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What Is My Agent Supposed To Do
For Me?
“I’M A FIRST-TIME
HOME SELLER (I’M SELLING A HOME THAT HAS BEEN IN MY FAMILY FOR MANY
YEARS). I KNOW MY REAL ESTATE AGENT IS SUPPOSED TO HOLD AN OPEN HOUSE
FOR ME, BUT HOW ELSE WILL THEY MARKET MY HOME?”
In the agreement you sign with
your listing agent, there will be a clause that outlines “due diligence”
on the part of the agent. This means your agent is required
(ethically and legally) to perform or undertake certain marketing task
in an attempt to successfully sell your home. Although these tasks
vary from agent to agent, your real estate agent will more than likely
do the following: list your home on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS),
advertise in the local newspaper and/or other publications, advertise
your home—with pictures—on the Internet (on the agent’s own website, on
search engines, on classified ad sites, etc.), hold open houses, and
distribute brochures about your home to other agents and potential
buyers. Although many agents do go above and beyond the call of duty,
the aforementioned marketing tactics are the standards for listing
agents. And a quick note about open houses: Some real estate agents
believe that it’s far more productive to have other agents tour your
home rather than have an open house specifically for prospective buyers.
By having an open house for other agents, your agent can market your
home to other agents who will in turn market your home to their clients,
thus increasing the number of people your home is marketed to. ∆ |
