When selling your home, you want to work with a good listing agent, someone who will make the sale of your home a priority. The truth is that the difference between a good listing agent and one not so good could be getting your home sold. For starters, you want a listing agent who will host one or more open houses. During this time, the agent would be at the home, welcoming potential buyers while showing them around.
An open house tells the neighborhood and readers of the newspaper that your house is now on the market and ready to sell. Therefore, your listing agent should be a great marketer, utilizing all possible resources. In addition to the open house, he or she should advertise in the local paper, on websites, network with other realtors, and so on. Obviously, the more marketing done the better publicity your home will get, which means a quick sale.
In addition, the listing agent should always be available to show your house, even when occasionally inconvenient for you. By putting a lock box on the front door, the listing agent will have the opportunity to come and go with potential buyers. However, you can set showings up on a scheduled basis but this can have a negative affect. Generally, a listing agent will give you an hour or two’s notice but sometimes, they will call last minute. To help the listing agent, try to be as flexible as possible.
Then, when the home is going to be shown, try to be gone. This way, potential buyers will fell more at east opening cabinets, closets, and really taking their time to look around, which is good. If you cannot leave, then be sure you spend your time in another room out of the way so the listing agent can do his or her job. When you do know that someone will be coming by, make sure you have adequate lighting both inside and outside.
You should avoid using heavy fragrances as in carpet freshener, air freshener, or too many burning candles, which can offend some people, especially those with allergies or respiratory problems. For pets, you want to make sure they are put in a kennel. If you have cats, be sure the litter box is clean. If you cannot put the animals in a pen, then choose a small room and notify the listing agent so the animals will not get out or disturb any lookers.