What Does My Listing Agent Do For Me?

Selling your home can be stressful, and overwhelming. Hiring a Listing Agent means you don’t have to go through the process alone. While you don’t have to work with an agent to sell your house, it’s extremely beneficial, especially if you don’t have real estate experience. Having a professional helps avoid pitfalls that can arise due to a lack of expertise. Let’s discuss what a Listing Agent is and does and then take a look at some of the most significant benefits of working with a listing agent.

What Is A Listing Agent?

A licensed real estate agent represents the seller in a transaction. Listing agents are responsible for helping sellers move through each stage of the home-selling process. Listing Agent and Selling Agent are both synonymous terms that refer to a real estate agent who is working on behalf of a seller. Try not to get hung up on the terms, rather pay attention to the responsibilities. 

Homes Listed By Real Estate Agents Sell For More

Early on we talked about the idea that you could sell your home on your own. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, the median purchase price of homes sold by real estate agents was $280,000, while the median price of for sale by owner (FSBO) homes sold was $200,000. Therefore, by using a real estate agent, sellers tend to make an average of $80,000 more on the sale than FSBO sellers. 

Listing Your Home with a Listing Agent

At your listing appointment, your Listing Agent will talk to you about the strategy of marketing your home using the following; the right price, photography, the Multiple Listing Service, and other marketing strategies. 

Your Listing Agent will run what’s called a comparative market analysis on your home in an effort to price your home appropriately to appeal to buyers and net you the highest return. They’ll review this price and ask for your input before it’s marketed. As the client, you always have the final say, your agent is there to lend their professional opinion. 

You’ll receive tips on how to prepare your home for a professional photoshoot. These photos will be used to attract buyers to want to come and see your home when it’s listed on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The MLS is an online database where local real estate agents list homes for sale and search for homes for sale for buyers they are working with. If your home is listed on the MLS, it will receive more exposure. The larger the audience, the greater your chances are of selling faster and for a higher price. Working with a Listing Agent allows you exposure to the MLS system as you do need a real estate license for access. 

Once your home is listed, your listing agent may host open houses and guide prospective buyers around answering all questions they may have, and will follow up on any leads received. Having a wealth of experience with real estate transactions, listing agents are seasoned negotiators. Listing Agents expertly evaluate terms and determine what to negotiate, and how to counteroffer in order to score their sellers the most favorable deal.

Once You’re Under Contract

Listing your home, and receiving and accepting an offer is just half of the journey of selling your home. Once you are under contract and escrow begins there may be inspections to negotiate and contingency periods to track. Your Listing Agent will review and negotiate inspections and will also make sure the buyer side meets their contingency deadlines. They’ll coordinate walkthroughs and the closing. Their job is not complete until 

Choosing The Best Listing Agent For You

Although years of experience in the industry and extensive market knowledge tend to make agents valuable to sellers, there are other factors to consider. It’s important to interview potential real estate agents to ensure that they’re both skilled and a good fit for you. Here are some questions you may start with:

• How long have you been working in real estate?

• How knowledgeable are you about my neighborhood and local market?

• How many clients are you currently working with?

• How experienced are you selling homes in my price range?

• What strategies do you use to market homes?

• Why should I choose to work with you?

Working with a Listing Agent can help ensure that your home sale goes as smoothly as possible. A good Listing Agent will make sure that your home is priced right, marketed thoroughly, and sold for the best price. If you want the very best in service contact me and my team today, we would love to hear from you and discuss your needs one on one.