Agency and the Realtor

Choosing the right Realtor to sell your home requires a completely different approach than the approach you used to find a Realtor to help you buy your home.  It would be ideal if the same Realtor can help you with both transactions, because developing a relationship with an professional Realtor can be a great benefit to you in many ways.  Your listing agent should be a full time Realtor. If buyers and other Realtors have questions about your property, they want an answers now, not when the listing agent can manage to get time away from his job. Successful listing agents are not in the business part time.

Most Agents who sell Plano homes or any DFW homes don't want you to know they work part time because they know it will reflect negatively on them. Ask the agent how many hours a week they spend working real estate and if they have another job.  Does the agent have a professional appearance? The agent you choose will be a reflection of your property. An unprofessional appearance or attitude will turn off potential buyers. How long has the agent been involved in real estate sales? It's an important question, but don't get hung up on the answer to much.  Hard working new agents can be just as effective as a well established agent.

Does the agent belong to all of the areas multiple listing services? The more places your listing shows up, the better exposure it will get. Your agent's first choice will be to sell the property herself, but promoting it to every available agent within the area is a must from the very beginning.  A single agent might be working with ten qualified buyers at any given time, but your property won't be suitable to all potential buyers.  Listing the property in the MLS brings in every licensed agent, drastically increasing your buyer pool.  Does the agent specialize in Dallas foreclosures?  If so, you probably don’t want them as the selling representative for your house.

There are many other questions you should ask the agent during your interview.  Here are some good examples:

·         What types of marketing will you do for the property?

·         How many of your recent listings have sold during their initial listing period? How many listings expired without a sale?

·         Do you have special training that goes above and beyond what's required to be licensed?

·         Will you hold an open houses?

·         Will you provide marketing materials to leave in the house for agents and buyers?

·         Will you send flyers or postcards to local agents?

·         How often will you call me with showing reports and feedback?

Ask as many questions as possible that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no response. An open ended question forces the agent to talk about her ideas for your property, and many of the responses will trigger more questions from you. Always ask an agent for referrals from satisfied seller clients. If the agent cannot provide them, something may be wrong and you should probably move on.

A Marketing Plan

The agent must be able to demonstrate to you an aggressive marketing plan. Does the agent or firm have a good internet presence? Will the agent do a virtual tour of your property? How does the firm stack up against other firms that are marketing on a local level? You should have a good feel for the answers to all of those questions based on the agent search you did when you bought the property. After you decide on an agent monitor them to make sure that the promises your agent made turn into actions. If the marketing plan isn't implemented, ask the agent to make the necessary corrections. If they make no corrections ask them to release you from the listing contract. Remember that the firm’s broker in charge is your agent and she should be notified if your listing agent does not follow through their promises.

Open Houses?

Most open houses held for buyers do not actually sell the house being held open. A better type of open house is one held for other real estate agents because these are the people who are in control of showing your property to buyers. At the very least, your agent should have a showing for all other agents within his office, but holding a second open house for all agents within the MLS is also highly recommended. They won't all attend, but everyone who does will tend to remember your property when a suitable buyer comes around.

Ask as many questions as you need to determine which agent is best fit for your needs.  Keep in mind that your final agent selection will require some gut feeling on your part. Personalities always come into play, so you should choose an agent based in part on the knowledge that you can get along with that agent during the listing period. There are plenty of good agents out there available to you. Don't choose someone who you cannot stand dealing with, because there's surely someone who can offer good services and a good working relationship. 

Increasing Buyer and Agent Calls

Denton County Real Estate

The real estate market; In a buyer’s market it is twice as important to increase buyer and agent traffic over other types of market conditions. If you aren't getting enough showings because your curb appeal is in the gutter, so to speak, it might not be the list price that is the problem. It might be because there is an abundance of inventory on the market and buyers have plenty of homes with great curb appeal to choose from.

Here are Some Great Ways to Increase Your Traffic

1) Offer a Competitive Commission to Buyers Agents

Review your listing agreement to determine how your agent is splitting the commission you are paying.  At least 50% should be going to the buyer's agent. It's your money so you can direct how much of that fee goes to the buyer's agent and how much goes to the listing agent. Maybe consider increasing the commission to pay the buyer's agent more than what other buyer's agents are receiving in your area.  Example, in the Denton County real estate market  last year a hard to sell property that was on the market for 90 days, in an area where the traditional listing fees were 6%, with 2.5% going to the selling agent, the commission was raised to 7% and the buyer's agent was offered 4%. It sold within a few days after the increase.

