Working with a Listing Agent
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Listing Agents provide detailed knowledge of local markets that is used to more accurately price homes, develop effective marketing campaigns, and guide the homeowner through the transaction process. Sellers pay Listing Agents through the commission, which is always negotiable. The commission compensates both the Listing Agent and the Buyer's Agent for their time, and also supports the marketing efforts needed to sell the home.
Agents are required by law to: Our approach is to educate clients via this website so that they understand the process and feel comfortable working with us.
When selecting an agent, consider: We make sure that we have done our homework before recommending a price range and give an honest assessment of a home's value. In most cases we've already seen the comparable homes currently on the market, but if we haven't, we make a point of visiting them. We try to present our sellers with a range of likely sales prices and work with them to set the list price based on our intended negotiation strategy. If you are interested in interviewing different Agents before settling on one, you can select a few and ask them to make a presentation. Almost all Agents are willing to give you a free Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to give you a sense of how much your home is worth. Please call (860-655-2125) or email (AmyB@AmyB-RE.com) if you're currently looking for a CMA; there is no obligation. Sellers are often in a difficult position when selecting a listing Agent and pricing their home. Homeowners have their own opinions about what their home is worth and naturally want it to sell for as much as possible. Sellers tend to prefer Agents who suggest higher listing prices. Agent have figured this out and some try to "buy listings" by suggesting a home be listed for well above its actual value. These Agents know that they are more likely to get the listing if they propose a higher price than other Agents, and once they lock the seller up with a contract they can start suggesting lower prices. Buying listings is an unfortunate reality in this business. The few Agents who regularly employ this tactic contribute to the poor general reputation of real estate agents. We work hard to make an accurate assessment of market value and communicate a consistent message throughout the sales process. Remember that Listing Agents will recommend listing prices, but it is the homeowner who makes the final decisions about the price to list a home and the offer to accept. Listing agreements usually last 6 months, though like everything else in the real estate business, the length is negotiable. Contracts of less than three months generally don't work because there is not enough time to execute a complete marketing plan, sign a purchase and sales agreement, work through contingencies, and close on the property.
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Buyers
Sellers
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