Holy cow, you’ve finally chosen a real estate agent, signed the contract, have a sign in the yard, Now What?

I said this in my previous post, but it will help you to walk through other listings to see what you’re up against. You’ll see your home in a whole new light once you’ve spent some time in someone else’s.

Granted, your agent has told you to clean, declutter, depersonalize, etc. But, there’s always that extra step that so many of us would miss, but that’s because you’re sellers that haven’t walked through 40 homes.

Now that you feel your home is perfect, keeping it that way while you’re living in it can be quite a task. I highly recommend investing in some Swiffer wet cloths and some Clorox wipes—-both things can come in very handy if you have to run out the door to allow a showing. Sure you can ask for extra notice before showings are scheduled, but you will be turning away a certain portion of your potential buyers. My advice is to allow your home to be shown as much as possible. If it’s an absolute mess one day and a showing is scheduled, call your agent and ask them to call the agent showing it to pre-warn them.

Pets? Ugh, please don’t make the real estate agents showing your property babysit them. If we have to remember the name of your dog, not to let the cat outside, etc—-we can easily become distracted from your home’s best features while we’re running around trying to corral your pet.

Now don’t despair, your home probably won’t be shown every day. Depending on the market, showings could be very slow. This isn’t the fault of your real estate agent. If they’ve done their job, good pics, good listing info, loaded to the web, priced correctly, etc—-your house is being properly marketed. Your agent cannot invent buyers, nor would you want someone to lie to you. Be patient, the right buyer will come along. Selling a home takes time and effort. Your agent wants your home to sell as much as you do.

When your home is shown, your agent will try to get feedback from the other agent’s buyers. We have to rely on the cooperation of the other agent on this matter. Sometimes the buyer’s agent is so busy showing 40 properties, that it could take a couple of days for feedback. If you do receive feedback, PLEASE LISTEN TO IT. If the buyers said something about a huge change they think you need to make, discuss this with your agent. They will give you a good opinion on whether or not it’s necessary.

I know this is a very stressful time. Try to relax, be patient and do everything IN YOUR POWER to help get your home under contract.

When you start telling people that you’re thinking about selling your home, you will naturally get several recommendations on real estate agents to use. But please, heed my advice and interview a couple of agents and do your homework before choosing one. Remember, this person is going to be a part of your life until your home’s sold.

When I say, do your homework, I mean for you to get on the web and use Google to search for the best websites in your area. For instance, if you’re in the Kansas City area, you would do a Google search on Kansas City real estate. Now, check out the websites of the ones that come up first in your search criteria. Is the site easy to use? Do they have an office near your area? Do you already know any of the agents in that office? Do you recognize the name of the company? Etc, etc. Also, now is the time to do a little searching for the people that were recommended to you. Are they on one of these major sites? How’s their personal website page? Do they have homes listed? How are their pictures? The reason all of this is so important is because you really need for your agent and their company to be current with technology. 94% of buyers begin their home search online.

Next, you can either pick up the phone and call the agent or just email them (to test their response time). Tell them you’re interviewing agents. Don’t know who to choose from those companies that you found on the internet? You can always call the main office number and chat with the broker. I’m always happy to talk with a potential customer about their property, their needs, and who I think would be a good fit for them.

Here they come!

A few tips here: Don’t make your choice based on their commission rate. Do ask them about their marketing. Don’t let someone force you into a decision. Let go of your emotional ties to your house. Do look at the comparable sales they bring and make an informed decision. Do go with your gut feelings.

Nobody can tell you exactly what your home will sell for, or how quickly it will sell. They CAN give you stats from their MLS about the current market. When you choose your agent you’ll sign a contract with them for a certain number of months. I highly advise you to ask your agent if they’ll take you through the comparable homes on the market. This can give you a good feel for how your priced and how your home stacks up in comparison to the competition.

Also, a common misconception is that the real estate agent you’ve chosen should be showing your house themselves. This isn’t always the case. Trust me, if they have buyers in your price range…they will bring them through. For the most part, other agents from their office or from other offices will be showing your home. Our MLS system & websites match the buyers with the homes, and the buyers are usually under contract with their own agent.

Next time: Your house is listed, Now What?