professional in the local area will know considerably more about the sale price history and market trends than you do. Since real estate agents are paid a percentage of your selling price, it’s in their best interest to price it perfectly. They want to earn the highest commission possible but also make a commission within a reasonable amount of selling time. Real estate agents network with various contractors and professionals. They can advise on service providers’ reputations and provide references who have previously worked with providers. Agents either possess intimate knowledge about your area or have the contacts and resources to find the necessary information. They can identify comparable sales and discover more demographic and statistical information than the average person. For example, you may know that a home down the street was on the market for $300,000, but a professional real estate agent will know the house had upgrades and sold at $265,000 after 45 days. A real estate agent will also have market conditions data affecting your selling process. Many factors determine how you will proceed. Data such as the average per-square-foot cost of similar homes, median and average sales prices, average number of days on the market, and comparisons of list-to-sold prices will significantly impact what you decide to do. Attempting to sell your home without an agent requires significant effort, resources, and countless hours of understanding and organizing all the work. Professional agents’ careers depend on their ethics and ability to build relationships with clients and the community they serve. Agents looking to make easy money rarely go to the effort of establishing a solid marketing plan or working at strategic pricing. Here are some traits to look for when hiring an agent.
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