The decision to place your home for sale is one of life’s big ones. Since many of us will only go through this process once, maybe twice, in our lives, the questions may be daunting. What is the right listing price? How should I prepare my home? What could I expect over the next days and weeks? How will my home be marketed? That is why finding the right listing agent is the most important first step in selling your home – in fact, it can make the difference of tens of thousands of dollars for you!
Here are the five key things you should look for when choosing an experienced agent.
No. 1 - Knowledge of Your Local Market
Knowing the ins and outs of your local real-estate market plays into all factors of your home selling process. The right agent will know trends in buyer behavior, needs and wants in order to best position your home for your specific market.
No. 2 - Pricing Strategy
The right listing price will reduce the number of days your house is on the market, give buyers a sense of urgency and put you in a strong negotiating position. Only a realtor with a good handle on your market will be able to suggest a truly effective listing price.
No. 3 - Marketing
First impressions matter. How your home is first presented to the buyers’ market sets the tone for how it will be received. The right realtor has a wealth of marketing tools at their disposal to ensure a professional, polished presentation of your house to drive interest for showings, including staging and professional photography to create high-quality, sophisticated marketing materials.
No. 4 - Reach
The effectiveness of marketing generally relies on making sure the message gets to the right audience. A well-established agent will have access to large active buyer pool just waiting for a listing like yours.
No. 5 - Negotiation Skills
Negotiations may be anxiety inducing for some, but not for a qualified listing agent. Not only would an experienced realtor ensure you receive the best price for your home, but they are skilled at ensuring all the terms of the offer are in your best interest.
What it comes down to is that your agent should have the experience and know-how to make selling your home an easy, and even pleasant, experience. All of our agents at The Gill Group are seasoned professionals with intimate knowledge of the markets we serve. If you are thinking of selling your home, give us a call to set up a free market analysis - 201.888.2900!