Santa brought a great gift to the Hohlt household this year. Our daughter and her family who live in Dallas have decided to move back to Montgomery County. We’re looking forward to spending much more time with her, her husband and our three granddaughters.
Their first order of business will be to sell their home in Dallas. Over the Thanksgiving holidays, they asked for some advice on how to choose a Realtor to list their home. I had to commend them for asking, as choosing a Realtor will be the most important decision they’ll make in selling their home. Choosing the right agent will not only maximize the price they’ll get for their home, it will minimize their stress level. But with so many agents in Dallas to choose from, a little due diligence will be necessary on their part. So with 2 goals in mind, i.e. maximum price and minimum stress, here are a few of things I asked them to look out for in an agent.
To maximize the price you get for your home:
1. A Realtor should be an expert on pricing a home. That requires not only the assessment of comparable sales, but also evaluation of pricing trends as indicated by local market conditions. A home should be priced right from the onset. If priced too high, a home will languish on the market. If priced too low the home may sell quickly but the owner may also leave money on the table.
2. A Realtor should be able to put together a listing product that gives justice to the home’s true merits. A compelling narrative and high quality photographs should make a home stand out among its competition and entice potential buyers to schedule a showing. An extensive internet strategy, staging tips, print advertising, signage, brochures, and virtual tours are a few other items that, if effectively done, help attract potential buyers.
3. A Realtor should also provide ongoing feedback on buyer interest and changes in market conditions so that timely adjustments can be made to the home presentation, marketing plan or price.
To minimize the stress while selling your home:
1. Every real estate transaction has its unique challenges. An experienced Realtor should be able to anticipate potential problems and prevent them from interfering with a successful transaction and adding to the stress load of the home seller.
2. Good communication and people skills are a must in a Realtor. A home seller should always feel comfortable calling their Realtor at any time for any reason. A Realtor also needs to effectively communicate with the many others that will be involved in the process of selling your home.
Selling a home is typically one of the largest transactions a person makes in their lifetime. It is definitely worth the time to do some homework in selecting the person to whom you will entrust to represent you in this important task. Don’t hesitate to ask several Realtors to give you an in-home listing presentation. And check out the quality of their past work, e.g. other listings, and check references. A little due diligence on the front end will pay off in more ways than just dollars.
If you're in need of a Realtor in Montgomery County, please give me a call. I'm at 936-537-1656 and at Claudia@ClaudiaHohlt.com.
Showing posts with label lake conroe listing agent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lake conroe listing agent. Show all posts
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
A Real Estate Listing is a Process … Not an Event
To a property seller, a successful real estate listing means selling real estate at an optimal price in a timely manner while incurring minimal stress. To meet those expectations, a realtor needs to do more than just place a sign in the yard. A successful real estate listing involves a continuous process that begins with the listing presentation and ends with a satisfied client. This process is comprised of numerous activities including the home valuation, home preparation, advertising, ongoing assessment/feedback, negotiation, and closing. And each of these activities involves multiple tasks in order for a successful sale to occur.
1. Home Valuation – This activity has little room for error as too high of a price will not be taken seriously by buyers and too low of a price results in the seller leaving money on the table. Since every home is unique and every market is in a constant state of change, pricing a home correctly takes a good deal of analysis. A quality home valuation is based on the statistical analysis of comparable homes recently sold in the same general area. This compilation provides a general price range that is then custom fitted based on unique characteristics of the home and current local market conditions. Additional adjustments may be required for other factors, such as a shorter than normal time frame required by the seller.
2. Home Preparation – Preparing a home for sale is much like preparing oneself for a job interview. A clean well-kempt appearance is usually a prerequisite to secure a face-to-face interview. Same thing with a home. Detailing, decluttering, depersonalizing, and proper staging helps buyers envision themselves living in a home rather than viewing someone else’s home. An experienced realtor has viewed hundreds, if not thousands, of homes and has a good understanding of what appeals to most buyers. Their expertise can be invaluable in helping a seller’s home make the very best impression.
3. Advertising the Home – A reasonable price and a nicely presented home may put a home on a few buyers’ list of possibilities. But getting a home toward the top of the list takes a good advertising strategy. High quality, well framed photographs will convey the home’s best characteristics in various advertising venues. Other aspects of a good advertising program include a powerful agent website that partners with a multitude of real estate websites to provide maximum exposure on the internet. Also utilization of local advertising media, e-flyers, brochures and signage are all important.
