Do I really need to work with a Realtor?
You can sell your home yourself, but why should you? Working with a Realtor will save you time and money. Most “For Sale By Owners” end up listing their home with a Realtor after several weeks of trying to sell on their own. When you list with a Realtor, you get their advanced marketing as well as having it listed on the local Multiple Listing Service. Why not have several hundred Realtors trying to sell your home as opposed to just you?A good Realtor will be honest with you and give you a realistic sales price for your home. An overpriced home will end up costing you money in the long run from missed sales, interest, taxes and upkeep.

Pricing Your Property
In the good old days…..2002-2007…..you could list your home at 20% above the market and someone might pay your price. Those days are over and probably won’t be back again. We are now in a more realistic market and you need to price your home according to what the market will bear. Here’s where a good Realtor can save you a lot of time and money. Your agent will look at the “comps” for your area and price your home accordingly. There are always other things to consider that may add or lower the value of your home. Again, your agent will be able to tell you what the market will bear since they are in the market every day!

Marketing Your Home
This is what sets Realtors apart. Today it seems as if everyone is a Realtor….you sit in a class for 2 weeks or take them on the weekend and poof!....you are a Realtor! Do you really want to trust a part-time agent or retiree to sell your most valuable asset? Work only with full-time agents that sell homes in your area. Most home searches now start on the Internet. If your agent is not Internet savvy or doesn’t use email, texting,etc…….you can bet your home will not be marketed to all potential buyers. Ask your agent to be specific about how they will market your home and what type of lead follow up system they have in place.

Contract to Closing
Sometime it’s fairly easy to get two parties to agree to a contract. Getting it to closing can be a different story. Your agent will help you determine an acceptable offer and whether or not you should counter or change certain conditions to closing. A full time agent will stay on top of the situation and make sure all parties are doing what needs to be done to hit that closing date. No one likes surprises the day before closing. Again, ask your agent what he/she will be doing after the contract is signed on your behalf.