A Realtor is defined by the National Association of Realtors as follows:  REALTOR® is a federally registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

A good real estate professional should be knowledgeable of the market and have the skills to assess your needs and desires for selling a home. They will be able put that information together to prepare the best marketing plan for the sell of your home.

Navigating through the process of selling your home can be a daunting task. Having a professional to consult with you on defining the best price for your home, working with the termite company, home inspectors and other related professionals to secure their services and assistance in the negotiating process once a contract is received can be a comfort to an already stressful situation.  Not to mention working through the closing process once the home is under contract.

Safety for you and your family is also a concern. Real estate professionals have devices in place to identify when and to whom your property was shown and who had access to the property at various times.

Absolutely, but the common misconception is that a Seller is guaranteed savings by not paying the commission, when in reality it is sometimes not the case. Sellers often don’t have the resources available to them in setting a price, so they may underprice their home or overinflate the value and therefore miss prospective buyers.

It is also possible that, as a seller, you are not familiar with the market standards for paying closing costs and other expenses for a buyer, and may therefore incur unnecessary expenses.

Of course, Location is a major factor, as well as the condition of the property, not only related to repair, maintenance and cleanliness, but also in relation to being up to date. Current market conditions and competition also play a role when pricing your home for sale.

Statistics show that a property new to the market generates the most activity within the first 30 days. If your home is overpriced, then those prospects may choose to overlook your property for one that is priced within the market.

Overpricing could also cause a seller to miss out on an opportunity to purchase the new home they are seeking by not selling their existing home in a timely manner. This reduces their negotiating power, and results in missing out on opportunities to secure favorable interest rates.

As a seller, your job is to implement the staging suggestions from your real estate professional, make any necessary improvements to the home, refer any prospective buyers that contact you directly to your real estate professional, and have your home prepared for showings in a timely manner to accommodate time requests of prospective buyers.