2) Make Your Home Easy to Show

In the Collin County real estate market, at a bare minimum, your MLS listing should read "call showing service, lockbox”. The first call is to let you know that a buyer’s agent is coming to show your property. If you request "by appointment only" or ask that agents only tour your property during certain hours or if you require that your own agent be present to show because your agent cannot possibly be available 24 hours a day agents will likely show another listing that isn't so restrictive and scratch yours off the list.  If you don’t let potential buyers into the house how will they ever make an offer on it?

3) Use an Electronic Lockbox

Using electronic lockboxes in the Tarrant County real estate market allow agents to show your property if you are not home. If you do not answer your phone, the agent should leave a message and go directly to show your property. If you live in a gated community you will have to provide access information for the buyer’s agent.

4) Increase Traffic Through Massive Market Exposure

·         Think about your target home buying audience. Send direct mail postcards to all surrounding homes and to areas that attract buyers to your neighborhood.

·         Advertise in local weekly newspapers.

·         Advertise in different sections of your areas daily newspaper on the weekends. It's not enough to just to advertise under the areas classification section.

·         Advertise online on BackPage, Craig’s List, Google Homes and Truila and other free online subscriptions.

·         Consider advertising in home magazines.

·         Make a home video and upload it to popular video sites.

5) Offer Lunch for Broker's Tours

In many markets it is common for listing agents to pick up the cost of a catered lunch. Instead of zipping through a home on tour, agents will generally linger in the home, noticing details a fast tour would miss. Offer a drawing for a free gift certificate or game tickets.

6) Host an Open House

Organize other home sellers in your neighborhood to join forces on advertising a neighborhood open house event. Publicize the event everywhere you can think of.

·         Buy brightly colored helium balloons and streamers.

·         Hire somebody to stand on a busy street corner with an open house sign arrow and spin it, waive it toward your home. It may cost you $15 an hour, but it gets attention.

·         Serve burgers, hot dogs and soft drinks.

·         Hire a face painter or clown to entertain children.

7) Send Out Fliers and E-Flyers

It's relatively easy and inexpensive to create flyers and e-flyers.  E-mail this flyer to every person in your e-mail address book. Ask your agent to send e-flyers to every agent who works in your area.  Also, print some fliers for neighbors and local real estate offices.

8) Make a Short Time Offer

Advertise a short, limited time offer that buyers can get if they act quickly enough. Everybody wants a good deal, and buyers are more motivated if that offer is going to soon vanish. For example you can offer to:

·         Prepay the property taxes or insurance for a year.

·         Pay down the buyer's mortgage interest rate for a couple of years.

·         Credit a percentage of the sales price toward the buyers closing cost.

Your imagination, focus and hard work will all help you to get your property sold!

Must Tell Things to Tell Your Home Buyer from the Start

Real estate transactions fall apart every day for a variety of different reasons. Many times these deal killer situations could have been completely avoided if the real estate agent had simply educated their buyer clients a bit about the process before the first purchase contract was ever written.  Don't be afraid of giving your buyer clients an early education about potential problems that may come up during the progression of the transaction and how they are generally resolved and even your role in the process. Negative surprises in an emotionally charged and time sensitive home purchase process can be avoided in many cases by going through a checklist of instructions with the buyers in advance. 

Plano Real Estate

1.    Great Price and Seller Concessions?

Everybody wants to make a good deal on Plano real estate, and working a motivated seller into a great purchase price is the goal of most buyers. Be sure to talk to your buyers about how this will influence the process in almost every aspect through the entire closing process.  Let them know that getting a seller to accept their low ball price will generally insure that they will not agree to further concessions for repairs, etc. As long as you have educated your buyers to this fact, you will hopefully avoid the deal falling through due to seller remorse or inspection correction issues. 

