Would you jump out of a plane with an inexperienced skydiving instructor still learning the ropes? I didn’t think so. An experienced Realtor is what you need when you are buying or selling real estate and conducting one of the largest financial transactions during your lifetime.
Here are the top reasons why a home seller should work with an experienced Realtor on the South Shore
Paperwork – An experienced Realtor can help you wade through the cumbersome and often complicated paperwork that goes hand-in-hand with any real estate transaction, making sure the proper forms are filled out correctly and on time.
Technology – An experienced Realtor can tap into the latest technologies serving the housing industry today. This includes websites, the multiple listing service (MLS), as well as market reports detailing crucial data, such as pricing trends, time on the market, and historical sales activity in your neighborhood. Experienced Realtor’s make a difference.
Local knowledge – An experienced Realtor has the ability to provide the local “on the ground” perspective that is not available from the internet. An experienced South Shore Realtor know’s their hyper-local market and has first-hand knowledge about a neighborhood’s amenities and services, such as schools, zoning laws, and tax rates. There’s also a good chance they’ve been in the other houses for sale in the area and know the market extremely well.
Tips on choosing an experienced Realtor when selling your home:
It’s important to make a thorough search for the best experienced South Shore Realtor in the local marketplace, just as you would before hiring a skydiving teacher, contractor or attorney. You can attend real estate open houses in your local marketplace to see how an experienced South Shore Realtor works on the job. Use directories and the Internet and see which South Shore real estate professionals have the marketing and technological savvy necessary in today’s real estate marketplace. An experienced South Shore Realtor can usually be found on the internet with a solid presence and an active social media marketing campaign with blogs and articles written by the prospective agent you may hire. Ask a prospective real estate agent or broker how long they have been licensed, how long they have been working in this local market, and how many sales they have closed in recent months and years?
Always ask if they are a Realtor member and not just a licensed sales agent. Check references, ask friends and family about their experiences with the Realtor you are considering.
Negotiation – Selling a home calls for solid negotiating skills, someone who is educated and trained with this specific skill and expertise. An experienced South Shore Realtor can assist with the critical negotiations included in every real estate transaction, and help sellers to work with buyers to finalize the many details that comprise a final purchase agreement.
Representation – As a seller, your Realtor’s role typically includes negotiating a sale price, and any such so-called “buyer incentives” that help with a buyer’s closing costs or other expenses. Your experienced South Shore Realtor also can help you determine what, if any repairs you may be responsible for, if requested by the buyer, and negotiate deadlines for their completion.
Pricing – If you’re selling a home, a Realtor can save you time and in many cases, significant money by tapping into market data, reports and their professional knowledge to help you determine a realistic selling price. It is a statistical fact that sellers who don’t employ an experienced South Shore Realtor, leave money on the table and do not attain the highest selling price for their home. An experienced South Shore Realtor will also screen and qualify potential buyers and manage appointments for showings and make all the necessary follow-up phone calls.
Closing Support – An experienced South Shore Realtor can provide expert and objective support during the closing process, ensuring both seller and buyer have received the proper documentation for successfully completing a sale transaction and coordinating a final property walk-through.
What’s the difference between an experienced South Shore Realtor® versus a licensed real estate salesperson?
Not everyone who sells real estate is a experienced South Shore Realtor. Possessing a real estate license in Massachusetts does not afford instant Realtor status, a distinction of which you need to be aware. A Realtor in Massachusetts is a member of the South Shore Realtors Association, the Massachusetts association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors, which is 1.36 million agents strong. By being a Realtor member, the Realtor subscribes to a strict code of ethics, pledges to provide fair treatment for all parties involved, protect the right of individuals to own property, and keep abreast of changes in real estate practice through continuing education and interaction with other professionals.
An experienced Realtor is committed to a higher level of education and professional development; many Realtors have earned professional designations or specialty certifications requiring intensive study. Realtor George Jamieson of William Raveis Real Estate has earned the coveted GRI designation (Graduate, Realtor Institute) of which only 11% of Massachusetts Realtor’s have attained.
If you would like to have an experienced South Shore Realtor and professional seller’s agent exclusively represent you in the sale of your home, please contact 617-877-4839 or email George at George.jamieson@cbrealty.com.