Why you should choose me to sell your home

For most families, selling their home is one of the biggest financial decisions they will ever make. The process can be daunting, with many important questions that need to be answered. Choosing the best real estate agent to market and sell your home can make all the difference, turning an otherwise difficult, stressful process into a comfortable, informed experience that you are in control of. As a seasoned Sherman Oaks area real estate agent, I will make sure that you get the best price for your home, in the least amount of time.

  • I analyze and determine home values in the Sherman Oaks market every day. As a real estate expert in this market, I can help you determine exactly what your home is worth in the current market. Then, as an experienced marketing professional, I'll market your home and negotiate on your behalf to sell your home at the best price possible.

  • I will aggressively market your home not just locally, but on a national level also. Through my professional contacts and affiliations, as well as my advanced technology tools, I can instantly put your home listing in all of the places qualified buyers are looking. Within minutes, I can alert every real estate agent in the Sherman Oaks and San Fernando Valley area, as well as national firms that specialize in helping people relocate to new areas.

  • I will personally advise you of how to best prepare your home to get the highest price, in the shortest amount of time.

  • I will protect your best interests throughout the entire process. You can leverage my years of experience as a real estate professional to answer all of your questions about every aspect of the selling and closing process. You will be informed and in control, every step of the way. It's my job to make sure your home selling experience is as comfortable and painless as humanly possible!

    If you'll fill out this form, so I know a bit about you and your home, I can get back to you right away. I promise a prompt reply.

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                                        Setting the Sales Price

    Before you set the sales price of your house, I will provide you with an up to date, reliable Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) that will show the listing price of similar houses currently active in the area as well as the prices at which the houses actually sold in the past 6 months. Additionally, the analysis will give us information about: houses currently on the market, how long have been on the market, any price reductions;  about houses that were on the market but never sold, their listing term expired, and about the houses that are currently under contract and in escrow, how long they've been on the market, if and any price reductions before escrow was opened.

    Next, we will determine your selling goals.  Everyone who sells a house has different goals that need to be factored in when calculating the selling price.

    • Is your goal to get the maximum sales price for your house?
      • If so, are you willing to have your house on the market for many months?
    • Is your goal to sell your house quickly?
      • If so, are you willing to sacrifice some of your potential profits to sell more quickly?
    • Would you like to establish a balance between selling your house quickly and selling at the top end of market value?

    Market conditions will play a role in setting the sales price of your house. I'll factor in how quickly houses are selling in your area, interest rates, the strength of the school system, and finally whether it is a buyer's or seller's market. Currently the San Fernando Valley real estate market is adjusting towards a buyer's market.

    I will then recommend a price at which to list your house to meet your goals in the local market.

      

                              The Listing Contract


    Also referred to as a listing agreement, the listing contract gives a licensed real estate professional authorization to act on your behalf in the sale of your home. Listing contracts come in all shapes and sizes, but there are characteristics which are common to all.  Among the elements of any valid listing contract are:

    Writing - All real estate contracts must be in writing.

    Employment - The listing contract is a personal services contract between you and the broker.  It contains all of the terms and conditions of employing the broker and authorizing the broker to represent you in marketing and selling your home.

    Compensation - For any contract to be valid, there has to be compensation.  The listing contract will specify the amount and timing of payment to your broker.  Typically, payment is an agreed upon percentage of the sales price, payable at closing.  It is important to note that your obligation to pay your broker may not absolutely depend on a finalized sales transaction.  For example, if the broker finds a bona-fide buyer who is willing to pay your asking price and agree to the terms you have offered, but you get cold feet at the last moment and decide not to sell, the broker has done his job and is entitled to be paid under the terms of the listing contract.

    Title - All listing contracts will ask who has title to the property.  Property can't be sold unless everyone with holds title interest in the property are part of the sale.

    Termination date - You shouldn't sign any listing contract without a specific termination date.  The most common duration is 180 days.  If the contract has an indefinite duration such as until sold, or no duration specified at all, dont sign it.  The listing contract is a legally binding document and you don't want to get locked into one with no clearly defined termination date.  If the contract expires before your home sells and you still want to keep using the same broker, you can simply sign a new contract.

    There can be and often are other elements to a listing contract.  As with any legal document, you should read the listing contract very carefully and be sure you understand exactly what you are agreeing to before signing.  If you have any questions about your listing contract it would be wise to consult a lawyer for clarification.

