by Paula Swayne | Feb 22, 2010 | Listings, Realtor, Sellers
You have decided to sell your home and are looking for that perfect Realtor that will create the perfect storm of a high price, a quick sale and a smooth escrow. Many agents will tout their ability to do exactly this combination. However, the perfect listing Realtor does not act alone. A truly successful sales experience is a team…the combination of the efforts of the Realtor AND the homeowner. A united effort goes a long way to have a mutually positive experience.The smart seller should select their Realtor with one main thought in mind…do you trust your Realtor? If you do, then this means you have done your homework, understand the qualifications of your Realtor and are convinced that this is the Realtor for you. Once this task has been accomplished, the rest is a breeze. You, as the seller, will TRUST that the Realtor is telling you what you need to do to your property to receive the best price. You will TRUST your Realtor that you are being told the right price for your home and you will TRUST your Realtor when you are advised regarding the offer and negotiations necessary for a successful sale. Mutually, the Realtor needs to trust the seller. The Realtor must TRUST that the seller has made all necessary disclosures. The Realtor must TRUST that the seller will work in a timely manner to accomplish the needed tasks.So, when you are searching for that perfect Realtor, make sure it is someone you TRUST and someone you can work with. After that, it really can be a positive...
by Paula Swayne | Jan 7, 2010 | Realtor
I always have to giggle just a little when people tell me that they are considering going into real estate because they “love looking at houses”. If only that is all we do…or even a majority of what we do! So, to give some perspective, I thought I would share what a normal day for a Realtor can look like. Hurry…get ready for work! I can’t be late today because it is the office meeting and tour! Hurry..hurry! Whew…got to the office just in time to check e-mails before the meeting starts! For 30 minutes or so, I learn about the latest law changes, educational opportunities offered by the office and the real estate association and the features of the new listings our office got this week…some really cool stuff!Off we go…the whole office leaves, en mass, to tour our new office listings! We are very PC – carpooling to economize on gas! Between homes we evaluate the features of the home and how they relate to the value. And, of course, how our weekend was, what our families did and so on. It is amazing how many messages a Realtor can get just in the hour or two we are gone touring homes! How do those callers know when we are gone? I also check e-mails. An agent comes in and says “Check out this! Google Whitepages.com and put in your name. It tells people way more than you want out there!” I did and it does! I immediately select an option that eliminates me from their site. That was scary! They listed my home address, my age...