What is My Home Worth?

Selling Your Home.  Should You Use a Realtor?

By definition,a realtor is a licensed real estate agent who is a member of the National Association of Realtors.  Realtors adhere to a strict Code of Ethics. Also, they are committed to treating all parties in each and every real estate transaction fairly.  Realtors are knowledgeable about selling homes.  They also have valuable information pertaining to their local markets. How do you know if a real estate agent is a realtor?  That agent will have the REALTOR@ symbol on their business card as well as other office stationery.  Look for the REALTOR@ and don’t be hesitant to ask your real estate agent about it.

There are so many factors to consider when you are contemplating selling your home.  These factors, such as setting the right asking price, what properties your home will be competing with, is your home in optimum condition so it will command the best price, etc., are all areas that your realtor will be knowledgeable about.  Because of your realtor’s experience in your community, town or city, he or she will be able to assist you with these details as well as a number of others.

Another way that your realtor can be valuable to you when selling your home, is that he or she will market your home not only to prospective buyers, but also to other realtors. More than half of the houses sold in America are sold in this manner.  One realtor presents the property to other realtors in his area.  The eventual buyer of the home is a client of one of these realtors.  Realtors have several tools at their disposal when marketing your home to other realtors.  A realtor will know how best to advertise your home so that qualified buyers see it. Many use a multiple listing service, (MLS), which gives details about the properties for sell.  The MLS is used by realtors who have buyers looking for homes. Your realtor may also hold open houses for other realtors in the area, so they have first-hand knowledge of your house.  Realtors show your home for you.  A realtor, who brings prospective buyers to your home, will have screened those buyers and will know what they are looking for.  By knowing your home as well as the prospective buyer’s wants and need, the realtor is able to serve all parties in the buying/selling transaction. Having actually seen your house, these realtors may have just the buyer, who is looking for a home like yours.

A knowledgeable realtor will be able to advertise your home, screen prospective buyers and answer questions, about your home, from other realtors.  Once you receive an offer on your home, your realtor will become even more valuable.  He or she will help your evaluate the offer(s).  Also, he or she will write a contract that is legally binding and fair to all parties.

As with buying a home, when selling a home, the closing process is complicated.  Your realtor will have knowledge of closing procedures.  He or she will be able to anticipate any pitfalls or potential problem areas and handle them quickly, so that closing of the sale of your home is accomplished as quickly and professionally as possible.

So, can you sell your home without using a realtor?  Of course, you can.  Is it the best way to do it?  Probably not.  Why would you, when you can utilize a professional realtor’s experience to make the entire selling process as swift and profitable as possible?

In addition to selling Charleston, SC real estate I am a digital marketing expert and do freelance brand marketing development consulting, web design, marketing strategy planning and more for other businesses (like other real estate companies). In college I was a media arts graduate from the University of S.C.  I had to take courses in video production, lighting and photography, and digital design. It’s this know how that makes me the best choice for selling your house. Truth is all agents use the same MLS (multiple listing service), we all put signs in the yard, have open houses, make flyers, etc. The difference is most other agents (sorry to say older generation) have to rely on their company to provide that help for them to market a home for sale. Worst part of it is that’s all they know how to do. Furthermore, when they get a listing most Realtors® or their company’s “marketing” department don’t know how to properly navigate the internet’s true capabilities, because they nor their company “marketing” team know what or how the search algorithms of Google,Yahoo, and Bing are thinking.  Nor do they know what SERP or page rank means. Why is that important they know these things you ask? The fact is, 90% of all real estate transactions start with some sort of internet search or research, so; do you want to trust your house to some agent that just knows how to stick a sign in the yard, wait/rely on their broker’s “marketing” dept. take poorly improperly lit photos, put it on MLS with the bad photos, and make some bad paper flyers with the bad photos? Because that it what will happen. Would you prefer professional photos, professional video, world wide digital online display, and honesty?

My services include:

1. Comparative market analysis (every agent has to do that)
2. Professional walk-through of what to do to prep your home for selling. First hand knowledge of construction.
3. Professional photographs and video (if warranted by home, price point, and/or neighborhood).
4. Listing on local Charleston SC MLS (goes without saying)
5. SEO optimized designed listing webpage, post and distribute on the web for algorithmic indexing of your home on all major real estate sales web networks {see image above}.
6. Open House receptions (obvious) – what agent wouldn’t do that?
7. Flyers (of course) – who doesn’t do that?
8. Email Marketing
9. Mortgage Assistance [13+ years as ex-mortgage pro]

Exposure on my 7 personal Charleston, Real Estate websites:

https://greathomesofcharleston.com (One of the highest ranking real estate search sites on web in Charleston SC )

http://www.Searchrealestate.co/

http://JamesSchiller.com/

http://www.Charlestonscbeachfronthomes.info/

www.facebook.com/CharlestonSCRealEstatePro

https://plus.google.com/+JamesSchiller/about   

https://plus.google.com/+Greathomesofcharleston/posts

https://plus.google.com/117018917972186987754

Again I ask; do you want to trust your home’s ability to sell fast and for highest price to an agent who isn’t a marketing expert? Today’s buyer is more savvy then ever and you need an agent who understands how to manipulate SEO, SEM, page rank, page indexing, and search algorithm to drive prospective buyers to look at your home. Otherwise you are just another seller hoping someone drives by your house.

When listing a home for sale there isn’t an exact science to it, but what is required is knowing all the facts, and that’s where I come in. What’s a home valuation really anyway?

Estimating the value of real property is important to a variety reasons, but for most people, determining the asking or purchase price of a property is the most useful application of real estate valuation. This article will provide an introduction to the basic concepts and methods of real estate valuation, particularly as it pertains to real estate sales.

That’s all well and good, however what most home owners in Charleston SC and the U.S. really want to know is what’s my property worth now if I were to try to sell it? The most common method  that 90% of listing agent use is: The Sales Comparison Approach.

Value –
A main consideration in appraising is to determine a property’s value: the present worth of future benefitsarising from the ownership of real property. Unlike many consumer goods such as oil, lumber, food, etc. that are quickly used, the benefits of real property are generally realized over a long period of time. Therefore, an estimate of a property’s value must take into consideration economic and social factors, as well as governmental controls or regulations and environmental conditions that may influence the four elements of value:

Demand – the desire or need for ownership supported by the financial means to satisfy the desire;
Utility – the ability to satisfy future owners’ desires and needs;
Scarcity – the finite supply of competing properties
Transfer-ability – the ease with which ownership rights are transferred.

– What have the homes that are MOST comparable to yours (subject property) sold for recently per sq ft., and  what is currently for sale (taking into account scarcity from above)?

– What are the prices being asked by your competing listings in and around your neighborhood.

Other Factors inside the two primary ones above include: (age of home, physical features, location, conditions of the sale, economic conditions)