As you get ready to sell your home, it becomes a time to hire the right real estate agent. However, often times some will say certain things just to get the listing and to do the minimum amount of work. Don’t be fooled, find the best real estate agent possible to maximize not only your dollar, but your time:
Myth #1. Pictures don’t matter: According to the National Association of Realtors, nine out of ten home shoppers start online. With that said, pictures tell 1000 words and the more high quality pictures you have, the more likely it will be viewed, desirable, and will most likely make contact to view your home. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Often times, when there are no photographs or very few, I don’t even forward it to my clients because my clients generally ignore it.
Myth #2. Holding open houses are useless: False, think about it. How are people going to view your home? Well, they can schedule showings, but what about those buyers who didn’t know they were ready to buy? In addition, you want maximum exposure for your home to sell. And that means you want to be open on the weekends. We always suggest to our clients to have both Saturday and Sunday open from 1:00PM-5:00PM instead of the typical Sunday from 1:00PM-4:00PM. 20% of our buyers are from open houses and more importantly approximately 50% come to our open houses and then contact their real estate agent to write an offer!
Myth #3. The listing agent already has a buyer: Sometimes they might, but more often than not it is a myth and a hook to get the listing. It would be difficult for them to already have a buyer if the buyer has never seen the home. How to catch the real estate agent off guard? In California, there is a type of listing agreement that is only specific to a single buyer or situation. That way, you are only committed to that situation.
Myth #4. The listing agent indicates their marketing plan is “magic,” they are a “top producer,” and they are a local expert: If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Numbers do not lie. Compare the critical metric: Days on market, list price-to-sale price, and closing ratio.
Listing your home is not only a big decision, but it should be in the hands of someone qualified, knowledgeable, and has the overall know how to sell your home quickly and for top dollar.
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