Selling Your Home? Finding the right option for you is the most important factor in a successful outcome. For those of you who are ‘do it yourselfers’, there are several options online that can be of help. For Sale By Owner (FSBO) sites are available to help sellers post their listing and find an acceptable selling price. If you choose this option, some word of caution. Saving a commission may seem attractive but time, energy and resources are involved. Be honest and ask yourself these questions:
- How quickly do I have to sell?
- Do I have the time, energy and resources to dedicate to selling my house?
- Have I completely separated myself from my home? Meaning have you made the mental shift that your home is now a commodity.
- Have I taken steps to prepare my home for sale?
After taking inventory and stepping back, if you can dedicate your time, energy and resources, you could save yourself money. However, if you honestly can’t, then hiring a professional seller’s agent may be your best option. Keep in mind that for most, your home is the biggest asset you have. Therefore, you want to make sure that you do it justice.
If you choose to hire a realtor to sell your home, a seller’s agent can be a great asset, especially if you have to sell quickly and have limited time to dedicate to the sale. With all of my moves, I have only used realtors so my experience has this frame of reference. I joke that it’s akin to home schooling, could I do it for my boys, yeah but would the outcome be as best as it could be, uh, no….So I prefer to send them to school to maintain my sanity and hire a professional, when I need one.
Just like anything in life, a spouse, job, or hobby, the key is choosing the right one for you. Finding the best seller’s agent for you will take some of your time. If you have been in your community long enough or had a realtor for the purchase of your home, you should have a few in mind or at least some potential recommendations. If you have a close friend who is a realtor, you may or may not feel comfortable using them. Either way be honest with him or her from the beginning to set realistic expectations so that your friendship remains intact after the sale. When trying to choose, make a short list and include your friend and then interview them. Here are some suggested questions:
- Please explain your experience and knowledge of the market.
- Do you specialize in selling or listing homes?
- How many homes have you sold in the last six months?
- What is your standard marketing strategy?
- How would you market my home?
- What do you see as the strengths of my home based on the current market? What are the weaknesses? What do you suggest I do to overcome the weaknesses and emphasize our strengths?
- Based on the current market and comparables, what is a competitive price for my home?
- How long do you expect my home to be on the market?
- What do you like to do on your spare time?
You may be wondering why the last question. Well, this is my way to gain some incite into the personality of the realtor. You can find another question to ask. The actual question is not important. What is important is getting an idea of the personality of the person you will be working with during a stressful time. This is why if you use a close friend who is a realtor, you need to know the strength of your relationship before entering into a contract with him or her. If you don’t know this person well, than you will have to assess whether or not can get along. The perfect combination in a realtor is a person who has the experience and knowledge of the market you are working in, has had recent sales and has a personality that meshes well with yours.
Good Luck and All the best!
