Why use a
REALTOR®?
All real estate licensees are not the
same. Only real estate licensees who are members of
the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® are properly
called REALTORS®. They proudly display the REALTOR
"®" logo on the business card or other marketing and
sales literature. REALTORS® are committed to treat
all parties to a transaction honestly. REALTORS®
subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are
expected to maintain a higher level of knowledge of
the process of buying and selling real estate. An
independent survey reports that 84% of home buyers
would use the same REALTOR® again.
Your
agent can help you write a legally binding, win-win agreement
that will be more likely to make it through the process.
Your agent can help you
objectively evaluate every buyer's proposal without
compromising your marketing position.
Unfortunately, home selling has become a more complex business
than it used to be. New seller disclosure statements, longer
and more mysterious form agreements, and a range of
environmental concerns have all emerged in the past decade.
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Marketing
The next step is a marketing plan. Often,
your agent can recommend repairs or cosmetic work
that will significantly enhance the salability of
the property. Marketing includes the exposure of
your property to other real estate agents and the
public. In many markets across the country, over 50%
of real estate sales are cooperative sales; that is,
a real estate agent other than yours brings in the
buyer. Your agent acts as the marketing coordinator,
disbursing information about your property to other
real estate agents through a Multiple Listing
Service or other cooperative marketing networks,
open houses for agents, etc. The REALTOR® Code of
Ethics requires REALTORS® to utilize these
cooperative relationships when they benefit their
clients.
Advertising is part of marketing. The choice of
media and frequency of advertising depends a lot on
the property and specific market. For example, in
some areas, newspaper advertising generates phone
calls to the real estate office but statistically
has minimum effectiveness in selling a specific
property. Overexposure of a property in any media
may give a buyer the impression the property is
distressed or the seller is desperate. Your real
estate agent will know when, where and how to
advertise your property. There is a misconception
that advertising sells real estate. The NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® studies show that 82% of
real estate sales are the result of agent contacts
through previous clients, referrals, friends, family
and personal contacts.
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