When it is time to sell your home you have a lot to think about. How much can I get for it, where will I go when it sells, what do I need to do to get ready, and should I use a Realtor or do it myself? As a seller you really only need to answer one of those questions right now, Should I use a Realtor?

Of course the answer your going to get from a Realtor is YES!! But there are good reasons for that answer and I will explain in a moment. First though lets talk about selling your home as a For Sale by Owner.

Now of course this is one of the options you have and it is up to you to decide. The problem that many people run in to when trying to sell their home is that they don’t really know what to do. Where do you advertise? What paperwork are you going to need? How do you deal with a potential buyer? Who do I need to contactHow much is it really going to cost you?

Selling a home on your own can save you some money in Realtor fees. However, you have to think about the costs of the advertising, paperwork and forms needed, and of course the stress of dealing with buyers when they finally do call and finding the neccessary information you will need to proceed with the sale yourself. All of that can take a toll on you. The good news is you have another option.

USE A PROFESSIONAL!!

Selling your home yourself can be a very time consuming and stressful task. Using a real estate professional can save you a lot of time and stress when it comes time to sell. They have all the neccessary knowledge and connections needed to help you get your home sold as quick as possible with minimal stress for you.

Now lets talk about some of the things a Realtor can do for you.

• A Realtor is a trained professional and will have a plan of action to get your home sold.
• They know where and how to advertise effectively to sell you property.
• They will handle all questions and showing requests from potential buyers.
• They will give you all the neccessary information you will need to go forward with the sale.
• They will be there for you to answer your questions and give you peace of mind
• Evaluate each potential buyer to make sure, whenever possible, that they are qualified to buy your home prior to contract signing
• Handle all the contracts and other forms needed to sell your home.
• They can set up open houses, tours, appraisals, showings, and more so you don’t have to.
• Make sure that you are represented to your best benefit through the entire process
• and most importantly, they have access to get your property listed in the MLS or Mulitple Listing Service so other agents will have access to show your home to their potential buyers as well. This alone is worth he cost of using a Realtor because it opens your home up to thousands of potential buyers.

Now that is some of what a Realtor can do for you. Of course like anything else choosing the right person for the job is crucial. Some Realtors are not as good as others. Somes are only in it to make money and really don’t care about the client. To make sure you get the best person for the job, here are a few questions to ask your potential Realtor.

1.  What are your qualifications, experience, and education? 
2. How long have you been selling real estate? How long in this area?
3. What is your track record? How many houses have you sold in the last three months? Will you supply three references from these sales? 
4. How will you find buyers for my house? May I see a marketing proposal? Are you connected to a relocation network? 
5. What if I’m not satisfied with your service?

 Make sure you get the answers that you want from these questions. It could be the difference in whether you sell your home quick, slow, or not at all.

So you have the choice of whether to use a proffesional or doing it yourself. I think the cost of using a professional is much less than the potential problems and costs of doing it yourself. But that is for you to decide. Good luck.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 5th, 2008 @ 12:34 pm on the category Seller Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.