This Listing Agent Oversight Is Costing Home Sellers A Lot Of Money
Now that our property search tool and new edition of the Tallahassee Real Estate Website has been up and running for 60 days, we have completed a majority of the testing to ensure it's accuracy.
I have asked our readers and property tool users to drop me a note any time that an issue or problem is found, and we have (thank you) received quite a few that have been resolved.
But there is one common issue that we receive regularly that just blows my mind, and it is so important that home sellers should add this to their checklist of items to ensure that their real estate company is doing the job for which they have been hired to do.
By testing our search tool, we have uncovered a mistake that real estate listing agents routinely make that is hurting home sellers' ability to be sold for the top dollar in their market.
How To Choose The Best Listing Agent For You
Listing Agent Error
A common error made by listing agents is a simple oversight I suppose.
When a Tallahassee property listing is entered into the MLS, there is a block to check as to whether or not you want the property to be marketed on the internet. If the block is selected, hundreds of websites pick it up through a syndication process and market the property on their websites. Most of these sites have the property shown within four days (15 minutes for manausa.com).
So if the agent "forgets" to click this option, the listing is not online, it's only available to other agents through the MLS. This likely reduces the buyer pool by 90% or more (meaning only the few people the listing agent knows might hear about the property).
An unscrupulous agent might choose to do this for a few weeks, trying to sell the property on his own so that he can make twice as much commission on the transaction. While this might sound innocent, the facts prove that it truly hurts the homeowner.
The more "ready" buyers who know about a property when it hits the market, the better chance the seller has to get top dollar during a negotiation (think about it, if you know you are bidding against several other buyers, won't you make a stronger offer?).
Your Tallahassee Property Listing Online
The internet has changed the way a home is marketed for sale. Prior to our ability to market a Tallahassee property listing online, the neighborhood was the marketplace for homes.
We taught the home seller how to stage the home for the visitor, knowing how critical first impressions were.
But the internet has moved the marketplace online, and you need to be featured where today's homebuyers are looking at homes. First impressions are now made online, and digital staging is even more critical than site staging.
If you have not read our previous article on how the internet has changed the way we market a home for sale, I encourage you to do so before you interview agents for the job of selling your home.
And once you have hired your listing agent, make sure you check to see that your property is visible on the internet right away. The best buyer for your home is "stalking your neighborhood" right now, and you want to get her/his attention the moment you list your home for sale in the Tallahassee MLS.
Choosing A Listing Agent
The most important thing a homeowner will do when it comes time to move is to select the right real estate listing agent for the job of selling the home.
When it becomes time for you to sell your home, make sure your listing agent understands how important the internet will be during the marketing of the home.
Make them demonstrate a top-notch plan for your specific home, and then check-up behind them to ensure the whole world knows about your home.
Of course, if you are planning on selling your home now, simply drop me a note and we will take the time to show you how we will put your home in front of all others during the most important property searches for homes just like yours.
Discussion
Thanks Christina. I'm thinking most-often it's an oversight ...
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