Thinking of selling your house this spring? If so, it may be beneficial to stop and think about some of the issues you face as a home seller. Planning to sell by owner or list your home with a real estate company? Did you know that you can do both at the same time? Not many people know that…
If you plan to hire the services of a real estate agent, the key word is caution. Keep in mind that selling your home is BIG business and you want the best real estate agent you can find to represent your project. Finding a professional real estate agent can be a difficult task if you don’t know the basic questions to ask. Many agents work part-time with one toe in the tub and simply cannot represent a homeowner as well as a full-time agent. Beyond this, you need to ask yourself (and the agent) how much trading experience do they have? Do they have a business degree? What is your experience in marketing and sales? Are they full time or part time? How many houses have they personally sold? When you hire a real estate agent to sell your home, you are the employer and have the right to ask these types of questions. You will pay a real estate agent a BIG commission to sell your house IF it does sell. Your job is to ask the right questions to select an agent who will get the job done professionally.
One of the main things to avoid as a home seller is entering into long-term listing contracts with any real estate agent or company. Keep listing contracts limited to 90 days at a time so you can review the performance of the agent and their company. Among the things you want to negotiate when you’re listing your home and have it shown on the listing contract as a legal document (exhibit or addendum) is a detailed marketing plan stating the exact marketing activities that will be used to sell your home. You want to see a marketing plan detailing where and when your home will be advertised, how many open houses will be held, when those open houses will be held, and how they will be held. He wants details about the publicity campaign surrounding the sale of his house. Many agents will list a house and basically a new agent spins their wheels to sell for them. The old saying among real estate agents is “if it doesn’t list, it doesn’t last.” What this basically means is that an agent will do and say just about anything to get a listing agreement from a seller. Then they drop the house on the MLS (multiple listing service), cross their fingers, and hope that another agent will find a buyer for their property. Most sellers don’t know the listing agent and their company will get most of the commission whether or not they sell the house. Experienced agents often make a list and let new agents rip the tires off their car showing ownership; The key to success for real estate agents really lies in getting sales contracts, not necessarily selling them. Do you want some advice? Keep an eye on these articles for there is more to come and get your copy of the report below before you rush out and sign that legally binding listing contract – it will help cover your basic legal and financial interests.
Our e-report: 101 Tips for Home Buyers, Sellers and Money Borrowers will help you with more information about this article. Simply click the link below and request your copy and we’ll send it to your email address within 24 hours, absolutely free. Another ezine articles exclusive! Until next time…
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James W. Hart, IV
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