Why use a Realtor to Sell a Home in Naples

Why use a Realtor to Sell a Home in Naples

Posted by Ryan Schwartz on Tuesday, January 29th, 2013 at 8:27am.

It would be nice if selling a Naples house was as easy as selling other belongings. Just go on eBay, see what others are charging and price yours similarly.

As we know, home selling is a lot more complicated than most Americans realize, especially when it comes to the more challenging home sales such as the short sale, selling a vacant home and selling the luxury home. These types of sales require different techniques, both in pricing and marketing.

Because of this, 70 percent of folks who attempt to sell their homes without an agent eventually end up hiring one.

Yes, I am a Realtor and because this is how I make my living, I have a vested interest in homeowners using agent representation when they buy and sell homes. This disclosure does not, however, change the fact that hiring a Realtor to assist you throughout a real estate transaction is in your best interest. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why this is so.

VALUE AND PRICE

A Realtor is the best person to consult to determine not only what your home is worth, but to help you determine the appropriate list price range to ensure that you don’t lose money on the sale.

I understand that there are many websites that claim that homeowners can compile their own market analysis by using statistics from the big real estate aggregator sites, such as Trulia and Zillow. This is a dangerous claim for several reasons:

  • These sites allow real estate agents to purchase advertising by region. The ads are deceptive; misleading the reader into thinking the agent represents the seller of the home on the particular page. In reality, the agent may know little to nothing about the home.   
  • These sites frequently keep sold listings online, advertising them as available.
  • Realtors nationwide complain that the information in the listings is inaccurate. The problem is so widespread, in fact, that the nation’s largest real estate brokerage and several smaller brokerages have pulled all their listings from these sites. This exacerbates the problem for homeowners trying to determine their home’s market value because the sites no longer include all sold listings. 

The only way to get an accurate idea of the market value of your home is by using local statistics, only available from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) database. 

I am happy to prepare a complimentary market analysis that determines how much your home is worth. I do this by combining my knowledge of the market and current conditions with research into local housing market trends over the past six months. It is a free service and there is no obligation to retain my services when you decide to list your home. 

MARKETING

Market Real Estate in NaplesMarketing a home for sale involves a lot more than merely sticking a for-sale sign in the front yard. Unless you’re a marketing professional, getting the word out about your house to both other agents and the general public may be challenging.

Since over half of all sales nationwide involve cooperating with another real estate brokerage, you increase the chance of a quick sale exponentially by listing it in the MLS.

That, however, is merely the first step in a professional marketing plan. Realtors utilize web listings, broker’s open houses and other marketing tasks meant to generate interest in your property. The best agents also understand the dangers of overexposure and are able to walk that fine line between advertising and over-advertising.

Finally, Realtors with a large network of contacts are invaluable. According to the National Association of Realtors, 82 percent of home sales are directly attributable to an agent’s referral network – other agents with whom they’ve built a professional relationship, past clients, friends, family and other personal contacts.

NEGOTIATING, PAPERWORK AND CLOSING

Naples Florida Realtor and NEGOTIATOROnce the purchase agreement is signed and delivered into escrow, the real work of getting a house sold begins. The myriad of details, the pressures of the various time limits and the negotiations are best delegated to someone who performs these tasks on a daily basis – the Realtor. Just as I wouldn’t expect to be able to step into your shoes at your place of business, I don’t expect my clients to be able to step into mine. 

Steering a transaction to a successful close is a job I take very seriously. So many things can go wrong during this part of the process and it truly does take an experience professional to keep them from occurring. 

Finally, the quicker your home sells, the more money you’ll make on the sale. Homeowners that utilize the services of a Realtor sell their homes “considerably faster than homes that don’t,” according to a joint study by Stanford University and the National Bureau of Economic Research.

If you’re considering selling your Naples home, please feel free to get in touch. I am happy to help.

Ryan Schwartz
239.500.8000

1 Response to "Why use a Realtor to Sell a Home in Naples"

Posted on Tuesday, January 29th, 2013 at 8:39am.
Annie Maloney wrote:

Great post Ryan. It is very important to educate consumers as to exactly what the benefits are of using a Realtor. So many think that we just put the listing in the MLS and wait. And unfortunately, there are agents that do that very thing which doesn't help us one iota.

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