The Do-It-Yourself mentality is a beautiful part of the American spirit. TV channels, youtube videos, and countless blogs exist to equip people for everything from home repair to carpentry and oil changes. But when it comes to selling your home, DIY is probably not the best option. Marketing is today’s reason in our series Why You Should Hire a Realtor.
Marketing
Selling a home is an involved, multi-step process. But after the preparation dust settles, you’ll have to get the word out: “Beautiful home for a great price!” Sure, you can post to Facebook and tell your coworkers, but how likely are they to buy your house? The National Association of Realtors (NAR) found that only 8% of homes sold in 2016 were For Sale By Owner (FSBO). Furthermore, the median price for agent-assisted homes was $60,000 more than FSBO ($245,000 vs $185,000). If you like averaging more for your home’s sale, you may want to join the 92% of sellers with agents. And when you do, your agent should have tools to market effectively.
MLS
The most powerful resource an agent has is the multiple listing service (MLS). This database of listings allows for a property to be seen by all agents with access to that MLS, which means a larger audience of people specifically looking to buy. Purchasing an ad may reach a thousand people, but if only ten are looking to buy a house, how effective was the ad? The MLS also connects with websites like Trulia, Zillow, and Realtor.com (our recommended resource for home searches), allowing anyone with an internet connection to find your home and all its information.
Social Media
Any Realtor worth their salt is on social media in some way, shape, or form. Our Facebook Page is at the heart of our social media efforts, which also branch out into Google Plus, Youtube, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. The modern world connects, buys, sells, loves, and hates through online social networks. Hiring a Realtor should mean a promise to use these avenues for your benefit so that their effort becomes your benefit.
Specialty (sites/relationship networks)
Finally, good Realtors tend to have an X factor that distinguishes them from the crowd. Here at East Texas Realty Group, we work for unbeatable customer service and a healthy online presence. We also constantly network to meet buyers, sellers, and the odd relationship that could come in handy sometime down the road. I’ve met Realtors in Dallas who make technology and “the paperless transaction” their X factor, so it depends on the market and what type of client relationship brokerages seek to have.
Conclusion
Selling your home can be scary in many ways, and having to market it might become the final straw during a stressful time. Find an agent that will advertise your property to your satisfaction and you’ll be on your way to reaching far more interested buyers than you ever could have done alone.