Tip 4

How to prevent the buyer-seller tangle

 from becoming dog-eat-dog

so you get your asking price the first time around.

Selling your home is said to be one of the top ten most stressful events in life. And if truth be told, selling in a buyer’s market could push the event into the top five. This is because of the high degree of uncertainty and the potential for conflict a buyer’s market brings into a seller’s life.

So it’s easy to see why home sellers today place such a high premium on the real estate professional they choose to guide them through the process, keep the peace and negotiate price with buyers AND make everything happen on time and in the proper order. Here’s a list of some of the services a licensed real estate agent will perform for you:

 • Help establish the right asking price for your home …

• Market your home to other agents and to potential buyers …

• Screen and pre-qualify potential buyers …

MARKET SMARTS FOR HOME SELLERS

 • Show your home to qualified buyers … Negotiate with buyers on your behalf …• Represent your interests and coordinate with other parties involved …• Explain all contracts, forms and agreements …• Manage the closing process from start to finish, and …• Ensure your transaction complies with all governing laws and regulations.

If this were all your agent did for you, it would be enough to demonstrate the difference this one choice can make in determining whether you have the superior home-selling experience you’d prefer. But to select a quality agent who’s also right for you, there’s more to consider.

 So, be market smart …

 In this guide you’ve already seen the complexities of the marketplace and the difficulties arising from the need to price your home realistically for the market you’re in. Many of the decisions you face are emotionally charged. And this at a time when sound logic and strategic thinking are critical to selling your home in the time frame you need. But before all others, selecting a quality agent is your most important choice.

There are three main keys to identifying the quality agent who’s right for you: (1) rapport, (2) personal marketing and (3) reputation and respect within the real estate community …

 • Rapport: do you feel a connection to the agent? Do you feel comfortable talking openly with him? Do you get a sense he’s being honest with you? Rapport is critical, because if things get difficult, as they sometimes do in a buyer’s market, the two of you must be comfortable talking things through. Just as in any other long-term relationship, what makes it work is the good rapport that accompanies effective communication.

It’s quite possible for one agent to be disastrous for some other home seller but be per­fect for you. This is because the relationship is based on rapport—that agent’s ability to communicate and to meet the specific needs you have as a seller.

So, look for a good emotional connection first … because if you have an agent you’re nervous about … or you struggle to communicate with … or you’re just a little bit at emotional odds with — selling your home can move to the very top of the list of life’s most exhausting and stressful experiences.

 • Personal Marketing: how does the agent represent himself through his marketing materials and the other ways he presents himself? A quality agent will care enough to have high-quality marketing materials because he understands the value of marketing and the importance of his materials reflecting who he is as a person. Ask yourself if the professionalism and quality of these materials instill you with confidence in the agent.

Looking through an agent’s literature will pinpoint his level of quality because it demonstrates whether he’s taken the time to do his homework and tend to the de­tails. Does he have a buyer’s questionnaire? A seller’s questionnaire? Does he have a personal brochure that articulates his personal philosophy of doing business — not just his resume — but his business philosophy? And when you read it, do you get a good feel for who he is?

MARKET SMART ALERT: An agent who does not market himself effec­tively

 is NOT likely to market your home effectively!

 • Reputation and Respect Within the Real Estate Community: is the agent you’re considering respected by his peers? Does he have a reputation with other agents for being easy to work with? Because today there’re fewer people looking to buy, one of the most important jobs your agent will have is marketing your home to all the agents in his agent base as well as to buyers. These other agents, in turn, will market your home to their buyers and do all the screening and pre-qualification work before bringing them to your home.

So, your agent’s reputation within the real estate community has a huge impact on how much attention other agents pay to his listings. If they know he’s easy to work with, is going to tell them the real truth and will help them put it all together, they’ll be much more likely to steer a buyer to your home rather than to a similar home listed with an agent known for being difficult.

Here are three easy ways to check out an agent’s reputation within the real estate community:

 Call the local Board of Real Estate and ask for names of agents who’ve won service awards for serving the Board of Real Estate. Every year, the Board recognizes agents for different service activities and relationships within the overall real estate community. These agents are usually held in high esteem by their peers.

2. Call the manager of the agent’s office and ask about his reputation within the real  estate community. Managers will answer honestly because if they mislead you, they’re liable. If the agent’s reputation is not so good, the manager might say, “Well, not everybody likes him, but he’s a good agent.” That would be a warning signal. On the other hand, if the manager says, “You know, other agents love working with him. He’s got a reputation for being open and honest.” That would be an endorsement you could trust.

3. Ask the agent under consideration to give you names of agents from other companies you can call to ask about her services. The agent should be able to give you a couple of agent references. Then call them. An agent from a different compa­ny, especially, is very likely to give you a realistic expectation. If you call a couple of the agent references, you can get a good feel for how this agent is perceived. You want an agent who is known for treating other agents well.

 Well, that’s it for current market smarts. Just remember that selling a home today is all about realistic pricing — painful as it is. So, be market smart … when you follow the selling strategy described in this guide and you have a quality real estate agent working hard for you, you’ll get your home sold for the highest price possible in today’s market­place for the timeframe you need. Then, you can move on with PEACE and JOY to the new chapter in your life!