Home Sale Safety

As much as ever there are a number of safety concerns that should be addressed before putting a home on the market. Some of these you’ve surely considered but some you may have not so I figure it better to be safe than sorry and hit them head-on here.

Today’s agents have to be seasoned experts, not just in the art of buying and selling homes, but also in how to keep you safe throughout the process. We’re ever implementing new technologies along with key safeguards to protect you from start to settlement.

Here are some things I personally look to be mindful of for my sellers.

Financial Concerns

As this one tends to be one of the top considerations for sellers, we’ll hit this one first.

In looking to sell a home, a seller wants to know they are getting the greatest return on investment. Inasmuch, it’s perfectly natural to look to minimize expenses incurred in the process and where it becomes easy to question whether a realtor’s commission is really worth it.

Now, I know my opinion may seem to be bias but the stance is backed by the facts.

Reports have shown that sellers net more on the sale of their home when enlisting the help of a good agent. There are several reasons for this, a few of them being:

• Those looking to “FSBO’s” (For Sale By Owner listings) are more likely to be “bargain hunting” or looking to take advantage of a seller that doesn’t really know how to properly run home valuations (many FSBO’s will go with estimates provided by Zillow or other automated systems which can hurt the seller on sales price a couple different ways).
• Home prices set based on faulty home valuation systems can either hurt the bottom line by being underpriced or by being overpriced and creating a situation where the seller has to drop the purchase price when the market does not respond favorably to the overpriced home.
• There are a number of other negotiation points beyond the purchase price that we agents work to be mindful of, even as the seller is typically focused on little more than purchase price and closing date. Yes, the full scope of terms of the Agreement of Sale are important and, YES, they absolutely can effect the bottom line in a number of ways.

Legal & Logistical Concerns

If there’s anything that is incredibly sad to see is a seller going from getting a “dream offer” to living through a legal or logistical nightmare. This can happen in a number of ways, from a misunderstanding of terms of the agreement to acting on common assumptions on processes and protocols as may differ greatly from the other party’s assumptions or expectations.

Having an agent to help you understand the process as well as many of the legal implications that can present in these transactions is key to protecting you and ensuring the smoothest possible transitions throughout the process.

Personal Safety Concerns

While opening your home up to be visited by those looking to buy it is par for the course in real estate, it can also raise some concerns for safety as people you don’t know are welcomed into the home either having chance to “scope things out” or creating potential safety issues with you and your loved ones in the home.

As a realtor (this one in particular also being one that teaches self-defense), I personally look to ensure that key measures are in place to ensure the safety of my clients, their homes/personal effects and myself. You being safe and well is a top priority for me as I work to help you sell your home. I find this to be an incredibly important aspect of protecting you throughout the transaction and one I’m ever mindful of.

Help for Those Concerned About Health

With health becoming a growing concern for many over the last couple years, many sellers look to the safest ways to handle key aspects of the home-selling process, particularly in handling showings and inspections. While we’ve managed to safely transition back into in-person showings and ever look to keep things as clean as possible, we’ve also found help in embracing options available to us via technology that grant access to those looking to tour the home where sellers may not want as much live traffic and for buyers that can’t be physically present for showings.

To accomplish this, agents now use a variety of methods to serve their clients, including:

• Virtual Open Houses, Tours, and Listing Appointments
• High-Quality Photos for Websites and Social Media
• eSignature
• Video Conferencing

Bottom Line

If you’re on the fence about whether or not you want to sell your house, you’re surely also debating on whether you really need a realtor to get the job done. While most weigh this decision primarily from the financial considerations, there are a number of factors to look at to ensure you are making the best decision for you and your family in what is, for most, the largest transaction you’ll ever work through.

The many challenges we face today have fundamentally changed the way real estate professionals conduct business for the better. Let’s connect today so you have the latest tools on your side to feel safe and confident when you sell your house this year.