When you work with a Realtor you maximize your chance of selling your property for the most money, selling it in your preferred time frame and having fewer problems. In previous posts we said that, when you want to sell, the three most important words in real estate are price, condition and availability.
The most powerful way to make your property ‘available’ is to have a successful Realtor work for you. When it comes to selling (unless you are skilled and experienced, yourself) the three main steps are:-
Clarify all of your goals
List your property with an experienced and successful Realtor
Market it as effectively as possible
History shows that the majority of home sellers who miss out on step two, also tend to miss out on steps one and three. The result is often that the seller does not get the most money the market will allow. They may hit their time frame but that (in many cases) is because they drop their price in order to meet their moving-out deadline – which also adds hassle.
Realtors are not only knowledgeable about getting homes sold, they are also experienced – they have a track record. When your business is to sell homes you build a portfolio of successes, a list of solutions to problems before the problem shows itself, and you have a number of potential buyers to market the home to. Realtors also know where to go for help on different matters – title insurance, the latest legal matters, how to abide by the new TRID regulations just to take three examples.
Realtors also have a keen understanding of the current market, so they can advise you on how to price your property well. You want to price it for the home itself as well as for its location, condition, and your preferred time frame. You also want it to compete well with other properties that are on the market, so yours sells rather than keeps coming in as ‘second choice’.
Realtors understand how the market is likely to change – up or down – so you can build those conditions into the overall picture, and set your goals accordingly. Once done, your Realtor can then create and execute the most appropriate marketing plan – for your home, your goals, your price and your time frame.
Realtors pay to have access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) which puts your property on the local market, and on the national and international markets. Realtors have their own websites, on which they showcase their own listings, and they also feed from the MLS. The result is that a Realtor can almost guarantee maximum marketing exposure. Realtors also co-operate with each other. They share knowledge and ideas, and show each others listings to the buyers they are currently working with. This, on its own, increases the ‘buyer pool’ for your property, and is why statistics from the National Association of Realtors show that more than 80% of all buyers and sellers use a Realtor.
Your Realtor’s marketing plan will hit the ground running – and running at the right pace for your goals. Realtors market homes to potential buyers and to other Realtors. Those Realtors show that same marketing information to their own buyer clients.
Realtors bring a lot to a listing – knowledge about the market, experience about what will help you succeed, solutions to problems, a lot of contacts with their own buyers and other Realtors. So, as you can see, there are many reasons why you should list your home with a Realtor. When you do, and when it is under contract, please ask your Realtor to contact us by clicking here, so we can manage all of the escrow and title work (within the new TRID guidelines!) to ensure a successful, and on-time, closing.
Liberty Land Transfer is a Pennsylvania-based title company dedicated to fostering long-term relationships. Our clients know us for our diligence, flexibility, and attention to service. Contact us today.