2. A Really Low Ball Offer May Backfire on You

A slow DFW real estate market with high inventory may encourage buyers to make low ball offers to check the sellers motivation level. Sometimes this is not that unusual, and sellers simply come back with a high counter offer to draw the buyer up to a reasonable price.  However, with first time sellers who've cared for and loved their home for many years, a very low offer can offend them and they will outright reject the offer and refuse to negotiate with these buyers. 

3. Do a Comparative Market Analysis for Validate Your Offer

When Dallas Realtors get the question "What price should I offer for this home?". You should advise your client via a comprehensive market analysis (CMA) of similar recently sold properties in that area. This should give a range and your buyer can then choose an offering price based on accurate market statistics. If there are other factors that you can legally divulge to your client about seller motivation or recent market changes, definitely do that and help them to feel comfortable with the price they decide on. 

4. I'm Not an Expert, But I'll Help You to Find One

Too many real estate agents get into trouble by trying to be helpful to their clients in areas that they shouldn't be. You're not an inspector, appraiser, engineer or lawyer. Don't try to take on their tasks and responsibilities believing that you're providing service to your clients. "I don't know" is a valid response, especially when followed with "but I'll help you to find out." You actually enhance your value to the client by being honest about your knowledge and helping them to locate the appropriate competent professional to answer their questions. 

5. Real Estate Sales is How I Make My Living

This will lead to the assumption that you want to get paid. I see too many agents, particularly newer ones, get burned out early in the game showing a great numbers of homes to a buyer who calls one day to say they called on a sign and purchased a home with another agent.  You want to help them to find the home of their dreams, and to devote the time necessary to turn over every rock to find it, you would like to execute a buyer representation agreement. Explaining and getting this agreement in writing will help to assure you a commission if they do buy a home. 

6. Don't Buy Anything Until After Closing

With many of today's buyers purchasing homes at the higher end of what they can afford, there isn't much room left in their loan qualifying ratios. Closings have fallen apart days before closing because the lender did an updated credit check and charges for new furniture or appliances on the purchasers on a credit card.  Always advise your buyers to make no significant credit changes or purchases in this critical pre-closing phase. 

7. Sometimes Stuff Just Happens

There are so many different aspects involved in a real estate transaction and closing, so it's not unusual for there to be last minute changes and delays that move a closing a few days farther back. Many times this is due to loan documents, as the lender wants to see the appraisal, survey, title and other documents first. If any of these are delayed, then the closing might be later than expected. Though it can't always be avoided, try to be sure that your client doesn't arrive with their furniture on a moving truck on closing day with no place to live or money to pay the movers for van storage because they can't move in for three days.

Making an Offer to Buy a DFW Home

Be Sure to Obtain Crucial Information Before Making an offer on a DFW Home

Because your Realtor may be reluctant to give you the price you should offer when buying a home. It is always helpful to find out why the seller is selling. You may not be able to obtain this information because the listing agent may refuse to tell you. But you can gather information without relying on the listing agent. You should realize that none of the following alone is sufficient by its self, each used in conjunction with the others will help you make the decision on which price is best for you to offer on DFW Homes.

 

Determine the Market in the Area You Want to Buy in

Check the activity of the marketplace. It is it neutral, hot or cold? If you're making an offer in a buyer's market on one of many Highland Parks homes, for example, you will have less competition for the home. Sellers will be more likely to be open to any offer because there are fewer buyers. If you're buying Collin County real estate in a seller's market, sellers may not consider any offer that is less than full price. Sellers could receive multiple offers, which means your offer should be as attractive as possible to get it acceptance.

Find Out How Much the Seller Paid for the Home

While it is true that in most cases the price the seller originally paid for their house has very little bearing on its market value today. However, if the seller purchased only a few years ago in a depreciating market, the asking price should be closer to the seller's purchase price or they may not accept it. Although you may not be able to determine the condition of the house when the seller bought it, nor whether there were any extenuating circumstances, you can adjust for an increase due to appreciation and improvements the seller has made.

Determine What The Seller's Mortgage Balance is

Unless the seller is in default on their mortgage and are willing to participate in short selling their house they are unlikely to accept an offer for less the amount of their mortgage(s), plus selling cost. If the seller has a high mortgage balance, and the house is vacant, you may assume the seller is making their mortgage payments out of their pocket, probably paying on two homes. If the mortgage balance is very low, the seller might not be as motivated to sell immediately and can afford to wait to get their list price.

