How much is your home worth? That’s a hard question to answer. You can get an estimated value by entering your address on inclinerealestateexperts.com, but from there you’ll want to do some fine-tuning—and that’s where a good listing agent can help.
And the stakes are high: Price your home too low, and you could lose out on a lot of money. Price it too high, however, and the picture isn’t pretty either. While it may be tempting to work with an agent who says he can fetch a fortune for your home, overpricing may mean your home languishes on the market for months or even years—making buyers wonder if something’s wrong with your home and lowball you anyway.
Once you get an offer on your home, it’s the listing agent’s job to present it to you and advise if any haggling needs to be done. For instance, if you get an offer way bellow asking price, your knee-jerk reaction may be to refuse in a huff. But a listing agent might be able to negotiate with the buyers and bring that price up to a decent level—or, if the buyers truly can’t budge much, find other ways to sweeten the deal like a faster closing date or waived contingencies. These compromises can actually save you tens of thousands of dollars.
How many homes have you sold in this area, and how long did it take?
In what price range do you sell most of your homes?
Do you have advice for me about the condition of my home, and what could be improved to glean a higher sales price?
Can you recommend contractors, photographers, moving companies, etc.?
How often will you touch base with me?
Are you planning any vacations, and if so, who will back you up?
Listing agents don’t receive a dime unless your home gets sold. If it does, the typical agent commission is 6% of the price of your home (which is typically split between the listing agent and the buyer’s agent). This price may seem substantial, but consider this: For every hour an agent spends with you, he will spend an average of nine hours behind the scenes working on your behalf. In other words, listings agents work hard to earn that commission and get your home sold.