Seller's: 10 Top Reasons for Representation

Selling a home is a complex transaction requiring time, effort, patience, and know-how. Did you know that there are approximately 200 steps involved in listing and selling a residential home? Selling it within a reasonably quick market time at best possible price and terms requires the expertise of a real estate professional. 

“For Sale By Owner” may be very tempting to a homeowner who feels the need to earn every penny from the sale of their property, but rarely do such solo ventures yield the results a professional can help you achieve including saving dollars. The National Association of REALTORS® has determined that the typical home sells for 3 to 9.5% more when it is sold through a real estate agent. And even if you market your home yourself, guess who most surely will have an agent? The buyer! And any offer they make will likely be contingent upon the seller paying their agent an agreed upon fee. When not working with their own buyer's agent, buyers will tend to factor in less in their offers. So any perceived savings is negligible. Professional real estate representation can not only save you time, liability exposure and hassle – but money.

Proper pricing is perhaps the most crucial factor in selling your home. Although you and your agent set the price, buyers determine the value. They will compare your home and your asking price to similar homes on the market and if the price is not right, buyers will either reject it or make low offers. And the longer your property sits on the market, there is less likelihood for procuring best price and terms than if priced correctly from the start. In fact, even in a “seller’s market” a proven strategy is to price competitively and endeavor to procure multiple offers and get buyers competing.

While Internet sites offer “estimates”, that’s why your FIRST STEP to determine the right price for your home is to have a LOCAL experienced real estate professional visit your home and prepare a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA). The report provides details on recent sales of homes like yours with adjustments for differences. SOLD properties are the real litmus test in determining an accurate value. However, the report will also include the asking price of homes currently on the market that will be competing with your home. That is balanced with other factors such as location, features, age of the house, condition, and updates, to determine a competitive asking price.

The way you present your property to prospective buyers can make all the difference in getting best price and terms. Buyers tend to judge homes by cost and “move-in” quality – the less they must do to move in, the more they are willing to pay. A real estate professional can help you see your home through a buyer’s eyes and suggest simple repairs and improvements that offer best return on investment and ways to best maximize space to attract as many buyers as possible. 

Making sure your home is presented factually and attractively in the best manner possible and exposed to the largest number of prospective buyers is key – whether via the Internet or in the listing’s printed marketing materials. Great photography, virtual tours, floor plans, detailed property specific information is critical, and professional real estate agents have those resources readily available in their marketing tools. Having your home listed in Multiple Listing Services (open only to licensed real estate agents) maximizes your home’s exposure by publicizing the home not just to potential buyers, but buyer’s agents.

Most buyers are much more comfortable contacting agents versus homeowners directly. Potential buyers also feel more comfortable looking through a home if the owner is not present and feel uneasy making an offer and negotiating directly with the owner. They often appreciate the accessibility and the objectivity of a real estate professional. In fact, many savvy buyers opt to work with their own buyer’s representative who will contact and coordinate with the seller’s listing agent.

Getting a home “show ready” each time someone wants to look at it is a lot of work. To save you time and unnecessary traffic through your home, a real estate professional can help pre-screen buyers to ensure they really are motivated to buy and are financially prepared to do so. And for your safety, all showings, including those with cooperating agents, will be scheduled by your listing agent.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has enacted some of the strictest laws in the nation; and a myriad of legal stipulations regarding zoning, fair housing, property disclosure, consumer protection and building codes require sellers to be more careful about their responsibilities than ever before. In today’s litigious society, it becomes imperative that all matters relating to the sale of the property be accurately and comprehensively disclosed and documented. The knowledge and experience of a real estate professional can help assure that the legalities are met. Overlooking even one form or required disclosure may lead to an expensive claim.

Today’s buyers seek to make informed decisions and demand a significantly high level of information related to their purchase. Many buyers of Cape Cod homes are from out of state. We can provide them detailed information on not just your home, but the communities, schools, local government, area amenities and much more.

These days, you don’t want just anyone knocking on your door and touring your home. The best way to help keep you and your family safe is to have a professional at your side, accompanying buyers as they tour your home and handling sometimes stressful negotiations.

Reaching an agreement between seller and buyer and then closing the deal requires complete objectivity and a thorough understanding of deeds, abstracts, offers, contingencies, disclosures, title search, etc. Working with a skilled negotiator with your best interests in mind may improve your chances of selling at the price that brings you peace of mind. 

Why deal with the risks and frustrations when you can contact Shirley Bahler, a well known and respected Cape Cod real estate professional utilizing proven state-of-the-art technology tools to help handle the details and who is experienced in coordinating all steps and the various partners in the transaction process such as other agents, lenders, attorneys, to ensure a smooth transition?

• Make a thorough search, as you would before hiring a contractor or attorney.
• Attend real estate open houses to see how agents work and to meet them first-hand.
• Use directories and the Internet, visit the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®website at www.marealtor.com to locate area professionals.
• Don’t be afraid to ask a prospective agent or broker how long they have been licensed, how long they have been working in this market, or how many sales they have closed. To be sure your property will be marketed via MLS, always ask if they are a REALTOR® member.
• And as with any important hiring decision, check out testimonials and ask for references.
• OR contact Shirley Bahler, Broker Associate, with over 30 years of full-time real estate experience and whose mission is to handle every transaction for her clients as if she were buying or selling for herself or her own family.