agent’s original price list and actual sale numbers. This will provide you can accurate record of the agent’s sale history.

Often times, a well-planned marketing strategy is the key to selling a home. Request a complete copy of your agent’s marketing plans. Be familiar with your agent’s strategies and plans to sell your home. Here are the essential things you should expect from your agent:

• Credible professional signage, including personal and work information.
• Broker previews, Incentive for broker/office previews
• Private showings with buyers
• MLS exposure with photographs
• Distribution to reputable major Web sites
• Regular follow-up reports and feedback to seller/buyer
• Feedback to sellers on buyer sign calls and buyer showings.
• E-mail feeds of new listings that compete.
• Updates on neighborhood facts, trends and recent sales.

Take note, no single strategy sells homes. It’s a mix of all those methods that sell homes. Below is a list of the characteristics sellers should look for in an agent.

Experience
A good and credible track record will help you a lot in a long run. Let the new agents learn the nature of business on somebody else’s lot.

Education
In searching for a qualified agent, always request their certifications

Negotiation Skills
An agent with effective negotiation skills are best-loved by sellers. A quick sale of a property is great, but not if it means you didn’t get everything you wanted.

Good communication Skills
Excellent communication and marketing skills are the key to attract potential buyers

________________________________

Do you have general real estate requests or need a Realtor to represent you in South Lyon, Novi, Farmington Hills, Livonia, Northville, Plymouth, or in any other surrounding Oakland County area? Feel free to contact me.