If you are selling your home soon. You need to think seriously about how much of a REALTOR that friend of yours is? Listing with someone because they are a friend is equivalent to giving your friend money without expecting a payback. If your friend is a full time realtor with plenty of experience, then you are listing with a Realtor who happens to be a friend. If you are listing with an inexperienced or part time Realtor you are just listing with a friend. Usually these kinds of listings end friendships.
What you should expect from your “friend”….
1. Know the in’s and out’s of putting the home on the market in a way that maximizes your database exposure.
2. Be able to get your home listing onto about 700 websites all over the world. (NOT JUST REALTOR.COM, TRULIA and ZILLOW)
3. ACTUALLY ADVERTISE – yes, spend money to get your home exposed.
4. Be able to spot problems in the offer that you get. Is it written on the correct type of contract? Does it say you included the washer and dryer even though the listing did not? Who is paying which closing costs and why? Are you getting roped into paying for things you should not?
5. Negotiate on your behalf. Many times the person who really needs the commission switches camps at time of negotiation because they REALLY NEED THAT SALE. Experienced agents understand that the outcome of the sale and your happiness weighs heavily on referrals.
6. Guard you at critical points such as inspection, walk through and closing.
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of working with a Realtor who really knows how to protect you. If it was easy to do this, you would do it yourself. Save the friendship….Get a REAL Realtor.
Miranda Blogs Real Estate 