Pricing

When you list your house with a real estate agent who participates in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), you get a lot of service for your money. Depending upon the MLS region, there may be hundreds of participating members.

The real estate agent who lists your home works to get it sold. This is done by marketing directly to home buyers, but an even more powerful tool is marketing your home to other agents who have buyers. Your real estate agent makes all the crucial information about your home available to the other members through the MLS. Information such as your home’s location, size, the number of rooms, the style of architecture, what personal property is included, and any other special features is posted. The MLS description will also contain information about any special financing that might be available, showing instructions, and special needs you may have with respect to closing. The MLS is a powerful tool for real estate matchmakers.

In a super-active real estate market where the inventory of homes is limited and multiple offers are common, buyers should enlist the aid of a real estate agent to draft an offer that will be highly attractive to home sellers. Here are some tips for coming up with an offer they can’t refuse.

Understanding the seller is paramount. The most important factor to all home sellers is the amount of money they will receive for their property. Every homeowner wants to get top dollar for his or her home. If you are buying in a hot market and want to make a competitive offer, you should match the seller’s asking price as closely as possible. This tells the homeowner you are serious, and that you place as high a value on their home as they do.

Everyone wants to get the maximum amount possible when they sell their home, but many homes sit on the market because they are overpriced. One real estate axiom states that “the true monetary value of real estate is what someone is actually willing to pay for it”. A professional real estate agent determines the asking price of a property by examining the selling price of comparable homes in the area which have closed.

A seller might occasionally be heard to complain that a sales professional “lowballed” their home for a quick, easy sale. However, real estate agents always work to maximize their seller’s profit. They price your home based on a careful calculation of the maximum amount you should be able to get (with a little room to negotiate).

If you are really serious about selling your home, work with your sales professional to make sure that it is priced right.

Setting the right price is an important first step in the process of selling a home. Is it necessary to spend $200 to $400 for a professional appraisal of your property before placing your home on the market?

A professional appraiser’s opinion of a property’s market value is based on the recent sales of similar homes in the neighborhood, and on the square footage and condition of the property. Different appraisers might come up with different figures. Even if all of them agreed on a value, there is no guarantee that you would receive that amount for your property.

An alternative to a professional appraisal is to ask a professional real estate agent for a written market analysis of your property. This analysis will include information about recent home sales in your neighborhood, as well as how those homes compare to yours. Real estate agents may provide this service with no charge or obligation. If you are still unsure of the value of your home, you may wish to pay for an appraisal.