-
Many Realtors do little or nothing to sell your home.
I get extremely frustrated when I hear of agents that charge sellers a fee and do nothing but put a “for sale” sign in the yard and put the property on the multiple listing service. Unfortunately, this is very common in the real estate industry. Many agents claim that they are full service, yet they leave it to other agents to find a ready, willing and able buyer for your home. Things like good photos, staging recommendations, proper pricing and aggressive marketing are extremely important in any market. It’s a fact that a full service Realtor will get you more money in your pocket even if that means paying a higher commission rate.
-
There is no “standard commission rate”.
All commissions are negotiable! Agents are free to charge whatever commission they feel their services are worth and trust me – many of them are not worth six or seven percent!
-
There is very little difference between Company A and Company B
In today’s real estate market all real estate brokerages have access to the same tools, it’s really a question of whether your agent is willing to use these tools or not. When selling your home you should do business with an agent you are comfortable with not a company you feel has “more market share”. Just because one company in your market has sold more homes than another doesn’t mean they have discovered a secret recipe nobody else knows about. Interview several agents prior to putting your home up for sale and work with the one you feel will represent your needs the best. You will be working directly with this person for sometimes up to a year so make sure you like him or her.
-
Not all agents are equal.
In today’s challenging real estate market many agents have cut back on the services they offer, their marketing efforts, their willingness to negotiate in your best interests and many have even become part time. Many agents will treat you like “just another deal” and care more about the commission than getting you a fair price for your home. Do your homework on your agent. If he or she is not committed to their profession as a Realtor then they are not committed to selling your home for top dollar.
-
Open Houses Do Work
A properly marketed open house in the first 30 days on the market can sell your home. As much as buyers like to start their search online, they also enjoy looking at homes on their own. Many buyers will take a list of new listings in their price range every week and go those open houses. They don’t feel pressured by having an agent with them and can browse on their own time. If an agent refuses to perform an open house he or she may just be a lazy agent.
