Sell


Pricing is Critical | Staging Helps | Why Fit Realty Group?

Pricing is Critical

To keep it simple – pricing is the main component to being competitive in any real estate market.  A seller can have the best curb appeal, the most updated/immaculate interior but if they are asking for more than 10% of the average sales price for the area, the house will receive plenty of showings but offers will come in below current market value.  So, for months a seller could be inconvenienced with late afternoon or early Saturday morning showings when they would most likely rather spend that time relaxing.  Instead, if priced competitively from the beginning, they may have received multiple offers.  The best way to be sure a house is competitively priced is to talk with a real estate agent that knows the specific market and types of homes as detailed as possible.   This said – the best way to find the best real estate agent is to ask your friends, colleagues and family who they recommend.  One can research on the internet blindly but can they really trust the first three names that show up to be the best fit?  It’s a long process, selling and buying a home.  Does one really want to spend one to six months communicating about the single most important investment they will make in their lives – with someone they don’t like? Once a seller obtains a name or two – then they check out those recommendations online to see if they are utilizing technology in the most efficient way for marketing purposes and for finding the absolute best deals for clients.

Staging Helps

After pricing, having a house readied for sale is the most important priority.  First, pack away the pictures and chatzkis.  Roll up the afghans and bath mats.  Put away the Disney figurine collection that has accumulated – no questions asked.  Any good real estate agent will have a sense of what is attractive and what will enhance a homes’ best attribute.  Listen to the agents if they request a change in paint color, linens, or the putting away of a faux ficus tree. It can be difficult for an agent to make those suggestions so understand they are made with your best interests at heart.  And by all means, take the gnomes out of the yard.  Replace it with a wind chime or a rock formation which is ideal fung shei and could be the key to having your home sell in record time (That, and maybe a St. Joseph’s statue buried in the front yard).

Why Fit Realty Group?

Options – It’s that simple.  When looking for a real estate company most people want the best experience possible with a reliable, ethical and savvy agent from whom they can obtain answers – if not immediately then quickly.  They want a real estate agent that is responsive regarding the transaction and the market.  People want a personal experience and one that maintains contact about their transactions consistently.  They are also in search of a real estate company that can provide options to mirror their specific transactional needs.  For example, many sellers are told that the going commission rate is 6%.  This is paid to the listing firm who will then split that percentage in half with a buyer’s agent’s firm.  This simply isn’t true.  There is no “set” commission in a real estate transaction.  Commissions  are always negotiable in North Carolina.  A TYPICAL commission is 6% for residential real estate or lots, with half going to each firm respectfully.    However, when dealing in acreage or commercial real estate the commissions are generally higher.

At this time, I should stop and say that real estate agents work hard.  They have a great deal of responsibility in managing transactions.  The liability is high when dealing with what is seen as a person’s single most important investment in their lifetimes.  There can be stress in negotiations and dealing with many facets that others simply do not see or have to handle. A good agent shows good face and bears that stress so their clients don’t have to.  So believe me, we earn our keep when we are on the phone at 9:30 at night with clients or attorneys.  Those dollars are being stretched when we are out showing property until 8 pm on a Fourth of July Saturday night.  I don’t begrudge any agent their commission in most transactions.  However, what about those multi-transactional clients?  Or the client that aggressively prices a home to sell and it only takes a short period of time to get to the closing table.  What if the firm represents both sides?  Should these clients be charged a full commission?  (Personally, if a client prices their home where I suggest and it takes a short period of time to get an offer and get to the closing table I will reduce the commission – however,  it will always involve a typical commission going to the buyer’s agent (sometimes maybe even a bonus) and the cut being taken on ATRG’s end.)  It is one of the many ways that Andie Taylor Realty Group, LLC sets itself apart from other real estate firms People love the options.