Don’t go it alone: Use a pro to sell your home

trouble by listing your home with a Realtor.

People who try to sell their own homes are denying themselves the benefit of a Realtor who is trained to sell real estate on the terms most advantageous to the party he or she represents.

An efficient Realtor keeps the clients’ interest in mind at all times, provides frequent status reports and has a clear understanding of the housing market and financing terms.

To maximize exposure and minimize problems, enlist the services of a Realtor.

Your peace of mind and a great deal of money are at stake. With professional assistance, the home selling process can be made much easier.

The following guidelines can help you find a Realtor to meet your home selling needs:

Choose your Realtor with care, as you would a lawyer or doctor. Talk with friends, neighbors and coworkers who have recently bought or sold a home in the area. What kind of service did they receive?

Would they select the same Realtor or company again?

Attend an open house to observe Realtors in action and judge their expertise.

Were you shown the home in a professional manner?

How familiar were they with the property?

Look online fo r listings of homes in the same price category as yours. Thi swill allow you to identify companiesthatmarkethomes similar to yours, and see how your home stacks up against the competition.

Target companies located i n your area. They aremorelikelytobefamiliar with the area schools, bus inessesandplacesof worship –pr ecisely the type of information that likely will be sought by prospective buyers.

Once you have narrowed your selection of potential listing companies to five or less, contact each for an interview.

Look for the Realtor who takes copious notes on decorating, construction, landscaping and any personal property to convey with your home.

The following questions maybehel pful in selecting a Realtor:

How long have you been licensed?

How long have you actively worked in the area?

Do y ouworkf ull-time as a Realtor?

Can you give me names of three references whose homes you’ verecently sold?

How will you work to actively seek buyers for my home?

Have you earned any specialty professional real estate designations?

What professional courses or training sessions have you recently attended?

Not all of these questions will necessarily apply to each Realtor. For instance, word-of-mouth discussions with friends may lead you to an agent whoisf airly new, but the enthusiasm demonstrated and their knowledge of the area m aysu persede the importance of how long they’ve bee naRealtor.

In the en d,i t comes down to personal taste and how comfortable youw ill be working with th atR ealtor.

For additional tips on buying a home or selecting a Realtor, visit the Dayton Realtors website at www.dabr.com.