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At F.C. Tucker Emge REALTORS®, we often get asked “Why should we pay a realtor to sell our house?” or “What does a realtor do that I can’t do myself?” While we can’t speak for other brokerages, we can shed some light on the value of the services that our agents offer to our community in Southwest Indiana.
- Commission to both the buying agent and the listing agent is paid out of the seller’s proceeds at closing. That is the ONLY time a REALTOR® makes money. So, commission is built into the price of your home. If FSBO sellers are pricing their home based on homes that have been bought and sold with REALTORS®, chances are they are asking too much for their home.
- Some people say that real estate agents hold deals together no matter what so that they can get to the closing table no matter what. That they are in it for their own pay day more than the best interest of the client. This is not the case. REALTORS® are in the business of fiduciary trust and responsibility
- The most important role of a REALTOR® is to relieve the client of the burden of the home sale. An agent tries to take the emotion and subjectivity out of the home selling and buying process, while staying loyal to you (the client) and holding your interests in confidence. REALTORS® at F.C. Tucker Emge take reasonable care and diligence to be your agent.
- Figure out the accurate market value of your home using the most up to date data tools. With this information, he/she can help you set an optimal price for your property.
- Assist you in making recommendations for how to get your home market ready, including repairs, repairmen, and staging priorities
- Pay for a professional photographer to take pictures of your property to ensure that it looks its best on line. That’s right: the agent will pay for professional photos of your home.
- Create the listing in the MLS (Multiple List Service) so that all licensed realtors in the area have access to the listing
- Communicate with agents he/she knows about possible buyers and sellers that might be in the market for a home like yours.
- Market your home across various and multiple on-line platforms. While F.C. Tucker Emge REALTORS® is proud to have a powerful web-site, we know that potential buyers are looking at various sites to find their homes. So, when you list with us, you can be assured that your home is being posted not just on the MLS and our website, but is being shared virtually everywhere.
- Communicate with agents and buyers who want to see your listing and arranges showings according to your preference to ensure a safe and secure environment.
- Put a secure key-box on your house to ensure that only licensed realtors will be looking at your home with perspective buyers. No awkward interchanges.
- If you decide it is right for you, your agent will host open houses so you don’t have to and pay for all of the appropriate advertising
- Make sure you properly fill out and execute all of the forms that you are legally required to submit when selling your property (Lead Based Paint, Seller’s Disclosure)
- Advise you on how best to negotiate when an offer (or multiple offers) come in
- Help write the purchase agreement and decipher all of the contingencies that can come into play
- When problems arise, a licensed REALTORS® will assist you in holding the deal together, but will also be honest about when it is time to part company with the other side.
- Communicate with buyers (or buyers’ agents) so you can spend time doing what you do
- Help you translate the inspection report to know what are truly necessary repairs to get to the closing table
- Stay in touch with the mortgage company and title company to make sure the behind-the-scenes work stays on track
- Help coordinate the appointment for closing and makes sure you get the keys at the right time as stipulated by the contract
Phew, that’s a lot of moving parts to keep organized. We asked around our offices, and we couldn’t find any homeowners in our midst that would sell a home without an F.C. Tucker Emge REALTOR® on their side! LetsTalk!
