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Interview a Listing Agent
Let’s be honest……anyone can list your Richmond
home for sale, but there’s more to
selling a home than just listing it in the Multiple Listing Service or putting a for-sale sign in your yard.
Here are several issues to consider when choosing a real estate agent to sell your home:
Code of Ethics
All members of the National Association of Realtors subscribe to the NAR Code of Ethics.
The Virginia Association of Realtors also has a Code of Ethics, as do all states.
Generally speaking, the stricter of the codes will always apply to its members.
Choose a Realtor who is accountable to the highest standards of professional behavior.
The Multiple Listing Service in any area is controlled by the local association of Realtors. Only members in good standing are allowed to list properties in the MLS.
Choose a Realtor who is also a member of their local association.
Sales Strategy
There are three distinct elements to your sales strategy:
Home preparation
– make you home as attractive and as appealing as possible. A clean, well-lit and uncluttered home with a landscaped yard is much easier to sell than a neglected property.
Your realtor should advise you on ways to make your home as appealing as possible to prospective buyers.
Choose a Realtor who is willing to tell you the truth about your home and that can advise you on how to show your property to its best advantage.
Pricing Strategy
- how much is your home worth? It is worth no more than someone is willing to pay for it! Realtors don’t set home prices – the free market action between buyers and sellers does. That being said, the price you receive for your home will fall within a range. Where you set the asking price will depend on your personal situation:
How quickly do you need to sell your home
Are there repairs, etc. that you cannot or will not do
Market conditions in your region and neighborhood
Choose a Realtor who bases their recommendations on facts, not wishful thinking.
Knowledge of the Market
Your Realtor should be able to tell you what you can reasonably expect in the way of sales price and the length of the sales process. When listing your home for sale, it’s important to know what the market is doing:
Market conditions for the overall market and for your neighborhood – is it a buyers market or a sellers market or is the market fairly even?
The average and range of prices and days on the market – what can you expect in the way of the final sales price and how long it will take to get a contract?
Choose a Realtor with a finger on the pulse of conditions in your market.
Marketing
Choose a Realtor who knows what gets homes sold and what doesn’t.
Consider these facts and the implications for choosing the best promotional tools:
Between 70% - 80% of all buyers begin their research and search for homes via the Internet.
Do your own search for real estate in your city via the most widely used search engines. Pick a Realtor whose web site comes up on the first page.
Online buyers want to preview your property from the comfort of their own home or office and from the anonymity of their own computer.
Choose a Realtor who has a prominent presence on the Web.
All properties that are listed for sale through your local MLS will eventually be uploaded by Realtor.com, the broker’s individual site and national sites (i.e., century21.com), etc. If everyone’s listings show up on all of these sites, how do you make sure that your Richmond
property gets noticed? One word – pictures! Research has shown that many buyers will not even look at a listing online that doesn’t have multiple pictures – interior views in particular. A virtual tour is even better. Selling a wooded building lot? Then show pictures of the general area, access roads and nearby shopping.
Choose a Realtor who makes the best use of multiple pictures and virtual tours.
Open Houses are not always the best use of time and effort.
Some homes and neighborhoods are well suited to open houses as a marketing tool while others are not. In many cases, a virtual tour can take the place of an open house and can be even more effective. Just imagine holding your house open 24/7 for anyone with an internet connection!
It often makes more sense to hold an open house for agents only. After all, it’s the buyer agents who have the vast majority of ready, willing and able buyers. Also, agent-only open houses are very useful for getting feedback from other Realtors before you start showing your home to prospective buyers.
Choose a Realtor who knows when, where and how to use open houses.
Communication
It’s important that you are kept informed of all aspects of the marketing, sale and closing of your home. Let’s face it – some Realtors are better at this than others.
Choose a Realtor who will keep you informed with the frequency and in a manner that you prefer.
At TheRichmondSite.com
, our main objective is to deliver world class service that is accurate, honest, professional and efficient.
For Sellers we will -
Enter only into a listing agreement with sellers that is realistic regarding the price of their property.
Work with our sellers to provide proper interpretation of the market and supply professional guidance.
Use all of the latest and most appropriate marketing tools to promote the sale of your property.
Communicate with our sellers in the manner and frequency that best suits them.
For Buyers we will -
Provide you professional and informative service to ensure your family is comfortable and confident.
Provide guidance on pricing and market conditions and help negotiate all aspect of the purchase.
For Newcomers we will -
Provide you and your family with a thorough overview of the Greater Richmond Area.
Provide you with information relevant to the marketplace and real estate transactions so that you can decide what’s best for you and your family.
The Richmond Site
Your Primary Resource for Everything Richmond and Everything Real Estate
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Equal Housing Opportunity
