You may have noticed my latest
effort to capture key activities at every stage of the home buying/selling process that any buyer and seller should expect from their Realtor.
Here are a few after-thoughts that I would like to share with my readers, not just related to these activities, but also pertinent to the actual role and skills of any Realtor.
Firstly, I cannot stress enough the importance of the initial meeting with your Realtor during which all requirements are discussed. A carefully laid-out plan is worth a thousand market analysis or MLS property searches. Interesting to note that deliverables are required from all sides here: In particular, buyers are expected to be pre-approved by their lender and have an idea of how much money they are ready to invest in their future homes, sellers need to be transparent about the time frame to sell as well as their personal situation (short sale, foreclosed), Realtors are expected to listen above all and gather as many facts as possible to be efficient in the follow up tasks (comparative real estate market analysis, property searches, etc).
Second, as a Realtor myself, I consider the process of making an offer the most critical task of all. It is tricky enough to handle when representing one of the parties, you can imagine the dilemma when a Realtor represents both buyers and sellers for the same property. Many factors including the amount of the down payment, the % of cash vs. debt, the gap between asking and offered price as well the time frame asked to close the transaction will influence greatly the decision of the listing agent to accept the offer and/or make a counteroffer. All of this to say that a Realtor must be a subtle negotiator before being a salesman.
Third and last, many home buyers and sellers know too well that the smallest negative finding during home inspections can undermine a seemingly well engaged negotiation. All disclosures must be validated and a critical and thorough eye is necessary when supervising inspections. This is one of the reasons why Realtors highly recommend to sellers to be proactive and carry out inspections before putting their property on the market.
So, in the end, buying and selling a home is always an exciting time but is also stressful for everyone involved, including the Realtor !
© Sophia Delacotte CDPE, SFR, CHS
San Jose Realtor
Cell: (408) 717-2575
Email: sophia.delacotte@cbnorcal.com
www.sophiadelacotte.com
DRE# 01873662