# Looking for advice



## Waiting2Retire (Jan 14, 2013)

We are moving soon, and will be selling our place in Georgia (4 acres, well, fenced, workshop, partially enclosed pole barn, 3 bdrm house). We do not have a real estate agent yet, though we do plan to use one. I want to have it advertised everywhere, not just mls. Is it normal for an agent to just advertise on mls, and up to the seller to link it everywhere else? Is there any legal crap involved in advertising a realtors listing on other sites, like this one? is it better to just independently advertise it without a link to the realtors listing?


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## flboisseau (Apr 27, 2017)

It would best to ask that of the agents as you interview them. But here in VA, it is part of the listing contract that you have to opt out of. Otherwise, Zillow and sites with a feed from the MLS will show it. Our brokerage also uses tools that take that feed and post it on other sites and social media. I would suspect it is the same in other states. Also if there are specific sites you are interested in posting the property on, make sure the agent knows about them and does the posting for you. That is what our commission pays for.


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

I haven't looked at the print copy of the AJC Home Finder section in several years, but at one time they listed homes by county and it was not unusual for Brokers to have a display ads with some of their homes. It would be wise for you to get copies of all the local papers and see which brokers advertise their listed homes. Major papers normally list them on Sunday. In addition look for those real estate booklets in convenience stores and see who is listing their homes. Check the web site of local papers and see which brokers are listing homes.

Good Luck


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

There is no such thing anymore as only on MLS. Zillow and the other real estate sites pick up MLS listings.

Save yourself a LOT of money. Locate a good title company. Post the property on Zillow. Post it in the real estate forum here. Sell it yourself.


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## flboisseau (Apr 27, 2017)

Before you take that advice of selling it yourself, do your research. Some if it indicates homes seller get more net on average when using an agent. Also, there is a lot more to selling a home then just pricing and throwing it up on a website. For example, scheduling and granting access for showings does take time. There is also the contract negotiations, which can get complex when dealing with repairs and the lender's restrictions. 

I will also point out a few things I have observed. One most people over or under price the property. No two properties are the same and adjustments need to be made, without feelings getting involved, to come up with the right price. Second while most of the investors I know love to buy FSBO properties, when it comes time to list it they use an agent. 

Just my 2 cents on the other side of the subject.


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## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

There are huge differences in how hard different realtors will work for you. Ask all of these questions before you hire them, then follow up after hiring to ensure that they hold up their end of the deal. In my experience, only about one in twenty realtors is a real go getter.


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## flboisseau (Apr 27, 2017)

Fishindude said:


> There are huge differences in how hard different realtors will work for you. Ask all of these questions before you hire them, then follow up after hiring to ensure that they hold up their end of the deal. In my experience, only about one in twenty realtors is a real go getter.


I totally agree, make sure the agent you pick is one that will work for it, and then make them work for it. They should give you regular reports about what is going on, and what feed back they are getting. My brother was selling his house (before I had my license) and the agent never told him until he was about to get rid of her, that people were having the issues with Civil War Artwork of a local artist he had on the wall and the fact his steps needed to be fixed. Once she told him that, and he took care of it he got an offer fairly quickly. 

So that is another thing, if the agent does not suggest things you need to fix or change in the house, do not hire them. They should always have suggestions of things you change that would improve how the house looked. I went to listing appointment at the very nice house. Looked like it was out of a magazine, but I suggested that they replace the bulbs and trim rings they were using in their recess lighting with LED ones. I had done it at my house and noticed how much better it looked.

And if they are not doing those things to keep you in the loop or making suggestion on how you can improve your chances of getting an offer, you always should have the right to ask for a release before the listing expires. Just make sure you can document what the issues are because they could ask you, but most likely will not, to cover some or all their expenses. 

That is one other thing to keep in mind if you list yourself or with an agent. When you list with an agent they pay for everything necessary to market the house. They pay for the photographer, they should us a pro for most houses. They pay for the flyers and pamphlets. They pay for the Facebook ads and other ads to promote your house on social media. That all comes out of the commision they get paid. One final point on photographs, I do not care what condition the house is in, they should post at least 25 photos. I know on our MLS here, we can post up to 50 for each property. The only exception is if they for some reason can not get into the property, but even then they should get and post as many as possible.


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## Waiting2Retire (Jan 14, 2013)

Thank you all for the advice and suggestions!


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

Pick a local agent that can talk to the prospective buyers about schools, etc. Do not choose a personal friend or relative. Choose an experienced Realtor that is well versed in selling your type of property. 

You can negotiate with the realtor about what type and where you want ads. ie: Farm and land magazines - if they still have them.


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

If you use an agent, use a "One call does it all" type. A full time agent who handles multiple properties in your area, has contacts and a potential list of buyers, doesn't have a local agent do his showings, won't bs you, answers their phone, and has a reputation/history for getting it done. They may also recommend you have a home inspection done BEFORE you list it, so that there are no surprises to either a) run off potential buyers or b)allow the buyer to leverage repairs against your final price.
In other words, anyone with an RE license can stick your house on the MLS and wait for another agent to make a commission for them. If you are going to pay 7% of the sale, then get your monies worth.
Now, if you are comfortable dealing with buyers face to face, and don't have a home a lender is going to have problems loaning money against ie code violations, major repairs needed, etc, have an attorney draw up some contracts, find a decent title company, start listing and have at it.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

Wolf mom said:


> Do not choose a personal friend or relative.


This bears repeating, as does this:


GTX63 said:


> use a A full time agent


Too many people get their real estate licence and 'play at it'. If you want to sell a house get someone that earns their living from it.


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## Mickie3 (Aug 28, 2010)

Best deal is to find one of the listing services in the area that lists the house on MLS, gives you a sign and takes care of the paperwork. These are licensed RE agents who are running a FSBO type of operation with a fixed fee. They provide the services you actually need. They can help you price the house correctly as well. Since you are in GA, look in a major city, they don't have to be in the same one as you are in. (There is an outfit in Atlanta called Redfin, check them out.)

The rest of the hype about how hard it is to show a house (lol, they have to be kidding, really?), how you get more money if you pay them thousands to sit on their behinds, etc. are bad jokes. RE agents, IME, only know enough about RE Law to be dangerous (hire a lawyer for anything weird) and are right down there with used car salespeople when it comes to ethics and honesty. They may not all be a waste, but all the ones I have ever dealt with have been.

Good Luck!


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## 1948CaseVAI (May 12, 2014)

It doesn't matter what we think, only what your agent thinks. Ask before you sign with one!


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