    Types of listing contracts
    A listing contract is an agreement between you and a licensed real estate broker authorizing the broker to represent you in selling your home. By far the most common type of listing contract is the “Exclusive Right to Sell”, but there are several other types. 

    rightExclusive Right to Sell Listing
    This is the most popular type of listing with sellers and brokers.  Under a right to sell listing contract, the broker is the only one authorized to sell your home.  If another agent finds a buyer, your broker earns a commission.  If you find a buyer on your own, your broker still earns a commission.  This arrangement gives your broker the most incentive to spend time, money and energy marketing your home.  Especially to the other agents in the area who can show your home to their buyer clients.  Only with an exclusive right to sell agreement can you expect to get a full service marketing effort from your broker, since it is the only listing type that assures a broker will get paid for his marketing expense and efforts when the home sells.

    leftExclusive Agency Listing
    This is similar to the right to sell listing, with the significant difference that you reserve the right to sell your home yourself and not pay the broker a commission.  The broker only gets paid if your home is sold through a licensed real estate professional.  If you find your own buyer and sell the home yourself, you pay no commission.  On the face of it, this might sound like an attractive arrangement.  But it's not a popular listing type with brokers, and for good reason.  Under an exclusive agency agreement, the broker is exposed to the risk of putting forth considerable effort and expense marketing your home, only to come away empty handed.  The attraction to the seller of this type of contract of course, is the possibility of finding their own buyer and not paying a commission.  This puts the seller and broker in competitive roles, which usually isn't in the best interest of either party.  Since the broker stands a good chance of not reaping any reward, it's unlikely that any effort or expense will be put into marketing an exclusive agency listing.

    rightOpen Listing
    The open listing is a non-exclusive contract.  It gives the broker permission to show potential buyers your home, and the broker will only earn a commission by bringing in a client who buys the home.  Since the open listing isn't exclusive, sellers can sign these listing agreements with as many brokers as they want.  The bottom line with an open listing is that no broker has any incentive to market the home at all.  They won't even place the home on the local MLS service with an open listing.  Further, it's up to the seller to field all phone calls and coordinate all showings etc….  Generally, the only people who use open listings are FSBO's (for sale by owner) who are willing to pay a partial commission to an agent for finding a buyer.  You shouldn't expect any marketing or advertising at all with an open listing contract.

    Showing Listing
    Also called the “one time” agreement.  This is an agreement whereby a FSBO agrees to let an agent show the home to an interested client and pay a commission to the agent if that showing results in a sale.  The purpose being to prevent a seller from letting an agent show the property, then deal directly with the client, to avoid paying any commission 

     

    rightListing Commissions
    Real estate brokers normally charge a commission for listing and selling your home. The rate varies, both by region and according to service level. In most areas the commission is calculated as a percentage of the sales price and rates of up to 7% are not uncommon.  Your listing contract will specify both the amount of the commission and the timing for when it will be paid.  Like everything else in real estate, commissions are negotiable.

    Discount commissions
    It wasn’t to long ago that commissions below the “going rate” for an area were all but unheard of.  These days though, there are many brokers and agents willing to list your home for considerably less than the 7% that might be typical for the area.  You need to be aware though, that lower commissions are nearly always tied to lower levels of service.  Most agents willing to list your home for a bargain commission rate aren’t going to do much or any advertising or marketing of your home.  They will probably just list it with the local MLS and put a sign in your yard, and that’s about it.  Meanwhile, a full service, full rate agent will probably spend considerable time and money to advertise and market your home – particularly to other agents in the area.  So, when considering a low commission, be sure you know exactly what you’ll be getting, and what you’ll be giving up.

    Often, lower commissions will be part of a package deal where you agree to use a particular mortgage broker or you agree to buy your next home through the same agent that sells your present one.  There are some good bargains to be had with these package deals.  But again, it pays to examine the details closely, and make sure the whole package fits your needs.

    rightPaying commissions
    It’s important to understand how commissions are earned, and when they are paid.  Your specific listing agreement will spell out the details.  In general, a broker is considered to have held up his end of the bargain when he brings you a “ready, willing and able” buyer.  If the broker finds such a buyer, and you change your mind and back out of the deal at the last minute, the broker is probably going to expect you to pay the commission anyway, since he did his job

    Looking to Sell?

    Are you looking to sell your house? Let us help you. Just fill out as much of the information below that you want and we'll get right back to you, with no obligation to you. We guarantee your privacy.
     
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