What Sells a Home
Four Tools that Sell a Home
All of the marketing and advertising tools that were previously mentioned, such as direct mailings and “Open Houses”, have nothing to do with the sale of your home. In fact, these forms of advertisements are used to generate more leads, for your real estate agent, for the generation of their future commissions. There are four advertising and marketing tools that can be effectively used to sell a home successfully.
The Importance of the MLS
One of the easiest ways to sell your home is to have it listed in the MLS. It is estimated that an impressive ninety-five percent of homes are sold through the local real estate Multiple Listing Service. The remaining five percent of homes are sold through private party transactions or a homeowner acting independently. The MLS is responsible for listing your property “in the face of” thousands of potential home buyers and buyer’s agents.
There are some discount companies that will reduce the amount or cut-out the amount of the commission that is paid to the Buyer’s Agent. In fact, some companies have reduced the commission payment to only five-hundred dollars on a home that sells for three-hundred thousand dollars. This type of service is not recommended because a Buyer’s Agent is not going to waste a lot of time procuring a home buyer for a five-hundred dollar commission. It is important that you offer the Buyer’s Agent a full commission through a reputable real estate company.
Placing your home for sale in the MLS is the most effective way to sell your home. Almost all homes are sold through the Multiple Listing Service of your local real estate broad. A property that is listed with the MLS will be placed onto national websites that are frequented by home buyers, such as Realtor.Com. Also, the home will be placed on websites, such as IDX Broker Reciprocity and RMLS.Com.
The Importance of the Internet and Computers
Many home buyers perform exhaustive Internet research when initiating their search for the perfect home. It is important to have a real estate agent that is familiar with Internet marketing and advertising tools. There are hundreds of Internet based clients that request to see a home that they saw on a national or company website. Many real estate firms have doubled their business by branching out onto the Internet. A recent survey reported that eighty percent of home buyers used the Internet in order to find out certain information. Many of these home “tech” buyers earn a higher income and are looking for pricier homes. Do not miss out on these “Net” opportunities to sell your home. Make sure that your real estate agent markets and advertises your home on the Internet.
Make Sure That You Choose the Right Agent
One of the best ways to sell your home is to hire an experienced real estate professional. Make sure that your real estate agent is good at what they do. A person that wants to sell their home needs to hire a real estate agent that is experienced in negotiating and can get you the best possible price.
You want to choose a real estate agent that is in constant communication with you. A professional agent should keep in contact with you whether the news is good or bad. An experienced real estate agent is skilled in the areas of escrow, financing, Internet marketing, disclosures, legal aspects of real estate transactions and real estate contracts. You should be able to place trust in your real estate agent.
The Importance of Price and Condition
Besides having the right real estate agent, you need to have an agent that can advise you on the top price that you can sell your home for. A home seller wants to get top dollar for their property; the right agent will make this happen. An experienced real estate agent should not only be knowledgeable in the pricing of your home, but also in the staging of your home. Only you, your real estate agent, and the buyer of your home can determine what your home will sell for. Do not believe a real estate agent that guarantees you a certain sale price.
