When selling a property, there seems to be so much to think about. Are your papers in order? Is the house ready to show a potential purchaser? What do we do with our pets? How can we make the move easier with children? But more importantly, where do we start? These are all great questions, but the main one I come across everyday is whether to list the property with just one Real Estate Agent, or list with multiple Agents.
Some Real Estate Agents offer multi-listing options while others like us, are sole Agents. Multi-listing means that if you choose to list your property for sale with numerous agents, you’ll find yourself doing all of the legwork and not really using the services of the Real Estate Agent you have chosen to represent you. You don’t want to go running between agent to agent notifying each and every one of the times when you can’t be reached whilst on holiday or your potential price reduction. Not only is it time consuming, but it’s also causing you to do the work. But the worst is not knowing exactly who has your keys!
If you were happy with the Real Estate Agent you’ve chosen to begin this journey with, then you shouldn’t feel like you need to work with anyone else. If you experience that thought of “I must inform everyone that my property is for sale,” then you obviously don’t have much faith in the Agent you have chosen. Think about it! Why choose them in the first place if you’re seeking an alternative?
The one agent you choose should know your home inside out, but enlisting numerous agents at the same time may not allow them to fully concentrate on your home. You can’t blame them, it’s so time consuming just making sure the price they have on your home is the same as every other agent is a full time job in itself. Haven’t you ever wondered why you see reference numbers on for sale boards? It’s because the agent has too many homes for sale and yours turns into just a number. Yes they sell them, but only because someone wants to buy it, not because it’s being sold to them. I know I get frustrated when I go to buy say, a new television. The salespeople don’t inform us the consumers, of all the features, but they still sell them because we the consumer, go in the store wanting to buy it. Well it’s the same concept with selling houses. If your agent knows your home well enough, with just one phone call from a potential buyer, they should be able to recall the street, features of the home and most importantly the price.
With a Sole Agent, they do work harder to sell the home because they’re the ones doing all of the marketing and not sitting back relying on the expertise of others. You’ll probably find they’ll have a larger advertising budget and company Euros to match it, means gaining greater exposure to the largest number of buyers. See how they’re the ones doing all of the leg work, informing everyone about their New Listing? They can’t rely on other Agents selling it on their behalf. Not only is their commission on the line, but their reputation too. Another upside to being with one agent is you know exactly who has your house keys. They are the only ones accountable for accessing your home.
So whether you decide to go “solo” or “multi”, choosing the right Real Estate Agent should make the complete selling experience as stress free as possible. If you think its expensive hiring a professional to sell your home, try hiring an amateur!