DO YOU SAVE BY SELLING YOUR OWN PROPERTY?
The following questions are very important to ask yourself when selling a home. Answering them may help you decide whether you should sell your home yourself or if you should hire a professional.
- How do you price the property? A market analysis compares similar properties – sold and listed for sale - within your area and reflects the most current trends in the market. An appraisal is more exact in comparing like properties that have sold over a period of time.
- How do you show the house since you know all of its faults? Are you familiar with what must be disclosed to a prospective buyer?
- How will you advertise? How big an ad will you run, how often, and how will you write the ad. How much will advertising costs?
- How many prospective buyers will you reach with your ad?
- Have you investigated the financing options for your home?
- How do you distinguish the “lookers” from the “qualified buyers”? A buyer must have the desire and the ability to be qualified.
- How do you maintain security while strangers are touring your home?
- How will you show the property and point out its best qualities without being over sensitive.
- How do you follow up on prospective purchasers without seeming anxious?
- How can you keep the negotiations professional and avoid the natural sensitivity when dealing with your own property?
- How will you schedule time for showings without disrupting you life?
- How will you write the contract? How will you ensure that it is valid and enforceable? How will you protect your rights?
- How will you handle the earnest money deposit so that it will be acceptable to the buyer and serve its purpose for you?
- How much in additional costs will you incur in having a contract prepared, the title search completed, the documents prepared, and a closing arranged?
- How will you find a closing company acceptable to you and the buyer?
- How will you handle the situation if the buyer does not perform as promised?
- How will you ensure the buyers have been pre-qualified to buy by the time they look through your home?
WHAT A PROFESSIONAL REALTOR HAS TO OFFER YOU.
- A Realtor is a licensed professional with numerous hours of real estate education.
- A good Realtor knows the market.
- Realtors are sales people with years of experience marketing properties.
- No transaction is too big or too small.
- The market value of your home is carefully analyzed. The objective is to list your home for the best possible price.
- You can get up to date information on market conditions.
- Your Realtor understands the various types of financing and its impact on your proceeds.
- You can get a good estimate of the costs of selling your home and know how much you will realize from the sale.
- The advertising is planned and effective. Your home is marketed over the surrounding area with an effective proven method. With your permission, your home will be submitted to the Multiple List Service, making your home available to a vast network of real estate agents.
- The buyers are pre-qualified. Your home is shown to interested people capable of buying your home.
- Your home is always shown by a sales person: offering you security.
- The sales person accompanies the buyer and can point out the strong points of your property. They can be objective and help the buyer see beyond flaws.
- Open Houses are a great vehicle for exposing your home to buyers when hosted by a Realtor.
- The Realtor will follow up on potential buyers and determine their interest or get feedback.
- Your Realtor can negotiate the best price in a professional manner.
- The contract is written to protect your rights, and the items in small print are carefully addressed. The Realtor can carefully explain the terms of the contract. Any items you may not want to include in the sale can be carefully excluded.
- The title search, document preparation, closing, payment of taxes, and all the small details of the transaction are handled for you.
- In addition, the Realtor can help YOU find a home.
