Question: How do I know when it is time to hire a real estate agent?
Answer: If you have to ask, then the time is NOW!
We know we are biased. Real estate is our business after all.
We also realize we live in a time where everything is “Googleable” and all sorts of knowledge awaits our query with a few keystrokes on our favorite web-browser. A society of DIYers has proliferated, which we all benefit from: crafts, home improvement, self-publishing that novel, recording your own album. The list is lengthy. And the money we all save by delving into some of these DIY projects and the community we create by connecting with other DIYers is rich and wonderful.
However, whether you are selling or buying a house (or both!), hiring a real estate agent is ultra important, and actually can be the thing that SAVES you dollars and grows your community faster than if you try to go it alone.
How can this be?
This week we will talk about why hiring an agent when you are ready to sell is imperative.
First of all, the realtor doesn’t get paid until your house closes. Talk about incentive!
A lot of sellers flinch at paying 7% of the selling price (which is split between the listing agent and the selling agent), but do you know how much a realtor can do for you even before you listing goes live? The agents job is to sell your house as quickly as possible for as much money as possible, so to that end, they will:
- Provide a market analysis to figure out how much your home is ACCURATELY worth. When your home is properly priced to reflect the current market value for your neighborhood, you have a better chance of selling quickly for close to asking price. If you go it alone, you may leave money on the table, either by pricing it too low, or by pricing it too high and detracting potential buyers and wasting valuable market time.
- Offer suggestions for repairs that might need attention before listing
- Put you in touch with professionals who can help you with said repairs
- Make suggestions for staging and might even help you stage
- Bring in an experienced photographer with legit equipment to make sure your house is shown in the best light when it goes on-line.
- Advise you about the proper paperwork that legally needs to be filled out
Yes, you could put your house on one of those popular real estate sites yourself. But, did you know that when you hire an F.C. Tucker Emge REALTOR®, your house will be on FCTuckerEmge.com (one of the areas most visited websites) AND MULTIPLE other sites? Did you know that the more sites it is on, the more hits it will get? The more hits it gets, the more people click on it……The more people click on it, the more likely you will have a live in-person showing……The more showings you have, the more likely you are to get an offer…..The faster you get an offer, the more likely you are to sell at your asking price. You might even get multiple offers, in which case, you can guarantee getting top dollar for your property. They help you negotiate the terms of the contract and protect YOUR interests.
Once you have a signed offer, the agent’s job STILL isn’t done. For the next stage they…
- Hold on to the earnest money for your security
- Stay in touch with the selling agent regarding the buyer’s financing
- Advise you on inspection repairs that may need to be done and put you in touch with more professionals to advise and complete repairs
- Coordinate all of the legal footwork with the title company, which MUST be completed for the sale to be legal and binding
- Attend closing to make sure everything gets signed and the accounting is right
Additionally, if you are also trying to buy a house, an agent can help coordinate both transactions.
Not hiring an agent and navigating the sale of a house is tempting, but using an agent will save you not only money, but will help ensure a smooth transaction. Using a REALTOR® will mean that your house actually sells within the timeframe you need, and by helping the transactions progress smoothly, an agent can save you a ton of stress, help preserve your mental health, and help grow your list of go-to professionals.
Next week, we will discuss the other side: using a REALTOR® when you are buying a house (and a little bit more information on “Fizz-bos”. (For Sale By Owner).
