Whether you are buying or selling property in today's real estate market, it's important to have confidence in your real estate professional.
At Signature Service Realty Co. our commitment is to provide you with the specialized real estate service you deserve.
When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why our goal is to keep you informed on trends in the marketplace using the latest statistics in your local area.
* The following is an Article by the Palm Beach Post Residences section Sun. June 10, 2007
What is a Realtor®? A Realtor is a real estate agent who is a member of a specific national trade association - the National Association of Realtors® - with an established Code of Ethics and a commitment to furthering their knowledge of the industry.
If using a Realtor® wasn't the most important part of the home-buying process, then why (according to the National Association of Realtors®) do 90 percent of all home buyers use one at some point in the process?
No Doubt it's the multitude of services, both tangible and intangible, that they provide - all at no cost to you, the buyer. For instance, would you know what to do if: your financing fell through the day of closing; your home inspection found a termite infestation; or your future neighbors had, some time earlier, built a wall on your property?
Your Realtor® would. A 2006 survey by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) reported that 85 percent of home buyers would probably use a Realtor® again. Likewise, sellers also reap the benefits of working with a Realtor® (notably, 82 percent of sellers told the NAR they'd probably use a Realtor® again).
Not only will your Realtor® enable you to spend less time, effort and money selling your home, but that same 2006 NAR survey showed that the median price for sellers who used an agent ($247,000.00) was 32 percent higher than for those who didn't ($187,200.00). That statistic alone demonstrates that a Realtor® earns his or her commission - and then some.
Home Buying or Selling
In general your Realtor® can: ~ Ensure there is no learning curve. ~ Provide Internet exposure for you. ~ Anticipate problems and respond quickly. ~ Handle any paperwork and help you fill out all the necessary forms. ~ Help guide you through the complex closing process.
Home Selling ~ Recommend repairs or cosmetic work that need to be done. ~ Set an initial listing price that is in line with comparable properties. ~ Make you aware of all necessary disclosures and the legal consequences if they aren't made. ~ Give you the latest information on the housing market in your area, as well as on competing properties. ~ Introduce your property to many other Realtors® through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). ~ Advertise you property effectively, focusing on the characteristics that are likely to attract potential buyers. ~ Provide professional signs for the front of your house. ~ Allow you the freedom not to have to stay home (besides, your presence generally intimidates buyers anyway). ~ Keep potentially dangerous strangers out of your home by pre-screening and accompanying prospects. ~ Limit prospects to serious buyers. ~ Complete the sale quickly, saving you time and energy. ~ Ask questions about potential buyers' financial situations that you cannot. ~ Maintain objectivity in presenting offers and counteroffers, and help you detach your emotions from the process. ~ Evaluate proposals to keep you from compromising your marketing position. ~ Close the sale by advising you how to deal with last-minute, unanticipated occurrences.
Home Buying ~ Help you find lenders by referring you to those best qualified to help. ~ Help you determine financing options that are in your best interests. ~ Expand your choices to include properties you may not have otherwise considered or been aware of. ~ Find homes that are best suited to your needs. ~ Suggest simple changes that could make a home more suitale for you. ~ Help negotiate all your agreements, including contracts and the time allowed for appropriate inspections and investigations of the property. ~ Find qualified professionals to perform inspections, investigations and reports to evaluate a property. ~ Provide an objective viewpoint about the appropriateness of properties. ~ Supply valuable community information on what a neighborhood has to offer and what the resale values are there.
The relationship you have with your Realtor® is an intensely personal one and must be cultivated by both parties. The only way to truly know if you and a Realtor® can work together effectively is by meeting with them face to face.