A listing agent’s top priority is making sure your home sells for the best price in the least amount of time (with the least amount of hassle). Achieving that goal isn’t as simple as placing a sign on the lawn and fielding offers. Every market is different, but there are tried and true strategies and methods that your agent should take to ensure you reach your goals as a home seller.
Set Timeline and Communicate
Selling your home as quickly as possible may, in fact, be your goal. But, there are other key considerations as you take this major step as the seller. Your agent should discuss whether or not contingencies are a good idea for your situation and help you develop a backup plan in the event that your home sells before you find another place to live.
In your initial conversations your agent should set up expectations around communication: Do you prefer email, calls, or texts? What are the best times of day to connect? And how frequently would you like to receive updates? Your agent should be in frequent communication as you set the path toward a sale!
Review Comps and Set Price
A pricing strategy based on comparable properties in your area is critical to selling your home. Not only should your agent go over the comps with you, but they should also explain why they are good comps, why they think the home commanded the price it sold for, and what characteristics of your home could contribute to a higher (or lower) price. Finally, your agent should provide you with current market trends and evaluate current homes on the market that might be a competitor to yours.
Personalized Marketing Strategy
Posting your home on a brokerage site and uploading it to the MLS are the basic first steps, but your agent should go above and beyond. To stand out in the market and catch the attention of buyers, your agent should have a plan for creating an online presence for your home: A dedicated, beautiful custom website optimized for search engines, a social media strategy, video tours, and an email strategy that includes newsletters.
Hard paper marketing strategies are also important: Postcards, brochures, and flyers should be well-designed and thoughtful. And throughout all of the strategies listed above photos of your home should be eye-catching, inviting, and not too overly produced.
Staging and Upgrades - What Is Worth It and What Isn’t?
Managing the things that are in your control is critical to selling your home - this includes making fixes prior to hitting the market, improving the exterior, and staging your home. Some fixes may be simple, quick, and cheap while others are more involved and expensive. Your agent should be able to help you decide on what is worth the time and money, and what isn’t.
Open Houses, Showings, and Follow Up!
These days, open houses can be either in person or virtual. But either way, your agent should handle all of the schedules and be in communication with you based on the plan you’ve set. Your agent should have a plan to interest potential buyers and reach out to local agents in your area. After showings and open houses, your real estate agent should be following up with every interested potential buyer and their agent if they are represented!
Evaluate Offers and Negotiate
Your real estate agent must take the time to evaluate the offer/s that you receive while also ensuring that you move forward! They should explain the terms of each offer, the benefits, drawbacks, and any anecdotal information they have based on their experience.
Your agent will of course push for the best price for your home, but they will also work towards getting you the best terms and conditions possible. This includes closing dates, inspection thresholds, and the like!
Inspections and Appraisals
When your prospective buyers inspect the home your agent should be there, with no exceptions. They will get a wealth of information from the inspector and as a result, can ensure that the final report and demands from the buyer are actually consistent with what the inspector unearthed and identified. If the only thing your agent is going by is the written report, it can be easier for the buyer to make demands based on anything turned up in the inspection (and there is always something!).
The appraisal, which is ordered by the buyer’s bank, is critical to the sale of your home. Your agent should be there to provide the appraiser with comps and highlight the reasons that the home is worth the agreed-upon price.
Closing! the Small Details
The small details pile up in the post-inspection period. You shouldn’t feel it, but your agent will. The smoke detector inspection will be completed by your local municipality, there will be a final water reading, and your agent should also be keeping track of important dates like when the buyer’s financing should be approved. They should manage this on your behalf so that you can focus on your next home and the upcoming move!
Selling a home is an important financial decision, but it is also a practical one that has a daily impact on your life. It is important to know what to expect from your real estate agent in the process so that the transaction is a smooth one!