What 5 Things Should I Require From My Real Estate Agent?

What 5 things should I require from my real estate agent?

Are you thinking of selling your house? Are you dreading dealing with the process of it? Are you concerned about getting the best price? Are you worried about having strangers in your house?

Hiring a professional real estate agent can take away most the challenges of selling. A great agent is always worth the commission she charges, just like a great doctor or accountant. You want to deal with the best agents in your area. How do you know if they are the best? Require these 5 things!

1. Honesty and Accuracy in Pricing Your House
Many agents will tell you the price you want to hear to get the listing, but overpricing is one of the main reasons a house will sit on the market without selling. Demand that the agent shows you numbers and how she came to the price she suggests. Make sure she stands behind the list price.

2. Understanding of Your Time Frame
You will be moving your family to a new home. That may revolve around a new job, start of a new school, or whatever your move plan is. Your agent needs to know the time frame you need to have your house sold in to ensure it happens.

3. Ability to Negotiate
Your agent MUST know how to handle all challenges that may arise. An agent’s ability to negotiate is critical in this market.

4. Help with Your Relocation
Make sure the agent you hire is capable and willing to help you find your next house. The coordination of the move is crucial. You want to make sure you don’t end up with two housing expenses. You should in most cases be able to close on your current home and immediately close on and move into your new home.

5. Get the House Sold!
You are putting yourself and your family through the process of moving. You are moving on with your life in some way. The reason is important or you would not be dealing with the headaches and challenges that come with selling. Selling your house is why you hired an agent. A great agent will walk you through any tough issues and be able to deliver the good news of a quickly sold house.

If you or someone you know is looking to move, you can count on me to be the great agent you deserve!

Am I Ready to Move?

Am I ready to move?

An efficient, well-managed move not only saves you time and money, it can also make the transition into your new home easier and more pleasant for your family. Here are some proven tips to help make your move less stressful from start to finish.
The before you move checklist:

1. Hire movers.
2. Take a room by room inventory of your home.
3. Organize your belongings.
4. Arrange for the shut off or transfer of your utilities.
5. Complete change of address from your post office.
6. Give your friends and family your new address.
7. Obtain copies of all medical and dental records, school transcripts and birth certificates.

Packing tips:

1. Label contents on the outside of each box to indicate where they will go in your new home.
2. Write FRAGILE in large, legible letters on boxes that contain breakable and/or valuable items.
3. Pack all breakables and liquids separately.
4. To conserve space, fill drawers with light items such as shirts, underwear, blankets, pillowcases, etc.
5. Hard to replace or extremely valuable items such as jewelry, documents or artwork should also be transferred under your personal supervision.

What to do when moving day arrives:

1. Get plenty of rest the day before you move.
2. Have food and beverages available for the movers at both ends of your journey.
3. When the movers arrive, show them which items you want loaded last and which items they should not load.
4. When you arrive at your new house, check the utilities and do as much cleaning as you can before moving furniture inside.
5. After the movers have finished unloading, you might be asked to sign an inventory list.

Plan something special for the whole family at the end of the day. Planning ahead will make the day go smoother. Please share this with someone you know thinking of moving soon!