How Real Estate Agents Can Help Sell A Home

By Author: Christopher Brown
Total Articles: 81
Comment this article

When it comes to buying and selling property, increasingly people are looking for alternatives to real estate agents. They use For Sale by Owner tactics and the Internet to try and sell a home. As busy as people are today, they may not have time to do all of this work themselves. While it may save some money on a commission, the time might be better spent doing something else. Real estate agents are trained home sellers so they will know the best strategies to get a home sold. In Hanover, PA for instance, there are some real estate agents who have served the area for decades. They know the home market and can help sellers get the highest possible price for their homes. Wherever one is selling a home, working with a real estate agent offers many advantages.

First: A real estate agent can help sellers with tips on how to increase their homes’ curb appeal. Quick tips like keeping the grass cut; putting a new coat of paint on the porch or around trim to keep it looking vibrant and tidying up the backyard can help make a home look attractive to prospects.

Second: A real estate agent can help sellers see their homes ...
... through different eyes. Features that sellers may have taken for granted can be emphasized to prospects. A home’s location, i.e., its proximity to major thoroughfares, schools, healthcare centers and shopping all contribute to a home’s appeal. If a home is a particular architectural type, like a Craftsman or Queen Anne style, the real estate agent will note this and include it in the property listing. All of the attributes that the home offers will be carefully analyzed by the agent so that they benefit the seller.

Third: Sellers who work with real estate agents can get more exposure for their home listings. Real estate agents can place homes in the Multiple Listings Service (MLS). More home buyers will get to see the listing, as all agents have access to MLS. Any agent can bring a buyer to see an MLS listed home, even if his or her own agency doesn’t specifically list it. Having one’s home listed in Multiple Listings can get a home in front of literally thousands of agents (and prospective buyers) in a local area.

Fourth: Agents can help sellers set a realistic asking price for their home. Some people price their home too high or too low compared to similar homes that sold in the area. Real estate agents track comparable home sales in the local area so they will know the price range that is best for an initial asking price. Agents will also advise on price adjustments, if those should become necessary.

Even the ‘high commission’ reasoning used by some home sellers doesn’t have to stand in the way of working with a real estate agent. Today many agents offer reduced or negotiable commissions. It’s recommended that people ask several real estate agents about commission structure and if it can be negotiated. Another point to discuss is the length of the contract with the real estate company and how to end it if that should be necessary. Ultimately selling a home is a time-consuming and detailed undertaking. It is best left to professionals who have a vested interest in selling the home promptly and at the highest possible price.

Lucy Brookside offers her expertise on real estate based on her years working for a Hanover, PA real estate firm.