**SPONSORED CONTENT BY VALERIE HUNTER-KELLY**
I recently called a real estate agent and asked that the agent come and look at my house to tell me what it’s worth. I was surprised when the agent told me we could meet at the broker’s office to discuss the sale of our property. Is this normal?
All real estate agents are independent contractors and establish their own business practices. A very busy and successful agent may find it more productive and ultimately beneficial to the client to meet potential seller clients first at the office. At the office, the agent has the tools at hand to complete any real time adjustments to value and net sheets. In addition to explaining the home selling process and what the real estate market is looking for in terms of property condition, timing and as always supply and demand. Some top agents have a team of service providers who assist not only the agent, but the homeowner as well, in putting the properties ‘best foot forward’ in a very competitive marketplace.
A professional agent is not going to sugar coat the sometimes harsh realities of selling your home in a marketplace of properties. But they can and will advise you on what you need to do to make the best first impression. Many sellers enter the marketplace convinced that they will sell without having to spend any money to sell their home. Six, nine or maybe twelve months later they often find that they have to make concessions to the marketplace that are more than it might have cost them in the very beginning.
Check out next week’s column on taking the right advice about selling.
Valerie Hunter-Kelly is team leader of the Air Assault Team, a part of Keller-Williams Realty.
To buy a home, click here: www.airassaults.com
To sell a home, click here: www.virginhomesellers.com