What to Expect From Your Listing Agent

What To Expect From Your Listing Agent

The moment you decide to sell your house, you're faced with a long list of decisions and chores. Selecting the right Realtor® is your first task!

Here's a guide to what you should expect your Realtor® to do for you.

A competitive market analysis

After doing extensive background research, an agent should present you with a detailed and free competitive market analysis (CMA). The CMA compares your house to similar homes in your area that have recently sold based on size, features and market data, including current economic conditions, crime statistics and school information. Using this information, the agent suggests a listing price.

Recommended improvements

The listing agent tours your home and suggests improvements that will increase its appeal to potential buyers. Buyers are attracted to houses that don't require much work and your agent may recommend you do some minor repairs, install new carpet, redecorate or paint.

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A Marketing plan

Here are a few common marketing techniques you can expect an agent to include in the plan:

• the "For Sale" sign in your yard, which should identify the agent, the agent's company and give a phone number. Make sure that there will be somebody on the other end of that number from morning till night, seven days a week, to answer any questions from house-hunters.
• fliers that include a picture of your home and a description of its size and features. A box of fliers can be attached to the For Sale sign. Your agent may also distribute fliers to other real estate offices in the area, which may have clients who are looking for a home like yours.
• a preview of your house for other real estate agents. The tour usually takes place within the first week or two your house is on the market. Ideally, the agents will return with clients. You may want to offer a perk such as food or a raffle to entice agents to attend.
• a listing in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which is a database of all the homes in a given area that are listed by registered users (which includes the vast majority of agents). Your listing agent will write up a listing that details your home's qualities and attach a photo. Other agents will see it when searching the database for properties that match their clients' criteria. You may want your house to be listed in several MLSs, as some areas overlap.
• advertising in local newspapers, magazines and the Internet, which can generate viewings of your home by house-hunters. According to a 2003 survey of homebuyers and sellers conducted by the National Association of REALTORS®, 93 percent of homebuyers use the Internet to search for homes.
• showings of your home. Your listing agent should coordinate times to show it to potential buyers and for other agents and their clients to see the house. Your agent should give you enough warning that viewers are coming so that you can tidy up the house. He or she should also give you feedback from the people that tour your home, which will help you improve it for the next showing.

Offers and closing

Soon after your home goes on the market, if your home is priced appropriately & staged well, offers should start to come in. Your listing agent will ensure buyers have adequate funding by requesting a pre-qual form along with their offer to purchase. There are 100 details that must be completed, timelines that must be adhered to so you or the buyer don't breach the contract and the endless stream of documents that must be completed and submitted in a timely manner, in order to hold the deal together. This is where you find out how good the agent you select, really is! Start with the best agent, so the process runs smoothly, your rights are covered and you meet your responsibilities to the new buyer. 

If you have been thinking about listing your home for sale. I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and discuss your needs and how I can get the job done.  Contact me at your earliest convenience!
Phone: 763.331.4775
Email: Scott.Swennes@results.net

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Cell: 763.331.4775

Email: Scott.Swennes@results.net