You”ve decided that it is time to sell your home. You spend some time finding that perfect Realtor that you know will do a great job for you. Of course you checked with friends and family to see what experience they had with Realtors in the past and may have gotten a recommendation or two from neighbors and acquaintances.
After checking out all your leads, you settle on a Realtor you believe will do a great job for you. He or she will guide you through the process of assessing the value of your property and filling out the various forms to get your house on the market.
Once your house is listed, you may be inclined to sit back and wait for your Realtor to do the selling. However, if you remain an active participant in the sale, chances are it will sell faster and for the best price. It is always good to keep in touch with your Realtor on a regular bases. An active Realtor is busy marketing and negotiating other listings as well as yours, so the tendency is unless something happens, he or she will only call you when the daily activity slows down enough to fill you in on updates as to recent showings, market activity or other current sales. Calling your Realtor to check on these things is always a good thing to do.
A competitive seller stays tuned to developments in the real estate market. When talking to your Realtor ask about comparable homes that are for sale to check out the competition. Are they larger and have better features? Are the priced lower than yours? Perhaps your Realtor can give you a tour of some of these homes to see how yours measures up. Also check out homes that have sold recently in your area. Ask your Realtor to send you information to see how they compare to yours in terms of price and condition. Do other sold properties show more improvements and better maintenance? Are there cosmetic or landscaping features you could add to enhance your home”s curb appeal in the eye of the buyer? When you house is shown, Realtors can get feedback from the agent who showed the property. A competitive seller will use buyer feedbacks to make minor improvements such as repainting rooms, removing clutter or replacing worn carpet.
Ask your Realtor how buyers who view your home are responding so you can be proactive.
Ray Perry is the 2013 Realtor of the Year for Lake County and works for CPS Country Air Properties located in the Riviera Shopping Center. He can be reached at 277-8000
