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Once you have decided to sell your home there are two options to choose from. You can list your home with a real estate company or you can sell your home yourself. To make this decision, you need to consider the pros and cons of both sides.
Selling Tips - Moving Checklist - Packing Tips - Tax Information - Insurance - Movers
For Sale by Owner
First, the plus side, you - the owner- get to keep 100% of the money from your home sale. The idea may sound attractive until you begin to consider how much time you have to put into the sale of your home, and You WILL put a lot of time into the sale. 93% of those who first try and sell their home "For Sale by Owner" end up hiring a real estate agent (National Association of REALTORS 1996). Why do they run into problems? Mainly because "For Sale by Owner" homes have two main ways of exposing their homes - yard signs and newspaper ads. An ad in the newspaper and a for sale sign in the front yard attracts a minimal amount of attention. Only 15% of homes sell by yard signs, and only 8% sell by ads (NAR). Not only do you have to attract potential buyers, you have to know how to set the right price on your home to make it sell, try to sell your home in the planned time, learn how to do the paperwork for the sale, make time for those who want to see your home, plan open houses, write ads, arrange appointments with appraisers and inspectors, and handle all the preparations for your move. So, selling your home yourself is an option only if you have the time and energy to devote to it.
If you do decide to sell on your own, you should:
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- Be informed about the wide range of financing options buyers have.
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- Be knowledgeable about details of your home (dimensions, building materials, average utility bills) and your neighborhood (schools, zoning, planning).
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- Be sure your home is staged properly to showcase its benefits from curb to closets.
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- Be available for showings day and night, seven days a week to reach the widest possible range of buyers.
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- Be very aware of your disclosure requirements so you don't have to pay unnecessary damages.
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Real Estate Companies
You get much more exposure than just a yard sign and a single ad with a real estate company. You get institutional advertising, prospects from contacts and past customers, and exposure in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The MLS is a computer database that lists information on all the "for sale" homes listed by real estate companies. Agents can use it to find the right home with the right features their client is seeking. 65% of homes sell by MLS listings making it the major key in being able to sell (NAR). By utilizing real estate companies, you not only get exposure in the MLS, you get professional help from those who know the best way to market your home and guide you through the maze of paperwork and appointments leaving you time and energy to prepare for your move.
The RE/MAX Midwest Group Difference
There are 8 main ways RE/MAX Midwest Group differs from the competition, and why we believe that RE/MAX Midwest Group should be your choice for selling your home.
- Our Real Estate agents get all their own calls. In other companies, the least productive agents take turns answering the phones and prospective buyer's questions. These Real Estate agents may not have even seen your house and may not have all the knowledge and enthusiasm for it that your agent does. With RE/MAX, a receptionist directs prospective buyer's calls to your Real Estate agent so the person who knows your home best is answering the questions.
- Our Real Estate agents pay to sell your home. They buy the yard signs, pay the MLS fee, and purchase all the advertising. Since their money is invested, your Real Estate agent wants to sell your home as much as you do and so use the most effective methods available. In other companies, the office pays for these expenses so there is not as much pressure on the Real Estate agent to sell your home quickly.
- Our agents make their own business. They can focus on helping their customers instead of worrying about what "the company wants."
- Our Real Estate agents have services available to them that no other real estate company does.
- Our Real Estate agents have on average 11 years of real estate experience. We are experienced, full time, top producing Real Estate agents. With other companies you can find inexperienced, part time, or unproductive Real Estate agents - but in the RE/MAX system these Real Estate agents don't last. With RE/MAX, if Real Estate agents don't have a strong business, they won't be in business.
- 42% of our Real Estate agents have professional designations and certifications in real estate.
- Our company has been a leader in real estate for over 25 years.
- Our Real Estate agents out-sell competition 3 to 1.
We sincerely believe that RE/MAX Midwest Group is the best choice for the sale of your home, and we guarantee we will make your real estate transaction go as smoothly and quickly as possible. Our interest is in you and for you. No matter what your decision, we'd like to offer you our knowledge and expertise with tips on selling, moving, packing, tax issues, insurance, and movers through the links below.
Selling Tips - Moving Checklist - Packing Tips - Tax Information - Insurance - Movers
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