| Home buyers now have the advantage in today's real | | | | agent to contact you. One is to let you know that |
| estate market, as millions of "for sale" signs rust | | | | the agent is still alive and working. The other is to set |
| away in front yards of what once used to be fast | | | | up showings, relay offers and counteroffers, and to |
| selling neighborhoods. This isn't a real estate market | | | | pass along feed-back from potential buyers. An alert |
| that has a steady stream of willing and able buyers | | | | agent will tell you quickly if, buyers consistently |
| like you had a year and a half ago, where prospects | | | | object to a specific item in the property, such as the |
| were waiting in line for the opportunity to purchase | | | | paint color in the family room, so you'll know to |
| the house of their dreams. For sellers, the cyclical | | | | repaint it. |
| return to a buyer's market means that it's important | | | | 4. Check the marketing plan. When you're |
| to choose the right broker / agent. If you're selling | | | | interviewing a prospective real estate agent, the |
| your house in a buyer's market, you need to find a | | | | most important questions have to do with marketing |
| good real estate agent and price the house | | | | the real estate and pricing it correctly. Ask to see the |
| competitively. | | | | marketing plan for your property, and what do you |
| Listed below are 5 basic rules of strategy for you to | | | | have or can do that's different or better than the |
| use to receive top dollar for yourhome in a buyer's | | | | next agent I'm going to call? Let the agent know if |
| housing market. | | | | you expect an ad in the newspaper every Sunday. |
| 1. Find and interview potential agents. The first thing | | | | Will the agent prepare a brochure? If so, who do the |
| to do is find and interview at least a couple of | | | | brochures go to, other agents, or potential buyers, or |
| candidates for the job. You might want to start by | | | | both? "Get specifics, ask to see an example of the |
| calling an agent who has been "farming" the | | | | kind of brochure the agent is going to do, the kind of |
| neighborhood by mailing postcards every few weeks | | | | Web page, the virtual tour, etc...-- all of that. Experts |
| or giving away magnetic calendars to stick on the | | | | say that about 70 percent of real estate searches |
| refrigerator. The one drawback is that just because | | | | begin on the Internet. For that reason, agents need |
| this agent chose your neighborhood, doesn't | | | | to have complete comfort and experience on the |
| necessarily mean you should choose that agent. I | | | | Internet, not only that they do a little e-mail |
| would suggest calling a reputable real estate | | | | communication and they check it once a day. You |
| brokerage and asking for the relocation director. | | | | want someone who knows the technology and is |
| 2. Assess candidates' knowledge and experience. | | | | completely comfortable with it -- an agent who can |
| After you have identified two or more prospective | | | | take photos that make the house look good online |
| agents, you have to conduct the job interviews. First | | | | and prepare a descriptive, immersive Web page. Ask |
| up: assess their knowledge and experience. Ask for | | | | where the listing will go online. The answer you want |
| some hard facts that a good agent should know | | | | to hear is, the broker's Web site, and the local |
| about the current market in your area such as the | | | | Multiple Listing Service site, and that all other brokers |
| average time that property has been on the market | | | | will be allowed to add the listing to their Web sites. |
| in your neighborhood and in the metro area, and the | | | | 5. Determine the correct asking price. Don't base your |
| average time that agent's houses have been on the | | | | choice on an agent who tells you the house is worth |
| market. The other thing I would ask is: Tell me about | | | | the most. The worst thing you can do is to price |
| your track record. What kind of transactions have | | | | your home too high. Potential willing and able buyers |
| you had? Tell me about what you've sold. Experience | | | | will ignore the house or they won't even notice it at |
| is subjective, it's not always about how much real | | | | all if they're searching on the Web by price range and |
| estate the agent has sold, but their ability and | | | | your house is priced artificially above their upper limits. |
| willingness to step up and get the job done. | | | | How do you know which is the right asking price? |
| 3. Get a communicator. On the other hand, a good | | | | You can never know for sure. A good agent will |
| agent will be honest. If they don't know the answer | | | | prepare a detailed "Competitive Market Analysis" |
| to something they will say, I don't know, but I'll get | | | | (CMA), that will show real estate currently listed for |
| back to you soon with an answer. When people | | | | sale and all the property that has sold recently within |
| bluff, they tend to get into trouble. You want an | | | | the past 6 months to a year including how long has |
| agent who will communicate with you on a regular | | | | the real estate been on the market. The CMA will |
| basis. When interviewing agents, tell them how often, | | | | indicate the probable list price that your home should |
| and how you want to be contacted, e-mail, cell | | | | be at to compete in your local market area. When |
| phone etc.. Some agents can't be called directly, but | | | | you look at all that detailed information; the right list |
| only through a switchboard -- like a doctor after | | | | price becomes very evident. |
| office hours. There are two basic reasons for an | | | | |