Examine Comparable Home Sales

When looking at comparable home sales use only the homes that are similar in square feet, age and location to the home you want to buy. Use the data from the most recently sold sales, and don't look back more than six months because appraisers won't.

Analyze List and Compare Price to Sales Price Ratios

Ask your DFW Realtor for a trending report covering the last six months. Look up the prices of the homes as they were listed and compare them to the prices that have sold. Ask how much is the spread? Are houses selling at, over or under list price? If under list price, by what percentage? If many properties are selling at 3% under the list price, for example, that percentage could indicate the price the seller will or should accept.

Check Square Foot Cost Averages

Understand that smaller homes are priced higher per square foot and larger homes are priced less per square foot. You generally cannot take the average square foot cost and multiple it by the square footage of the house you want to buy and come up with a good offer price. However, you can check the trends to determine if the square foot cost averages are rising or declining and you can use that information to your advantage.

Ask for the Home's History and Days on Market (DOM)

At times, Realtors take listings off the market and re-enter them as a new listing. Find out if the home was an expired or cancelled listing and then relisted. The DOM is important, because if properties have been on the market for more than 30 days, the sellers may be more motivated to negotiate. Don't become emotionally attached to the home before your offer is accepted. Prepare yourself for the sellers to counter your offer. Keep other homes in mind just in case your offer is not accepted by the seller.

Plano Home Sellers Who Need to Sell Without Equity

Sometimes people who need to sell Plano homes may end bringing cash to closing to sell their house. You may be thinking, if I am selling my house, why would I need to bring in cash to closing to sell it? Isn't the buyer paying to buy my home? Unfortunately, this circumstance happens more often than you think.

Why Would a Seller Need to Pay to Sell?

· Unexpected Home Repairs

Few transaction close until the buyer has completed their home inspection. Home inspections and termite inspections can uncover undisclosed problems or deficiencies in a house that run into thousands of dollars to repair. What can begin as a simple repair job can expose other problems when walls are opened up or roof shingles are removed.

· Not Enough Equity.

If you have owned your home less than two years and you took out a mortgage that was greater than 90% of the purchase price, it is likely you don't have enough equity to pay closing and selling costs. These costs 8 to 10% of the sales price.

· Declining Real Estate Market

Maybe you have to sell in a declining market, which would mean your house might not be worth enough to generate money upon selling. Real estate market cycles can make markets move down as well as move up. Not every home will appreciate every year.

· Community Values Change

Sometimes external factors or nearby Plano Foreclosures can affect property values. When new subdivisions are built close by and the houses are offered for less, buyers will generally gravitate toward the new houses, avoiding slightly older homes. New commercial developments change the value of surrounding homes. Sometimes homes with views lose those views when high-rise buildings are constructed near existing housing.

How Do Sellers Pay to Sell DFW Homes?

· Some Sellers Access Their Retirement Accounts or Borrow From Family Members

Sellers who are on the short end of the stick must bring a check to closing. A man in Dallas used a home equity loan against his home to help make her mortgage payments. When he could no longer afford to make the mortgage payments, he bought another home with 100% financing. He then rented his condo and put it on the market. His tenant was uncooperative and made it difficult for the man's agent to show the house. The tenant had to be put out of the house. Faced with falling prices, this seller was going further into debt every month. He finally had to face the fact that if he wanted to sell his house and not lose it through a foreclosure sale, he would have to bring money to the table to close the sale.

· Some Sellers Choose to Bite the Bullet

A seller in Fort Worth contacted me recently to ask if her Realtor was telling her the truth when she suggested she bring in money to close his sale. This seller's best financial move may have been to stay put and not sell. She already owned a home; she wasn't a renter trying to become a first time home buyer. The seller insisted on selling because she no longer liked her neighborhood or any of her neighbors. Out of all the houses in his neighborhood, she was the only owner occupant left. The rest of the houses were rentals, which lowered values. She decided that it was worth it to spend $25,000 to get out of that neighborhood and into a more desirable area.

