Purple Bricks, Redfin, 1% Broker…..there are so many discount Real Estate Brokers out there these days promising the same service and results, for a fraction of the cost. Sounds great, right? It would be, if it were true. But as with everything else in life, you get what you pay for.
When making the decision in who to hire to sell your home, here are just a few examples of things to look out for:
Pre-Market Assistance
Your Agent should start working for you well before your home is listed for sale. Agents should help advise their Sellers regarding any needed home improvements, pre-listing inspections, design, and staging. You want an Agent who will help you make sure your home is photo ready.
Photography/Videography
A picture is worth a thousand words and its your home’s first impression. Your Agent should hire an experienced, professional photographer and videographer to shoot your home. Discount Agents often hire cheap photographers, skip out on the video, and even sometimes take the photos themselves on their cell phones.
Marketing Reach
Simply listing a home in the MLS for other licensed Agents to see is not properly marketing a home. Potential Buyers come from everywhere and your home should be posted on social media websites, should have targeted paid advertising, targeted email campaigns and more. Discount Agents do not spend the extra money needed to give a listing this kind of exposure.
Open Houses & Showings
Well attended, successful Open Houses are crucial to selling your home for top dollar. So many things go into holding a successful open house, from advertising and sign placement, to the environment created with music and candles. It is also important for the Agent sitting the Open House to be an area expert; to know about the comparable sales in the surrounding neighborhoods and to be able to discuss why your home is listed at, and worth, its asking price.
Communication
Selling a home can be a stressful process both because it is foreign (how often do you really sell a home?), and because you are usually dealing with your single largest asset. You want to be sure that your agent will be available to you during every stage of selling your home. Your agent should provide you updates daily on interested parties, Buyer feedback, and marketing efforts.
Negotiating
There are two main areas of negotiation that take place when you sell your home- the initial purchase price when you accept an offer, and negotiating the Buyer’s request for credits, reduction, or repairs after they have completed their inspections. An experienced Agent will have superior negotiating skills and will fight for you to get the most money. Remember, a normal Agent makes more money when you make more money.
With a discount Broker, you will pay less in commission, but, you will also walk away with less money in your pocket at the end of the day because they do not have the expertise, marketing manpower, and skills, to sell your home for top dollar.
Bottom line - If you don’t want to sell your home for a discounted price, you should not hire a discount Agent.
Here at the Chernov Team we have proven results showing that we sell our listings for more money than other Agents, making you more money at the close of escrow.