4. Making Adjustments – In spite of an agent’s best efforts, an offer sometimes can be slow in coming, especially in a down market. But by keeping up to date on local market conditions, gathering feedback from showings and compiling internet traffic reports for the property, a real estate agent can provide periodic recommendations to increase the likelihood of a timely offer.
5. Contract Negotiation – Negotiating a home can be an emotional event for both the seller and buyer. Having a Realtor facilitate the negotiation process tempers emotions and helps keep the negotiations based on factual and relevant information. Having the appropriate analytical support for the desired price position is critical during negotiations and puts the seller in a position of strength.
6. Closing – After a contract is in hand, there are many hurdles yet to face. Every transaction is unique. Again this is where the utilization of an experienced agent puts the seller in the best position as they simply have more experience from which to draw. It is not unusual to have inspection issues, lender demands, repair requests, and title problems, to name just a few. There can be a multitude of obstacles, any one of which can cause the contract to fall out. But with an experienced agent at the helm, the seller can rest easy as most issues can be resolved with minimal stress on the seller.
As you can see, a listing is more than just a one time event. It is a continuous process with the Realtor and seller working as a team every step of the way until a successful transaction is finalized. If you are thinking about selling your home, I would welcome an opportunity to present to you the HomesPlus difference. I can be reached at 936-537-1656 or you can email me at chohlt@claudiahohlt.com.
1. Home Valuation – This activity has little room for error as too high of a price will not be taken seriously by buyers and too low of a price results in the seller leaving money on the table. Since every home is unique and every market is in a constant state of change, pricing a home correctly takes a good deal of analysis. A quality home valuation is based on the statistical analysis of comparable homes recently sold in the same general area. This compilation provides a general price range that is then custom fitted based on unique characteristics of the home and current local market conditions. Additional adjustments may be required for other factors, such as a shorter than normal time frame required by the seller.
2. Home Preparation – Preparing a home for sale is much like preparing oneself for a job interview. A clean well-kempt appearance is usually a prerequisite to secure a face-to-face interview. Same thing with a home. Detailing, decluttering, depersonalizing, and proper staging helps buyers envision themselves living in a home rather than viewing someone else’s home. An experienced realtor has viewed hundreds, if not thousands, of homes and has a good understanding of what appeals to most buyers. Their expertise can be invaluable in helping a seller’s home make the very best impression.
3. Advertising the Home – A reasonable price and a nicely presented home may put a home on a few buyers’ list of possibilities. But getting a home toward the top of the list takes a good advertising strategy. High quality, well framed photographs will convey the home’s best characteristics in various advertising venues. Other aspects of a good advertising program include a powerful agent website that partners with a multitude of real estate websites to provide maximum exposure on the internet. Also utilization of local advertising media, e-flyers, brochures and signage are all important.
4. Making Adjustments – In spite of an agent’s best efforts, an offer sometimes can be slow in coming, especially in a down market. But by keeping up to date on local market conditions, gathering feedback from showings and compiling internet traffic reports for the property, a real estate agent can provide periodic recommendations to increase the likelihood of a timely offer.
5. Contract Negotiation – Negotiating a home can be an emotional event for both the seller and buyer. Having a Realtor facilitate the negotiation process tempers emotions and helps keep the negotiations based on factual and relevant information. Having the appropriate analytical support for the desired price position is critical during negotiations and puts the seller in a position of strength.
6. Closing – After a contract is in hand, there are many hurdles yet to face. Every transaction is unique. Again this is where the utilization of an experienced agent puts the seller in the best position as they simply have more experience from which to draw. It is not unusual to have inspection issues, lender demands, repair requests, and title problems, to name just a few. There can be a multitude of obstacles, any one of which can cause the contract to fall out. But with an experienced agent at the helm, the seller can rest easy as most issues can be resolved with minimal stress on the seller.
As you can see, a listing is more than just a one time event. It is a continuous process with the Realtor and seller working as a team every step of the way until a successful transaction is finalized. If you are thinking about selling your home, I would welcome an opportunity to present to you the HomesPlus difference. I can be reached at 936-537-1656 or you can email me at chohlt@claudiahohlt.com.
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