You have a great property that you've spruced up and priced to sell; now how do you let potential buyers know about it? This is where your agent can save you both time and money by using proven techniques that generate the most results. Your agent's marketing efforts and considerations will include:

How an Estate Agent Can Serve You

If you work with an agent, to sell your home in the process they will:

• Take you through the ins and outs of selling your home from start to finish;
  
• Give you comparable home price information for which other homes in your area have sold;
  
• Place information about your home on the Internet;
  
• Advertise your home via homes magazines, newspapers, mail-shots, or whatever it takes to gain the exposure necessary to promote a quick and profitable sale for you;
  
• Handle phone calls and inquiries from prospective buyers;
  
• Investigate prospective buyers to make sure they are financially able to buy your home;
  
• Negotiate the sales contract;
  
• Alert you to any potential problems;
  
• Comply with the disclosures required by law;
  
• Provide you with an estimate of the completion costs you will incur; and
  
• Help you prepare for a smooth closing of the transaction.
  
  

Selecting an Estate Agent

Selecting the right estate agent is an important part of the home buying process and should not be taken lightly. Working with the right estate agent can make all the difference in finding the house you want at the right price and negotiating a satisfactory final sale agreement.

But not all estate agents are alike.

Some estate agents represent the seller; some can be hired to work on behalf of the buyer. Regardless of which type of estate agent you end up working with, you should have a basic idea of how estate agency works and how to go about selecting the right agency.

Evaluating an Estate Agent

Invite local estate agents to visit your home and give you a listing presentation, which typically includes: the reasons you should join their agency, their duties to you as your agent and helpful information about pricing and selling your home.

As you meet with different estate agents, single out those agents who:

• Provide you with advice how to best prepare your home for the market;
  
• Show enthusiasm for your property, listens attentively, instill confidence, operate in a professional manner, and have a complementary personality style to yours.
  
• Have already researched your property in the public records.
  
• Can provide data on nearby homes that have sold (or failed to sell) recently.

Get the answers to certain key questions:

• Does the agent have an active estate agency license in good standing?
  
• Is the agent a member of NAEA with its strict code of ethics?
  
• Is estate agency their full-time career?
  
• What estate qualifications does the agent hold?
  
• Who is the agent representing--you or the buyer? The discussion is supposed to occur early on, at first interview with you.
  
• In exchange for your commitment, how will the agent help you sell your home?
  
• Have they listed or sold a home in your immediate area lately?
  
  

Sign a listing agreement with the estate agent that you select, but pay particular attention any contractual time frames. Many agents run a no sale no fee scheme, which apart from benefiting the seller if the property remains unsold is an added incentive for your agent to market the property successfully. Make sure you're not obligated to fulfill any contractual time period and that you can cancel the agreement at any time with proper notice.

For Sale By Owner: Selling On Your Own

Of course, you can always DIY property sales and try to sell your property on your own and take the agent out of the picture. Although offering your home "For Sale By Owner" eliminates the estate agent, it does not simplify the selling process and only shifts the workload from the agent to you.

In many cases, doing it yourself can complicate the whole selling effort. Unless you're already extremely familiar with conveyancing processes you're going to have to do considerable homework on property transactions, contracts and conveyancing procedure.

Before you decide to go it alone, consider these common complaints:

• property viewings that have ruined or intruded upon the seller
  
• insubstantial property buyers who only waste your time,
  
• uninvited strangers walking through your property,
  
• a property sale price that's too low or too high, and
  
• unrealistic offers that are absurdly low.