What is a Seller’s Agent
A Seller’s Agent is an agent that must always act in the best interest of the seller only. The Seller Agent’s loyalties are with the seller. It is that agent’s duties to share with the seller all information about potential buyers that may assist the seller in making decisions regarding the transaction. A Seller’s Agent negotiates the best possible price and terms for the seller and represents the seller’s best interest throughout the transaction.
What separates Seller’s Agents apart is how they will market and facilitate the sale of your home. Most Seller’s Agents will belong to a Multiple Listing Service (MLS) which allows that agent to list your home so that other agents not only have access to the information but also will be able to show it to potential buyers. That Multiple Listing Service may feed into one or more websites offering low cost marketing to the agent. The agency that your Seller’s Agent works for will most likely have print advertising that they will cycle your listing through on a rotational basis and they also may post your home on their office website. This is where the separation between an average Seller’s Agent and a successful Seller’s Agent will begin.
A productive and successful Seller’s Agent will have a wealth of innovative and tech savvy marketing tools that will find it’s way to the buyers best suited for your home. This will include extensive print advertising that will dwarf the basic company ad that most agents rely on accompanied by a wide array of internet marketing implements. In a recent poll by the National Association of Realtors, buyers used online websites 95% of the time and mobile or tablet apps use was a close second at 89% of the time. 48% of buyers did indicate that yard signs were also a source of their home search. Not surprising, only 15% of buyers used newspaper ads.
As more and more buyers are using online tools to search for homes, sellers need an agent that will use these resources to market their home. Ithaca is and always has been a community with consistent real estate turnover. Many of the buyers are spread all throughout the world and are conducting their home search strictly online. Some will even purchase sight unseen. This makes it more critical that your home is not only marketed online but also has an appealing presentation.
As your Seller’s Agent what will I do for you?
Market Analysis
The first step of the process. What is value of your home ? Your property’s value is what a ready, willing and able buyer would pay. Your value is based on recent sales within your marketplace. In the ideal world the focus would be on similar homes in your neighborhood that have just recently sold. In the real world, no two homes are identical! Each home that has sold in your neighborhood or a comparable neighborhood will need to reviewed and determined as to how it compares to your home. Every aspect of these homes and your home will be taken into consideration including size, condition, updates, upgrades, layout, character, viewshed, proximity to conveniences, schools, land and so on. It is an endless list of details. Many of these homes have been purchased and sold numerous times over the past 20 years and there is a good chance that I may be familiar with it and how it has transformed over time. After visiting your home and completing a thorough inspection I will review the the market data and provide you with a detailed report as to market value of your home.
Marketing Plan
Put a sign in the front yard, take a few pictures, submit the listing to the MLS, run a couple ads and cross my fingers… Sound familiar ? Sure, those are some basics which will be done but that is the tip of the marketing plan that I will put into place for you. Since all homes are unique they may require different strategies. Effective marketing is the key to selling your home. The marketing plan should be designed to target those buyers that your home will most likely appeal to. Upon completion of the market analysis I will also provide you with a seller’s proceeds estimate and a marketing plan that would be implemented for your home. I will show you where and how your home will be extensively marketed to attract that ready, willing and able buyer. Combine that with the support and tools of Warren Real Estate and my 25+ years of experience and local networking and you will be able feel confident knowing that your home sale is now in the hands of a professional.
Negotiation Skills
The terms of a sale can make or break a contract. Purchase offer negotiations and contracts can be intimidating in their complexity. Unless you are buying and selling multiple homes per year most people have little to no experience in negotiating a purchase offer. Seller want to get the best price possible while buyers want the best deal. In between is where it gets muddy. Experience, knowledge and commitment will bring the deal together. My goal is to get you the best price, terms and conditions possible.
Facilitation of the Sale
Once we have secured a buyer it is time to switch gears and move the sale to a successful close. You would like to believe that with 25+ years of experience I would be able to provide you with a template as to how the process will unfold. Unfortunately, the reality is that more than not there will be some hurdles, speed bumps and curves to clear on the way to closing. Keeping the contract together and on track can be as challenging as trying to herd cats. Having a professional with a wealth of resources and expertise at your side is essential in order to meet the requirements and deadlines of your contract so that your home sale will close trouble free!
During the process of selling, a home seller will need a variety of resources to fulfill their side of the transaction. Be sure to visit my resource page for local professionals that can provide you the assistance you need.
