When researching a REALTOR® to represent your home listing, you’ll usually get a list of benefits and services provided. Sometimes these can sound repetitive or even trite (Local expert! Professional service! We sell your home fast!). This can make it difficult to understand what sets an exceptional real estate professional apart from an average one.
As always we like to think about things a little bit differently. So while it’s important to know what you’re getting from your real estate professional, it’s equally important to understand what you’re NOT getting.
So this is the short list of what you should NOT get from your REALTOR®:
Stressed. This is probably one of the top reasons people delay or put off selling a home. It’s a lot of work and it can be very stressful.
You get a lot of things from a REALTOR®, but stressed shouldn’t be one of them. REALTORs® are the shock absorbers of the home sale. Any bumps in the road are handled and managed by us. Appraiser running late? Need to get ready for an unexpected showing? Buyers dragging their feet on financing? These things happen. It is just the nature of the process. While we can’t prevent the unexpected, we can plan for it. A good REALTOR® is there to smooth over the home-selling bumps and minimize the stress.
Stumped. There are just so many moving parts to preparing and listing a home that managing the details can quickly become overwhelming. How do you know where to begin? Or what to do next and when? A REALTOR® should be so good at juggling tasks and to-do’s that they could join the circus. And like a good ringmaster – a REALTOR® is center circle, making sure everything is coordinated, negotiated, planned, posted and advertised so you just need sit back, enjoy the show, and await the offers.
Second-rate service. There is a reason a great REALTOR® continues to have clients refer friends and family – it’s because they must give 100% attention and effort to Every. Single. Customer. On the flip side, you should never be ‘passed off’ or pushed aside. From a million dollar listing to a one bedroom condo – everyone deserves and receives the utmost time and attention.
Stuck. You’ve decided to sell your home but now what? Whether you’re working two jobs or raising two kids, people are busy these days and the last thing anyone needs is another to-do list. Who will put a fresh coat of paint on the walls? Who will fix that broken window pane? Who will clean it? Who will to stage it so it sells fast? A REALTOR® should – or at least they should have a network of trusted vendors and service providers who could.
In many cases these services are part of what you receive when you choose a great REALTOR®. They should also handle the scheduling and ensure every job is done right so you’re never left figuring it out on your own.
Still think you don’t have to do your homework to find a qualified REALTOR®? Just remember, what you see on the surface can be pretty straightforward (and typical). But dig a little deeper and realize that what you don’t get from your REALTOR® is what can separate the best from the rest.
Steve McKenna, REALTOR®, GRI, CRS, RMM
BOWES Real Estate, Real Living
Direct: 781.645.0505
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
