If you’re thinking about using a Realtor to sell your Florida property, the first thing to understand that there are different types of Realtor:
1. Full Service Businesses cover the selling process from start to finish, including:
- Pricing the property.
- Showing clients around your home.
- Receiving offers and advising on how to counter-offer.
- Writing or advising on contracts, home repairs, etc.
- Assistance with closing including your closing statement.
2. Discount brokerage offices claim to do the same as Full Service Businesses for a discounted fee, charging for example a:
- Flat fee for listing a seller’s property on the MLS.
- Commission paid to any Realtor acting for the buyer (e.g. 3% of the sales price).
- Commission paid to the Discount Brokerage if there is no buyer’s agent Realtor (again, 2.5% to 3% of the sales price).
There have been some examples where MLS systems have restricted the circulation of listings added by discount brokers, so a lower fee to the seller resulted in a lower service.
3. A-la-carte Menu Offices
These are coming into favor as well and are sometimes combined with discount brokerage offices. They basically offer a range of services as above but each service can be purchased separately for a fee – for example:
- List on MLS: $1000.
- Write up a contract: $500.
- Show homes: $150 per hour.
- Assist with closing: $150.
If you know real estate pretty well and just need a few specified services, this might be right for you.
If you’ve decided on which type of Realtor to use you now need to find one that you can work with successfully. How do you choose from the (literally) thousands of Central Florida Realtors out there?
You have several ways to get help with this:
- Think about the Realtor who helped you to buy your property. Did you have a good experience? Was the service what you wanted? Could you work with him/her again?
- Find one from a referral. Ask friends, neighbours, family, anyone that you trust to steer you in the right direction. Check out the nature of the work done and whether the services provided match your current needs.
- Follow up on local For Sale signs or newspaper advertisements. This is more risky, since you have no track record to guide you, so you need to interview one or more until you find one you can work with.
Wherever you find your Realtor, you have three questions to consider:
1. Do you believe they are being open and honest with you, or are they making extravagant promises to get your business? Look for a Realtor who explains the process and is clear about current market conditions.
2. Do they have the right knowledge of the area and experience to handle the sale? How many years have they been licensed by the State and how many sales have they handled in your locality?
3. Does their personality and approach match your needs? You must have confidence in the person handling the sale of your high-value asset, plus the ability to work with them.
For more information on choosing a Realtor to sell your home, click here to complete and send off the Contact Form.