· For Some Sellers a Short Sale May be the Answer

Most lenders will agree to a short sale. Lenders have specific requirements that will persuade a lender to forgive mortgage debt. A seller in Frisco Texas had no liquid assets, no income and had refinanced his house for more than its market value. He found out that negotiating a short sale with his lender meant he could walk away from the house without getting a foreclosure on his record.

Every home selling situation is different. Sellers who find themselves in financial difficulty should first talk to a legal, financial adviser or a CPA to help them weigh the pros and cons of bringing cash to close the sale of their home.

Tips for Winning Over Springtime Dallas Home Buyers

 The season of Spring is generally the best time to sell Dallas Real Estate. Regardless of whether it is a seller’s market or buyer’s market sales activity generally rises in the Spring.  This happens because the largest number of buyers are actively searching for a new home during the months of April, May and June. If your home has been sitting on the market since the holidays, or longer, take it off the market for a little while.  Wait at least a few weeks before putting your house back on the market.  Few buyers are going to look at your home in the Spring if the Days on Market (DOM) show that it has been on the market for several months. Buyers will generally gravitate toward new listings. Blow are several things you can do to improve your odds that your home will stand out among the many new listings that flood the spring real estate market. These tips apply to all homes including Tarrant County homes and Denton County Homes.

2) Rake Your Yard, Pull Your Weed and Trim Your Bushes

Put down fresh mulch, rake out the leaves and debris from your lawn. Don't let overgrown bushes block the windows or path to the entrance. Cutting bushes and tree limbs will let the sun inside and showcase the exterior of your home.

2) Clean Windows and Polish Mirrors

Clean and sparkle sells homes. Potential buyers may not realize why your home seems so inviting to them but they will feel drawn to it if the windows are mirrors are spotless. Cleaning your house is the first step to preparing it for sale..

3) Cut Your Lawn Diagonally and Edge the Lawn

Manicured lawns that are edged tells potential buyers that you pay attention to the details and upkeep of the property.

4) Plant Flowers with Plenty of Color

Colored flowers and plants stimulate home buying urges. After the winter season, everyone is anxious to see the signs of spring.  Tulips and daffodils generate feelings of happiness and contentment. Take extra care and plant extra flowers and plants near the entrance of the home.

5) Clean the Curtains and Blinds and Let the Light in

Send your window coverings to the dry cleaners or wash, dry and press. Toss blinds into a soapy bathtub for a quick wash. Get rid of all accumulated dust and spider webs. Crisp linens and a spring-time breeze through the windows invites the season inside.

6) Polish Floors and Clean Carpets

Your hardwood floors should be cleaned and refinished, if necessary. Make your ceramic and linoleum floors shine. Get all carpets and rugs professionally cleaned.

7) Put Fresh Smelling Flowers in the House

Natural flower scents are more appealing than artificial and trigger fewer allergies.  Professional home stagers bring color and fragrance into the home.

8) Utilize Accessories Like Towels, Throws, Pillows in Light Colors

Even if it means buying replacement items, towels, linens, throws and sofa pillows are inexpensive accents you can buy. In soft spring colors, they will light up a room. Layer towels on bathroom towel racks and place rolled wash cloths on the counters.

9) Use a Welcome Matt at the Homes Entrance

Wherever you live, spring weather is often unpredictable. In some states, it can be 80 degrees one day and snowing the next. If it's raining, give buyers a place to place their umbrellas and wipe their feet before entering your home. Some sellers will install plastic runners across carpets to protect it.

10) Put Out Color Fliers That Show Financing Options

Don't be a cheapskate when it comes to your marketing materials. You want potential home buyers to select your flyer among the dozens of others they pick up. Show home buyers how easily they can afford to buy your home by showing them two or three financing options. The first thing on buyer's minds when considering a home purchase is the monthly mortgage payment. Don't make them guess, put it in front of them

11) Use Color Photos for Print Advertising

Spend a little more money on newspaper and online advertising by using color photographs in your advertising.  It’s like they say, a picture is worth a 1,000 words. Look through your photo galleries for a seasonal photograph that shows your home as it looks in different seasons.

