Ready to Sell Your Home? Turn to a Trusted Professional for Advice, Says Florida Realtors(R)

ORLANDO, Fla., March 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Thinking of selling your current home, but don't know where to start? A Realtor® in Florida can help you attract buyers from around the corner – or from another continent – so you'll be able to close the transaction and move ahead with your life.

Home sales are on the rise throughout Florida, but sellers today are faced with many questions: Is now the right time to sell my home or condominium? Will buyers be interested in my residence? How can I get the best possible price and complete the sale?

"Florida Realtors are trained and caring professionals who know how to get results for sellers in the constantly changing real estate market," says 2010 Florida Realtors® President Wendell Davis, a broker and regional vice president with Watson Realty Corp. in Jacksonville.

By drawing on their knowledge of the local market, marketing and negotiation skills, Florida Realtors help sellers avoid potentially costly mistakes and keep the complex process running smoothly, adds Davis. "Selling a home is a major decision, both personally and financially," he says. "A Realtor will provide knowledgeable guidance and help manage the process, saving time, money and headaches."

A recent survey from the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) found that 85 percent of U.S. sellers were assisted by a real estate agent when selling their home. According to NAR's 2009 "Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers," 81 percent of sellers were likely to use the same agent again or recommend that agent to others. The study also found that 80 percent of sellers used a full-service brokerage, in which agents provide a range of services, from listing a home to closing the transaction.

"Marketing and selling a home is a complex process that involves all the tools of the trade, from social networking and online video tours to Multiple Listing Service (MLS) postings, newspaper ads and even knocking on doors in the neighborhood," says Davis. "Realtors have the training and 'matchmaking' skills needed to bring buyers and sellers together for a win-win transaction."

In addition to getting the best sales price and guiding a seller through the maze of paperwork and procedures involved in selling a home, a Realtor in Florida can provide sellers a full complement of services, including:

• Gather information about the home – such as square footage, type of heating and cooling systems, proximity to schools and other features – to prepare it for sale.
• Analyze comparable home sales in the area, then use that information to better estimate a property's value, so it can be priced right to sell.
• Design an effective strategy to market the home. It can include posting photos and information about the home on high-volume websites, emailing open house invitations, placing advertisements in local publications and putting a traditional for-sale sign in front of the residence.
• List the home on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which all Realtors – locally, nationally and internationally – can access as they seek a home for their buyers.
• Bring qualified buyers to preview the home.
• Write offers, place the buyer's deposit in escrow and take care of other necessary paperwork.
• Guide the seller through all aspects of the sales contract and deal with the buyer on any items that may need to be negotiated.
• Help the buyer find financing, arrange for a home inspection and appraisal, and complete other details in preparation for closing the deal.
• Serve as the seller's representative at the closing table.

"Deciding to work with a Realtor can give sellers peace of mind," says Davis. "A Realtor in Florida is more than a licensed professional with training and experience in real estate – a Florida Realtor voluntarily agrees to abide by a Code of Ethics and promises to provide honest treatment to both sellers and buyers."

Editors' note: Selling a home is a major decision for an individual, couple or family. Using a Realtor® in Florida — a trained professional who voluntarily agrees to act under specific standards – makes sense for sellers in today's challenging market. The second of a three-part series, this article outlines some of the benefits that home sellers receive when working with a Realtor.

Florida Realtors®, formerly known as the Florida Association of Realtors®, serves as the voice for real estate in Florida. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research and legislative representation to its 115,000 members in 67 boards/associations. Florida Realtors® Media Center website is available at http://media.floridarealtors.org.

SOURCE Florida Realtors