How valuable is your real estate listing agent?

How valuable is your real estate listing agent?

That’s a question you should definitely ask yourself whenever you are selling real property.  What can he, or she, bring to the table that offers real value to you and your transaction?

Does your guy know the market?  Anybody who can read a newspaper knows that real estate prices are up by double digits and sales are going through the roof. That’s easy, right?  But is the value of your house up by double digits?  Are houses selling quickly in your area?  A valuable agent will know exactly what’s going on in your town and in your neighborhood; even on your street. If he doesn’t, you should find someone who does. With all the tools available to today’s real estate professionals there is no excuse to not be on top of the market facts. If your agent is not totally familiar with what’s going on in the market around you then maybe your guy is not as valuable as you thought he was.

Can your guy help you get your house ready to sell?  That should be easy enough, right? Everybody knows it’s all about curb appeal; paint the shutters, plant some flowers, blow the driveway and put up the sign – House for Sale!  Well, curb appeal is definitely important but a valuable agent knows all the details about what’s most important beyond that pretty face.  He knows the facts about the other houses in the neighborhood.  And he also knows the latest features from the new homes being built around the corner.  And more importantly, he knows what the homebuyers are looking for when they are shopping in today’s market, in your neighborhood, and yes - on your street.  He knows these things because he’s done his homework.  He has visited the other homes for sale in the area, and he has researched all the information available to him about today’s homebuyers.  I assure you those homebuyers two states away aren’t looking for the same things your local homebuyers are.  In fact, buyers south of the city aren’t even looking for the same things that buyers north of the city are.  So to be a valuable agent your guy should be a big help in determining what you need to do to get your house ready to sell. 

Is your guy really going to work at selling your house?  Everybody knows that the listing agent hardly ever sells his own listings.  All he’s going to do is put the wheels in motion; put up a sign, type it into the MLS and wait for the commission check; right?  Well, a valuable agent is going to make sure that he directs the action every step of the way through the selling process.  He’s going to make sure that the property is ready to present every time it’s presented, whether it’s presented online or in person.  He will produce quality photos for the online listing and for fliers and other printed materials. He will make sure that you understand how important it is that your house is ready for every showing by other agents.  He will follow up personally with every agent who shows your house.  And most importantly, a valuable agent will have an internet marketing plan that will help your home standout among the literally tens of thousands of listed homes that are out there in cyberspace. And a valuable agent will have a plan to cause as many of those potential buyers as possible to contact him directly if they are interested in your property.  It’s important that they contact your agent, and not just any agent, because your agent should know more about your home than anyone else and he should have a vested interest in helping you sell your house. Make sure you have a valuable agent who has a plan to create and maintain this marketplace focus for your listing. 

Will your agent be valuable to you by using all the tools at his disposal to make your home stand out in the marketplace?  Will he be valuable to you by directing the action throughout the selling process?   The ultimate bottom line is; will your agent bring value to you by selling your house for the highest possible price in the shortest amount of time?

 

If you are looking for that valuable agent who will take the time and put in the hours to bring value to your transaction in the North Fulton area of Atlanta, GA please give me a call 678-206-6041 or email me at atdallen@gmail.com.  And please visit my website at www.DeeSellsHouses.com.