Things You Should Know Before Hiring a Real Estate Agent in Cypress

Friends and family are the first choices for many homeowners when selecting a real estate agent in Cypress. This strategy may not always be the best option. Another agent may be more familiar with the local market or have a proven record of quickly selling property. When hiring a real estate agent, you may make sure that the 6% to 5% of the sale price that you pay them is wisely spent by following these steps:

Find a Cypress real estate agent that is familiar with the area and has in-depth knowledge of the schools, roads, stores, gyms, and other facilities like swimming pools and tennis courts.

Make Real Estate Professionals Fight Over Your Listing

Take a look at the names on the for-sale signs and in the newspaper advertisements throughout the area. Visit the offices of the top three or four agents on your list to verify your impressions. See how they handle prospective buyers at one of their open houses. (There's no pressure, to be honest about wanting to cash out.) After that, call the ones you're still thinking about and set up a time for them to give you a listing presentation.

Keep away from the realtor in Houston who boasts about how quickly your property will sell and who guarantees a greater selling price than comparable properties in the area. Inquire about the difference between the asking and selling prices for recently sold residences. In what time frame were the houses sold?

A good agent would look at similar homes that have sold in the past and use that information to make their estimate. Agents also look at the asking prices of competing homes (current listings) and homes that have contracts but haven't closed yet (pending sales). The agents are aware of which areas are vying for the same set of homebuyers.

Have each agent provide you with the number of deals they've completed in the last year. If you ask them, they should say about once a month. And ideally, most of those residences would fall within your budget.

Modify the Agreement to Your Needs

Giving the agent the "exclusive right to sell" your house is the standard (and best) listing agreement. What this implies is that your agent will share the commission with the other agency if they are responsible for bringing in a buyer. With this setup, other agents will pay the greatest attention to your house.

Make a commitment to the shortest listing duration available, such as three months, and then renew it if you'd like. Make a deal with the realtor in Cypress if he or she asks you to extend your contract: Use the local multiple listing service (the database of homes for sale by all the brokers in your area) to find out how long similar properties usually stay on the market. This will help you set a fair price for yours.

Let Yourself Off the Hook

But it doesn't mean you have to put up with a horrible agent if you don't want to. Include in the listing agreement a clause that lets you get out of the deal if you're not happy with the agent's work.

If you are unhappy in your role as an agent, most brokerages will attempt to transfer you to a different Cypress real estate agent, and if that doesn't work, they will likely terminate your contract.

You can also cross out any part of the contract that says you have to go to arbitration before signing if you have a problem with the agent. It's possible that you'll want to pursue legal action.

Get on the Market ASAP

Insist that your real estate agent in Cypress adds your house to the MLS within the first 48 hours of signing the listing agreement or when your home is ready to show.

Some dishonest brokers would "pocket" a listing in the hopes of getting first dibs on selling the property internally. That's quite profitable for the brokerage since they don't have to split the fee with anybody.

But you'll do better if your home is seen by as many potential purchasers as possible. If you try to sell your property on your own, you might not get the best price for it.