This was posted by ME on another website forum.
Martin
where are you located?
you have to realize a few things.
buyers bank on your self-imposed deadlines, for instance, "having to sell".
the last thing you really should do is place a deadline on yourself. however, life happens and i'm not saying that it is always unavoidable. that being said, lets say it is inevitable and you find yourself, as you have, with "having to sell" by the end of june.
using an agent should help you. however, most sellers don't look at the market the same way real estate agents do. agents are business people. owners/sellers are emotional (and rightfully so) beings trying to live their lives and GET TOP DOLLAR for their wonderful home that they "love so much". owners/sellers are emotionally attached to the deal. agents are not.
a GOOD agent will never ever put a house on the market and "hope" people come to see it. a GOOD agent will never ever rely on hunches about the market.
a GOOD agent knows the market and the business of real estate, period. they DRIVE traffic to your home. they list it for a price that will SELL IT. for instance, i will NOT take listings knowing the property is ridiculously overpriced. there are MANY agents out there that will, either knowingly or unknowingly.
MARKETING is a key principle in any business. it's a proven fact that strategic marketing for any product can drive sales up. with real estate, it's no different.
as a real estate agent - and i'm a new agent - i've taken my background in business and brought it to real estate agency. it consists of CONTROL. as a business owner, the most important part for me and my business was to know that i was in CONTROL of my business. period. the more control i have over my transactions, the better i will be at plotting out a plan of ACTION.
SOOOOOOOOO MANY real estate agents do not have this quality. they're like owners, HOPING for this or that. in this market, you better have a GOOD agent, or your house will not sell by JUNE...2008!
i wish you all the best in selling your homes! [this is not a solicitation for business. i am in no way interested in interfering with any sellers who have their property listed with an agent currently].
