Too many times buyers and sellers just hire the first real estate agent they come across to either list or find them a home. A business card does not make a Realtor, neither does passing the real estate course or state licensing tests. However, that is the beginning process for a Realtor to get their business up and running. But let’s say you found that perfect Realtor to list your home or help you with finding that dream house. She/he alone doesn’t get you from start to finish alone; there are steps that need additional people in the process. Depending on how serious your Realtor is about this career choice and representing you as a client, will become evident in the people they have aligned themselves with to assist them.
One of the most important professional alignments that need to be considered for both a Realtor and their clients is a Lending Institution. Knowing whether or not a buyer has the resources to close a loan is vital to the transaction. There was a time when people only bought something when they had the cash to do so. Today most large purchases require financing and especially 1st time home buyers. There are times you can get your home under contract and all the way through the process of due diligence and appraisals only to find out the buyer and their lender cannot get the financing for the purchase. So much time is wasted and the financing contingency is usually one of the last steps in the process. However, if you are teamed up with a great lending source they will keep you informed at every step of the process and help you foresee any trouble with the loan beforehand. Another great resource to have on your team is a home inspector. A pre-listing inspection will help you as the seller spots anything that could hurt the sale of your home. Most people don’t like going to the doctor’s office when they know something is wrong with them. The same seems to apply with a pre-listing inspection. It is really better to know up front what is happening in both cases. I have had several pre-listing inspections and once they were done we knew there was nothing they could claim when the buyers did their inspection.
A lot of times an agent will come in and take their own pictures, I used to be this agent. I would just point and click with no real talent in picture taking. I am sure you can look at homes for sale on the internet and see the same thing as I do bad pictures everywhere. Statistics show that people search the internet for homes before they even call their Realtor. How many times have you been looking at the internet and just swipe past a home because you didn’t like the photo? Or that the photo didn’t impress you? Have you ever picked up a magazine and just flipped through the pages until you see a picture or a headline that grabs your attention? This is the same principle. Your pictures are one of the most important things in selling your home. Having a professional photographer who does this for a living is someone who can provide you with the best shots to create that moment of making a buyer look harder at your home. The Wall Street Journal reports, “Listings with nicer photos gain anywhere between $934 and $116,076. In addition to making the home and your pictures look its best home staging is always recommended. According to the RESA Website “unstaged homes spend an average of 143 days on the market, whereas home that are staged receive an offer within 23 days of listing”.
There are many other resources you need to assist from start to close. As a seller you are not only hiring that agent but all of their resources. Be sure to ask who they are and why they chose them as a preferred vendor. One wrong vendor in the group or suggested to you to use could cost you the sale of your property. If the right Realtor and the right vendors are in place you could come out of the closing attorney’s a very happy person.
To reach Rodney Camren please call (404) 375-1496 or email rodney@starteamatlanta.com.
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