Maximized Exposure
The key to selling quickly and getting top dollar is exposure. The more people who see your home, the sooner you will find a willing buyer. How do you get the most exposure? If you sell the home yourself, you will get some exposure by putting up a sign, running some ads, and telling your friends. On the other hand, if you work with a REALTOR you will get instant and mass exposure to a large number of prospective home buyers.
MLS®
A REALTOR has access to the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®). This service, a computerized system operated by the local real estate board, compiles information about listed properties in the area and makes it accessible to member companies. As a result, when a REALTOR lists your home, REALTORS from other companies learn about your home and try to match it with buyers with whom they are working. These buyers may include people from out-of-town who are trying to relocate to your area.
A REALTOR can speed the selling process in other ways:
- By specializing in real estate, a REALTOR knows market values and can therefore
help you set a competitive price for your home.
- A REALTOR can free you from the hassles associated with showing your home
and screen out people who are merely curious.
- A REALTOR is objective when negotiating with buyers and experienced in reading
the fine print of contracts.
- By staying on top of the mortgage market, a REALTOR may know how to wade
through financing tangles and clinch a sale.
- Selling a home is not something that anyone can do in their off-hours. It’s a
specialized service best handled by a professional. Best handled by a REALTOR.