Part 1
Many people are tempted to try and sell their
homes themselves, thinking they’ll save time and the fee they’d normally pay to
a real estate agent. Often, they’ll waste six months without a nibble – and end
up calling an agent anyway.
If this has happened to you, now you are poised
to choose a real estate agent – so be tough about it. One of the best ways to
find an agent is through personnel referral. Talk to family, neighbors, and colleagues
who have sold a home and were happy with their agent’s performance and
professionalism.
Confirm that the agent’s agency has a
professional looking website that is easy to navigate and features attractive
photos of properties which are accompanied by compelling descriptions of the
home or property for sale. Look for customer reviews of the agency and their
agents on their website.
After compiling a list of potential agencies,
call them and interview them by asking pointed questions. For example, inquire
if they are seasoned marketing professionals and conduct competitive market
analysis on homes and properties currently on sale. Do they belong to multiple
listing services (MLS) and employ a number of marketing techniques such as
advertising and posting on social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest,
and Twitter?
Likewise, ensure that the real estate agent networks
with other successful agents and has a proven track record for quick sales and
strong prices.
And finally, once satisfied that your questions
have been answered to your satisfaction, choose the top three agencies and
schedule an appointment for a face-to-face meeting with them. Make sure that the
agent gives you confidence as demonstrated by their ability and knowledge to
sell your home or property. In working with a real estate agent, chemistry with
that person is key. Check that you speak the same language and your share the
same goals for a successful outcome.
A few years ago, I had a customer who was in
her late 80’s and wanted to sell her big farmhouse, where she had raised five
children, and downsize to a smaller home, which we had found for her. Next we
found a buyer who was perfect - a young couple eager to start a family who fell
in love with the property.
Two weeks before the closing, I received a
frantic phone call from the woman who said she couldn’t sell her house. I
suggested we talk about what was happening in person and said I’d be right
over.
When I arrived she showed me the molding in the
doorway of a bedroom where all the heights of her children and grandchildren
were carefully recorded. “This is why I
can’ sell it,” she said. “I just can’t
leave it behind.”
I thought a moment and asked, “ If you could
bring it with you could you sell it?”
“Yes,” she said, “I could let it go then.”
I called the buyer and they were fine with
removing the molding.
Buyer and seller were happy and all it took was
some careful listening and creative problem solving.
Stephanie W. Samuelsohn
518-392-8484
