Research Lafayette Real Estate Agents Online
If you're in the market to buy or sell a home in the Lafayette area of Colorado, then you would be wise to do a little research before choosing your next Lafayette real estate agent to assist in the purchase or sale of your property. But what questions should you ask? What services should you demand? Isn't every Lafayette real estate agent ultimately the same?
If you are a home buyer then you should carefully examine what tasks you will be undertaking yourself before deciding on a real estate agent. You may not even realize that you're already doing part of your Realtor's job by using one of the many easy to use web sites to search for your next home. Sites like Trulia, Zillow, and Realtor.com might already be old news to you, so why should this matter when choosing a Lafayette real estate agent? Well, you may be able to get paid for doing what you're doing already.
This is the age of transparency and choice in the real estate industry, and you are in control of the transaction from the first moment to the last. There are real estate agents working in the Lafayette area who will rebate a portion of their commission to you simply because you are handling part of their job yourself. If you are willing to do some of the searching yourself, then your next Lafayette real estate agent may be willing to rebate you a portion of her commission at closing.
Looking for information on a Highlands Ranch Real Estate Agent and other related resources?
If you are a home seller, then the choices are even more interesting and potentially rewarding. You do not have to pay 6% to hire a competent Lafayette real estate agent to sell your home. Again, this is the Golden Age of choice in the real estate industry. The old real estate models are being challenged, and you can benefit financially from some of the newer real estate models emerging. It might be worth looking into finding a Realtor who would agree to sell your home for a set price. What? Not a percent of the sales price? That's right. There are numerous competent agents who will market your property in a professional manner, guide you through the legal maze of paperwork, and attend the closing with you. All for one price no matter what the sales price of your home may be.
You should ask some very direct questions of your next Realtor before hiring him. Ask what his marketing plan is. Here are some essential elements of a good marketing plan:
- Entry into the local MLS
- Your home appears on affiliated sites like Realtor.com
- A professional photographer will create a Virtual Tour of your home
- A professional showing service will arrange for showings
- Inclusion of a lock box
- Professionally printed flyers
- A beautiful yard sign
- Inclusion of your home on a few additional websites.
But which additional websites are important? Well, the truth is that 80% of home buyers who are shopping online end up using Realtor.com exclusively. Since Realtor.com uploads their listings directly from the local MLS this means you must be on the MLS. Additional sites like Zillow.com and Trulia are wonderful for the most internet savvy among us and should be included in any marketing plan offered by your next Lafayette real estate agent.
So do a little research, and don't be afraid to ask some difficult and direct questions. You may end up saving yourself thousands of dollars.
