Finding the right neighborhood

“Why should I use a Realtor when I can sell my home myself and save having to pay the commission?” That is probably one of the most frequently asked questions Realtors hear.

Contracting with a Realtor to help sell a house is well worth the money paid once you fully understand the broad range of services a real estate professional can offer.

If you want to sell your home, a Realtor can help from the start by suggesting a listing price. Through his or her many sources, a Realtor can research comparable homes in the area for sales prices in the recent past as well as where other homes currently on the market are priced.

In addition, a Realtor will take into consideration the particular amenities of your home and what the existing economic and financial conditions are in the area. Using all of this information, a Realtor will suggest a price range.

Even though it may not be the price you had in mind, it will be indicative of what a ready, willing and able buyer will pay for similar properties.

A Realtor has access to a wide range of marketing tools to use to expose your home to the public. The most important of these is the Multiple Listing Service, a listing of homes for sale compiled by the Dayton Area Board of Realtors and made available to all its members. Through the MLS, every Realtor in the area can help sell your home, and it holds the most accurate and current set of home data available.

Most Realtors will supplement the MLS listing with yard signs, a strong internet presence, newspaper advertising, open houses, social media, direct mail and other means to attract qualified buyers.

A Realtor will also make sure only qualified buyers tour your home. Showing your $100,000 home to a buyer who can only afford a $60,000 home is a waste of everyone’s time; however, that frequently happens when you try to sell a home yourself. A Realtor will only show your home to those who can afford it.

Once an interested buyer is found for the home, a Realtor is there to navigate the tricky waters of the negotiating process. Rarely does an offer come to a seller at the full asking price. Unless the seller is will-

ing to settle for something lower, counteroffers can result.

By helping the seller through this process, a Realtor can handle the footwork involved in getting the written offers and counteroffers into the other party’s hands.

Remember, if the Realtor is working on behalf of the seller, he or she will try to get the highest selling price possible. During this time, a Realtor often serves as a counselor to calm a seller’s anxiety and on the other side of the coin, to hold a nervous buyer’s hand during the negotiation process.

After the deal is struck, the Realtor then assists the seller with the final aspects of the sale including but not limited to inspections, title searches, permits, notifications, state-required documents or other procedural necessities.

Those are only a few advantages to working with a Realtor. To really understand the process and benefits of homeownership, contact a Realtor today.