Q: I’m planning to sell my apartment in Harlem and I’m searching for an actual estate agent to assist me with this process on this brutal housing market. How do you establish what makes a superb agent? Should I look for somebody who has sold an apartment in my constructing? Should I ask for references? What other aspects should I consider?
AND: For most Americans, our house is our most dear asset, and we realize those gains after we sell it. That’s why it is so necessary to decide on your retailer properly.
So it’s funny that New York home sellers spend a mean of three and a half hours researching brokers – less time than searching for vacation spots, in keeping with a survey by StreetEasy. “It’s one of the vital necessary elements of selling, and in a market like New York, it’s much more necessary,” said Nick Smith-George, who heads StreetEasy’s buyer and seller programs.
You want to seek out a broker who knows your area, the value and the form of constructing you reside in. A broker who focuses on Brooklyn townhouses probably doesn’t suit a Harlem apartment. So interview several agents, including those that have already sold in your constructing before. You need to learn how they are going to value your apartment, put it up for sale, arrange it and sell it. They should present a pricing strategy based on comparable sales in your area.
Ask for marketing materials for other properties listed by the broker. Find them online and browse the descriptions of the offers for quality. See photos and video from the trip. Ask in the event that they use social media for marketing, and in that case, check their accounts.
“Investigate how someone is selling apartments,” said Pamela D’Arc, an affiliate broker with Compass. “Look at their website. Are the photos perfect? In today and age, there isn’t any excuse for not having perfect photos.”
Ask for references, and if the realtor has been selling in your constructing, talk over with the neighbors who’ve worked with them. Also search for references on the Internet. You desire a broker who offers you personal attention. If he’s the team leader, will he be the person at your open door? Do they answer your calls? Or will you be handed over to a co-worker? Ask what number of offers they currently have and the way much time they are going to devote to yours. “It’s a few broker who makes himself available,” Ms D’Arc said.
You also must get together with the chosen person and feel confident in the recommendation he gives you. Or, as Sarah Saltzberg, owner of Bohemia Realty Group in Upper Manhattan, put it: “You need to ensure you are working with someone who listens, understands, and truly supports you.”
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