If you are selling your home soon, it’s important that you start thinking about selecting a service provider to help you. Given the large number of homes that fail to sell each year its crucial that you pick well.
Here are some questions that you may find helpful in order to make the right choice:
1. How long have you been a REALTOR®?
Some Edmonton REALTORS® have been around for decades and rely on their reputation to win clients. Unfortunately, many of these folks have fallen way behind, in terms of understanding what type of marketing works these days. Conversely, many REALTORS® have only a few months experience. We suggest you look for someone with at least 10 years’ experience in marketing and selling many homes.
2. How many homes do you or your team sell each year?
Many consumers believe that all REALTORs® sell hundreds of homes each year. The reality? Average production in Edmonton, (including selling and buying sides) is LESS than 10 deals per annum. We suggest you find a selling specialist. Someone who sells more than 30 or 40 homes a year, is effective and is well practiced.
3. What percentage of the homes you or your team list, sell each year?
Last year less than 50% of homes listed on the MLS System actually sold in term, click here to learn more. The market is very competitive. There is an abundance of inventory. If you choose a program like Comfree or perhaps a discounter REALTOR® your chances of success may decrease to less than 40% in many cases.
We suggest you find a service provider that has a higher level of success. Some REALTORs® exceed 80% success rates, but you must look harder. It’s never been more important to pick a service provider that knows how to sell homes, not just list them.
4. How do you suggest we ‘position’ my home in the market?
Not all REALTORS® are schooled in marketing and too many simply focus on getting you to list your home at the lowest price possible. At Vital Home Realty, we have identified 8 Key Components to correctly position a house for selling success, of which price is only one component.
5. How many ‘phases’ does your marketing process involve?
Make sure your REALTORs® has a plan beyond listing on the MLS System, putting up a sign and waiting to see what happens. They might agree to do newspaper advertising and perhaps an Open House, but these are simply ways to placate you. Based on research, neither of these tools work. The Vital Home Realty Best Value program is unique and has 5 distinct phases.
6. Where do you advertise?
These days in addition to an MLS® System listing, most buyers are found through social media and Facebook in particular. You can see our Facebook business page here. Facebook is excellent because it’s possible to target and advertise to very specific demographics. For example, if you had a wonderful family home close to an elementary school and an off-leash area, it’s possible to pay Facebook (via a business page) to target young families with children who have a dog and are looking to move home.
In addition to social media channels like Facebook and Instagram, your home should be advertised on your REALTORS® own website, REALTOR.ca, and Kijji. It’s also crucial that you are in the Data Distribution Facility (DDF®) syndication via the Canadian Real Estate Association. Vital Home Realty has arranged to share its listings with of the major franchises and independent brokerages. Your home will be advertised on websites offered by: REMAX, Royal Le Page, Century 21 and all other significant websites too. We hope to be able to offer enhanced exposure via Zillow soon.
Your advantage here is that we provide you with the BEST exposure for LESS COST than most other service providers would charge.
In essence, the best possible exposure and a discount on commissions.
7. How do you attract buyers?
We suggest you look for a REALTOR® that uses a sophisticated ‘buyer friendly’ website to capture potential buyer information on a 24/7 basis. Most REALTORS® do NOT have this technology.
Our website www.AmbergateHomes.ca captures buyer information in exchange for search tools and has hundreds of buyers searching every week.
We can track their interests. If a buyer shows special interest in your home, one of our buyer agent specialists will call them to set up a showing.
8. How many professionals work on your team?
Most consumers are looking for a high level of service. Most REALTORs® are lone practitioners working for a large ‘clearing house’ real estate brokerage. What this means is that they pay a fee to a broker and trade under his or her umbrella. This means that the REALTOR® must be on call and handle every aspect of the project from writing the copy, handling the advertising, taking calls, to hopefully negotiating the sale and so on.
What’s the problem?
First, no one individual is good at all these things and if your REALTOR® goes on vacation, is sick or otherwise engaged, your support system evaporates. If you hire a team of professionals, you always have support and the best people on the team handle the most appropriate parts of your home selling program.
9. Do you provide a performance guarantee?
Most REALTORs® are not permitted under law to offer you any form of guarantee. At Vital Home Realty, we offer a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Ask us for details if it’s important to you.
10. How much money can you save me on commissions?
Technology has changed the playing field. These days the best REALTORS® can deliver a great result for less expense and more quickly than in years gone by, (click on this link to learn why commissions must come down). If you feel that some of these savings should be passed onto you, then you may wish to consider finding a service provider that can give you value and a more competitive fee structure. Learn more about our Best Value Home Sale Program here.
About the author:
You can read more about the author of this blog by clicking this link – Stuart Neal Broker Owner & REALTOR®
Want more information about our discount and flat fee home selling programs? Please feel free to call our broker-owner Stuart Neal at 780-760-2014 or visit www.BestValueRealtyFees.ca
Best Value & Best Results,
This blog was first published in March 2016. It was refreshed and updated March 1st 2018.
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