5 Things Realtors Should Be Doing for Sellers

As a real estate agent, there is an obligation to your clients to do everything you can to smooth the process of selling their home. As their advocate and professional they are turning to for help. Most people want an agent they can not only trust but will fight for the most money for their home in the least amount of time with the fewest headaches along the way.

You see, savvy home sellers understand there is a BIG difference from your run of the mill “Post and Pray” real estate agent that do not much more than post a sign in the yard and pray that it sells.  Home sellers deserve a LOT more than this practice of mediocrity.

So, how can you increase the chances to make the right choice in picking a Realtor? It’s actually easier than you think. You need to understand what a Realtor should be doing for their clients.

By understanding these 5 things you will be properly equipped to choose an agent that is best for you and you can trust will get the job done.

1. Price the home correctly

Pricing a home correctly is one of the absolutely most important pieces of a timely sale.  Far too often, agents will tell a seller what they want to hear just to earn their business, even if it’s to the sellers detriment.  Understanding the market and comparable sales gives each home a narrow window of the correct listing price.  Don’t confuse that with a LOW listing price, or a discount price.  The correct listing price is priced appropriately, and fits into a window that will bring in the most amount of qualified buyers in the price range.

 

 

 

As a seller, you should understand that pricing a home too high can cause a lot of issues.

• Buyers will avoid the home for being above budget
• When Buyers avoid the home for too long it becomes “stale” or “shopworn”
• You now lower the price to attract buyers, however the stale status does not fall off.
• With being on the market a long time, you become frustrated, and buyers will start lowball offers because they assume you are desperate.

So when an agent says, “sure we can always just lower the price!”  This isn’t necessarily the best advice for most situations.

2. Market the heck out of the Property

Marketing in Real Estate is where an agent should really shine.  The end goal is to get a seller top dollar by representing the house in its best possible light. Depending on the property, I personally like to stick to the 3M rule to effectively market a home.

• Message
• Medium
• Market

You must give the right Message, via the right Medium, to the right Market.  If you haven’t done this, your efforts are falling on deaf ears.

The importance of good marketing pictures cannot be stressed enough. These days with 90% of home buyers starting online and home buyers flipping through hundreds of properties at a time, pictures must stand out and show the property in its best light possible. If working with an agent who asks if you have some pictures, or wants to snap some pictures with his iPhone, you may want to RUN FAR, FAR AWAY. This is the tell-tale sign of a “Post and Pray” agent.

From Photos, to Videos, and printed materials – marketing material should be 100% top notch whether it’s a $100k condo or a $4 million estate, no excuses. Make sure your agent has international web syndication, social media outlets, and connections to get your property in front of the right people.

3. Communicate Effectively

Unfortunately, the biggest complaint for so many sellers is their agent does not communicate.  In this day and age, between cell phones, emails, texting, tweeting, and pinning, there is just NO reason you should be out of touch with your agent.  Even when there is no activity, or no offers coming in on a property, as human beings we like to be in the know and you should be updated on a regular basis.

Take a moment to observe how an agent handles themselves before you hire them.  Do they answer their phone on a regular basis? Do they return phone calls promptly?  Do they email back promptly?  If it’s bad before you hire them, don’t expect it to get any better once you have an agreement in place! Communication is a learned skill that is so incredibly important to maintaining  successful Client-Agent relationship.

4. Negotiate the best terms

A good agent is always thinking about the best needs for their client. There are a ton of ways to make sure the terms and conditions of the contract are beneficial to you that go beyond the obvious purchase price.  In reality, everything in Real Estate is negotiable.  A good agent understand this and can provide options for all situations.  Unusual circumstances in Real Estate come up on a regular basis – it’s inevitable.  Almost every transactions is different.  The ability to adapt to these circumstances and understand the full ramifications of them is the sign of an agent who has your best interest in mind.

 

5. Wrapping up loose ends

Selling a house is a lot of work. There are a myriad of details that come up.  As the closing draws near, there are a lot of details to be coordinated and accounted for to ensure a seamless move out, and/or move in.  Moving itself is not glamorous, it’s ones of those things that just has to get done. However knowing that all the legal details and logistics are being taken care of is great piece of mind during what can be typically a stressful time.

The good news is it doesn’t have to be stressful!  A good agent has helped countless families sell and ease the transition out of their current home. The less work and details you have to take care of the better; that’s even more value your agent can bring to you.

Understand these five traits of a good agent and you’ll be well on your way to a successful sale with minimal stress!

Honesty – Good communicator – Excellent Marketer – Strong Negotiator – Attention to Detail

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