ARE YOU WORKING WITH YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENT?

You have engaged a super real estate agent.  You know the characteristics you want and need; but have you thought about what your agent wants and need from you?

To help you be the best here are some rules for how to work with your real estate agent.

1. Pick your battles. Price should never be one of them.  Obviously, as a seller, you want to place a high price tag on your abode.  Your price is driven by the emotional attachment you have to the house.  Your agent's responsibility is to guide you to a price closely in line with the house's current market value. The goal is for the price to be compelling; one that is not too high or too low.  According to the National Association of Realtors, pricing a home 10 percent under market value attracts 75 percent of available buyers.

2. See your agent as an expert.  The listing agent's job is to help buyers emotionally connect with your home.  To create that emotional connection, remember, it is all about the first impression.  You may have the right price, the right school district, the right square footage to get potential buyers through the door; yet, it is the visual appeal of your home that will subconsciously motivate them to buy.  Your agent's job is to help you see your home through the eyes of potential buyers and create the home that sells. It is your job to spend the time and money on projects that will cause buyers to buy your home.

3. Be careful what you search for.  According to the National Association of Realtor's profile of home buyers and sellers, approximately 90% of home buyers search on line during the home buying process.  And so are home sellers.  Your listing agent will most certainly discourage you from obsessing over real estate sites and sites that estimate the value of your home.  Why?  Because those sites' estimates are often wrong.

4. Express your expectations.  Remember, first and foremost, your real estate agent is not a mind reader.  There is no such thing as a dumb question.  If you don't understand or finding it difficult to follow the jargon or having difficulty filling out documents - ask for assistance.  Your agent will outline their communication plan with you and will do what they need to do to make you happy, informed and satisfied during the process. 

5. Have a reasonable timeline.  Dare I say, "Rome was not built in a day". Even if your home is priced to sell, it can take some time to find the right buyer, negotiate the sale price, and complete closing documents and inspections.  There may also be attorneys to deal with and documents to sign.  It is a process and the process works when all the pieces are in their proper place.  This may bum you out, but be patient and learn from the experience.