12) Put Out Refreshments for Buyers Looking at Your Home

Touring lots of homes tends to make buyers hungry. Give them a little snack.  It will give buyers an opportunity to linger in your kitchen and get a better feel for the home. You want them to get the feeling it is their home

Why Isn't My Plano Home Selling?

Many Sellers with Plano homes for sale have had their property
on the market for months with very few or no showings. Some of these sellers have had dozens of showings but not one offer to purchase. In a buyer’s market, it is especially important to pull out all the stops and make sure your home stands out among the other entire competing inventory on the market. Ask yourself why a buyer would choose your home over all the other homes for sale find the things that don’t
stand out and get to work on them.

Condition of Your Home: Be sure to study your competition. If 85% of the homes in your market are not selling, then yours needs to shine above the top 15%. Also, study the homes that are pending sales because that's your current indicator of market activity. You want to know what is happening right now, and pending sale data will tell you which homes are selling. Unfortunately, in the DFW Real Estate area MLS the Pending sales do not show how much the house is under contract for. Separate from preparing your house for sale, consider its condition. Maybe you should consider adding upgrades and doing updates and repairs before putting your house on the market. If the top 5% on houses on the market have new flooring and your flooring is worn and dated, your house is not going to sell and could become one of the many Plano foreclosures. Replace the flooring. Paint the walls a neutral color and spruce up the curb appeal.

Not Enough Photographs / Poor Photographs

Houses in the DFW MLS that have only one photo are quickly passed by. Houses with dozens of photographs get noticed. Take quality photos or hire a professional photographer. Shoot wide angles with plenty of light showcasing your home's best features. If the photos are blurry or otherwise look bad don’t use them!
·
Take many photos of the kitchen area. The kitchen is one of the most important areas to photograph.
·
Unless your bedrooms differ from one another greatly, just take photos of the master bedroom or largest bedroom.
·
Don't get yourself in the photo of the bathroom by shooting the mirror's reflection.
·
If the hallway is narrow, don't take a picture of it. Take photos of the fireplace or other nice
feature instead.
·
Living room photos should show space so take photos of it from many different angles.
·
Don’t forget to include the back yard and gardens.
·
Add descriptive text to each photo.

You Didn’t Pay For Extensive Marketing and Advertising

No single aspect of a marketing plan will sell your sell your home. It takes a comprehensive combination of marketing efforts. Print color postcards and mail them to surrounding homes in the neighborhood and to out of area buyers.
·
Get a virtual tour of your house to use in your marketing.
·
Keep marketing aggressively until your house sells.
·
Create color fliers containing several photos to distribute to potential buyers and those who view your home.
·
Hold Open Houses on the weekends that coincide with other neighborhood open houses.
·
Very important; Get feedback from buyers that have viewed your home. See what they liked and disliked about your home, and make adjustments to overcome this issues.

You May Have Hired the Wrong Listing Agent

You want to work with a professional DFW Realtor who is competent, experienced and rustworthy. There are a many ways to find Realtors but the easiest way is through referrals from friends and family. If you desire full service and want an agent to spend money marketing your house hire a full service brokerage company and interview at least three agents. To find the best listing agent don't base your decision solely on the suggested listing price or how much the agent charges for commission because there are other considerations. Discuss the listing price and commission amount last. First, find out the agent's marketing plan and experience.

You Haven't Priced Your Home Properly to Sell

Many sellers say that they don’t want to “give their house away”. To sell your house, the listing price must be right. Don't test the market at a high value because if you do, your house will probably just sit on the market and the days on market (DOM) will continue to increase. Dated listings don't usually sell for list price. To avoid overpricing your house, study the sold comparable sales. Adjust for square footage, upgrades and condition, if necessary. If your home has a bad floor plan or is located in bad location such as next to power lines, on or near a busy street, you're not going to get the same price as homes with a good layout and in a good location.
Example: if the last three homes sold at $300,000 but you feel they are not comparable to yours because they aren’t updates, but they were located on a quiet street and your street is busy your house is probably worth about the same. A plus of$25,000 adjustment for the updates could wash
out the minus $25,000 for the noisy street.

In a buyer's market, price your home a minimum of 3% less than the comparable sales. If you can't live with this amount then don't put your house on the market and set yourself up for
disappointment. Overpricing your house is the worst selling mistake a home seller can make.