What to Expect From Your Listing Agent
If you are planning to put your home on the market soon and would like to sell it as quickly and for as much of your asking price as possible, one of the first things you should do is to hire an experienced and reputable real estate agent. Find the right person to help you sell your home by searching for the top real estate agents in your area online and browsing through their past client testimonials, or ask your friends and family for recommendations. Once you've hired a real estate professional to help sell your home, it would be a good idea to sit down with them and share your expectations—to help them better understand your needs and to serve you better. While everyone's needs and expectations may be different from seller to seller, here are a few basic things every seller deserves.
1. Expect accurate and reliable information about your local housing market. You may already have a pretty good idea about the local market conditions in your area—especially if you spend a lot of time reading about it online and in newspapers—but real estate professionals have access to much more detailed information about your market, and they SHOULD be able to not only provide you with this information, but also to explain it to you in a clear and concise manner so that you can understand the impact your local housing market conditions may have on the sale of your home. Your real estate agent should also be able to answer any questions you may have about your homes potential time on the market, pricing, competition, and more.
2. Expect to hear the truth about your home, and not just what you want or hope to hear. You may not enjoy hearing it, but you do deserve to hear the truth about your home—its value and condition—and whether local market conditions may make it difficult to sell your home very quickly or for as much as you had initially hoped. A good real estate agent will set realistic expectations and deliver results, not get your hopes up or offer false or empty promises. Expect honest feedback from them about the condition of your home, and be open to their suggestions to make it more appealing to prospective buyers. You are not required to follow all their advice, and don’t feel pressured into doing something you don’t feel is right or necessary, but you should be able to trust their judgment, especially if they have a reputation for being knowledgeable and reliable.
3. Expect regular updates and open, honest communication with your real estate agent. Whatever your preferred method of communicating, be it via email, through phone calls or texts, or meeting in person, a good agent MUST keep their communication lines open, and be reasonably accessible and available to discuss the sale of your home. Don’t expect excellent customer service or results from an agent whom you never hear from once you’ve hired them.
If you are looking for a real estate agent who can assist you in selling your home, I would be more than happy to help make the process go as smoothly as possible for you. Give Robin a call at 714-812-3535 or send me an email at [email protected] to talk about your real estate needs!