Remember the jitters you felt when you bought your first house? Get ready to feel them again if you’re planning to sell your home. One of the best ways to keep your sale on track and take the pressure off your shoulders is to hire a listing agent. Show
A listing agent represents your interests as the home seller. A good listing agent will advise you on pricing, recommend steps to prepare the property for sale, handle marketing, coordinate open houses and showings, present offers from buyers and negotiate on your behalf to get the best possible price and most favorable terms. With so many different listing agents out there, it can be hard to know where to start. Follow these steps to choose a professional who meets your needs. FIND AN AGENT AT HOMELIGHT Visit HomeLight to find the right real estate agent for you. Get started now to see your personalized matches. Get referrals to listing agentsAsk friends and colleagues if they’ve worked with an agent they would recommend, especially those who have sold a home within the last few years. Find out what it was like to work with their agent and how satisfied they were with the results. Review listing agents' experienceVerify that potential listing agents are properly licensed by searching for their names in your state's real estate licensing database. Visit agents' websites and read their bios. Check their current and previous listings to see if they're familiar with your neighborhood and have sold similar homes. Interview multiple listing agentsTalk to at least three listing agents to find out if they're the right fit. Ask listing agents these questionsWhen you interview potential listing agents, it’s important to be prepared with a list of questions. You want to see if someone is qualified and has the right experience not only to market your home but also to get it sold as quickly as possible and for top dollar. Be ready to have the agents visit your home, and ask each one:
Check listing agents' referencesAsk listing agents for client references and talk to those customers about their experiences working with the agent. What did the agent do especially well? What went wrong, and how did the agent handle the situation? Was there anything the client wished the agent had done better? Hire a listing agentOnce you’ve found a listing agent you want to hire, you’ll likely sign a listing agreement in which you agree to a certain term of service at a set commission rate. As you work together in the coming weeks or months, keep the lines of communication open. Let the agent know what you expect and ask questions when you're confused or have concerns. Addressing small issues immediately will prevent misunderstandings later. What do most realtors charge to sell your house?The real estate commission is usually the biggest fee a seller pays — historically somewhere between 5 percent to 6 percent of the sale price. So, if you sell your house for $300,000, say, you could end up paying $18,000 in commissions. The commission is split between the seller's agent and the buyer's agent.
Is Zillow or realtor better?Realtor.com is arguably the most accurate real estate listing platform today. It is affiliated with over 580 regularly updated MLS databases across the U.S. Realtor.com also operates in more regions than Zillow and Redfin simply because it's been around for longer, that is since 1996.
How do you get the top dollar when you sell your house?Top 10 Tips to Sell Your Home for Top Dollar. Price your home aggressively. ... . Use price points. ... . Consider value range marketing. ... . Offer a bonus to selling agents. ... . Hire an aggressive listing agent. ... . Encourage two way critiques. ... . Offer incentives & pre-paids. ... . Stage the home & use curb appeal.. What is the lowest commission a realtor will take?But a low commission agent can charge as little as 1% to list your home. That's over $7,000 in savings on the median home price of $428,000. Selling a house can be an overwhelming experience. A realtor can make the process easier to handle, but then they charge you a 3% commission fee.
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