property to show, list, market, and sell. An experienced real estate professional who is knowledgeable in all phases of real estate can make the process much easier. You do not need real estate expertise if you engage a professional who has it. No matter how long you have lived in your home or property, a real estate 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 agreed commission, but they also want to earn 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 for those who have previously worked with providers. Agents either possess intimate knowledge about your local area or they have the contacts and resources to find the necessary information. They can identify comparable sales and find more demographic and statistical information than the average person. For example, you may know that a property down the street was on the market for $800,000, but a professional real estate agent will know the property had upgrades and sold at $865,000 after 45 days on the market. A real estate agent will also have market conditions data, which will affect your selling process. Many factors determine how you will proceed. Data such as the average per-square-foot cost of similar homes or properties, median and average sales prices, average number of days on market, and comparisons of list- to-sold prices will have a huge bearing on what you ultimately decide to do.
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