Blog Archives — Page 2 of 2 — Blueprint Realty, Inc.

The Importance Of Staging Listings

Any agent or home buyer will tell you the importance of staging listings in Franklin TN and the Middle Tennessee area. There are several important advantages that make it well worth the effort. Below are some things to consider when trying to decide whether to stage your home while for sale.

The Importance Of Staging Listings

The fact is, the way your property is arranged can truly impact the number of buyers interested in your listing and its selling price. Staging highlights the best amenities of your property and can minimize the undesirable features. It also encourages buyers to realize the full potential of a space. These impressions can increase the interest level of those buyers. Ultimately, staging your home can help it sell faster and, in some cases, for a higher price.

Types of Home Staging

There are several different ways that a property can be staged and suggestions may vary based on specific properties. Here are just a few approaches that your agent may discuss with you:

Cleaning & Organization
Decluttering and Depersonalizing
Neutralizing Colors an Decor
Changing Furniture
Brightening the Space

When presenting your home for sale, you want people to think that it can be their home and not that they are intruding on yours. Although buyers are not purchasing your personal belongings, their impressions will actually be influenced by those items.

Debating Whether to Stage Your Listing

Properly embracing the importance of staging listings in Franklin TN and the Middle Tennessee area can help your property to sell faster and, in some cases, for a higher price. You do not have to attempt it on your own. Your real estate agent should be familiar with basic staging and can recommend a professional stager when needed. Their experience with home buyers and selling other homes will be a tremendous asset.

For further information on listing and staging your home, contact Blueprint Realty, Inc. at (615) 538-8328 or hello@blueprintrealtytn.com.

Listing Contracts

Once you have found a real estate agent to list your home, you will be presented with a listing contract. Prior to signing this paperwork, it is helpful to understand what it encompasses. The information on listing contracts below will help you to be a better educated seller.

Broker Commission

Commission is generally specified as a percentage of the selling price. There is no standard commission rate and all rates are negotiable. Each agent and firm sets their own fees and, similar to everything else in real estate, it may be changed. It is important to understand the expertise and value provided by individual professionals and firms when comparing their rates. Merely selecting one with the lowest fee may not actually be the best choice.

Listing professionals usually share a specific percentage of the fee with co-broker agents (buyer agents). The percentage is shown in the MLS system. Though frowned up, higher percentages can influence buyer agents to promote your home and, likewise, low amounts can discourage other agents. This is particularly true when listing volume is high. Be sure to ask what the amount will be if it is not mentioned.

Finally, the contract also indicates when the fees are officially earned. This is very important. Your contractual obligation to your listing agent is different from that to any other parties. Therefore, it is not necessarily based on a closing.

Professional Services

You must authorize your agent to manage specific tasks. The most obvious one is to enter the details of your property into the local MLS (multiple listing service). This is the service that networks the listing to all real estate agents and to a variety of authorized websites. By expanding the exposure of your listing, you will increase the likelihood of selling and for a higher value. Adding signs, installing a lockbox, and performing open houses are other services that you may be asked to sign off on in the listing contract.

Fiduciary Obligations

Real estate professionals are not just salespeople. They are actually agents in the legal definition and have distinct obligations under the law. These are referred to as fiduciary duties and include care, obedience, accounting, confidentiality, diligence, disclosure, and loyalty. In general, your real estate professional must work for you and protect your best interests at all times.

Listing Contracts

The information on listing contracts in this article include only the most typical components of listing contracts and may not address all language in your specific contract. As with any type of contract, review the full document, inquire about anything that is not clear, and seek additional help if you would like legal advice.

Contact Blueprint Realty, Inc. at (615) 538-8328 or hello@blueprintrealtytn.com for additional information.

The Dangers Of Overpricing Your Property

The Middle Tennessee real estate market is strong, which is welcome news for homeowners. Inclining prices give potential buyers more courage to purchase, which leads to more buyers and more competition. Unfortunately, many home sellers make the mistake of overpricing, which can generate less than desirable results at any time. Here are the dangers of overpricing your property.

How Home Price Affects Marketing Time

It is well known that home price and marketing timeframe are linked. Overpriced properties require more time to sell for many reasons. First, the higher the price, the fewer the buyers. Furthermore, overpricing your home makes lower-priced ones appear a better deal. Thus, overpricing essentially assists your competition. Lastly, potential buyers are more critical at higher price points. Your listing must have clear justification for a higher price or home buyers will ignore it.

Longer Days on Market Can Determine Sale Price

Additionally, the longer your property stays listed, the less you will get for it. Buyers build a negative view of properties that have remained unsold for extended time frames. They expect that something must be wrong with the house (and not just that it was overpriced).

Another factor is that as a seller, you will usually drop the price over time. Even if you drop the price to the proper range, the damage will have already been done. Buyers who do express interest will often submit lower prices than they initially might have. In the end, your home will sell for less because you overpriced.

The Dangers Of Overpricing Your Property

The danger of overpricing your property is lost time and less profit. It is that simple. Even if the market is on an incline and bidding wars are taking place, it is not worthwhile to overprice. It is always important to start at the right price. That generates the most interest, elevates demand and yields maximum value. Get assistance from an experienced real estate broker who knows the market and competent pricing strategy to ensure that you do not make the mistake of overpricing.

Contact Blueprint Realty, Inc. at (615) 538-8328 or hello@blueprintrealtytn.com for additional information.

Why You Should Hire A Real Estate Agent

As a home buyer or home seller, you have the choice of selecting a real estate agent to lend advice and promote your best interests. Merely communicating with a real estate agent does not create this relationship. There is generally paperwork detailing the agency, responsibilities of real estate agents, and your duties. Below is an overview of why you should hire a real estate agent in Franklin TN and the Middle Tennessee area.

Real Estate Agent’s Fiduciary Duty

Federal real estate law specifies that real estate agents fulfill certain responsibilities to their clients once they formalize an agency relationship.

Disclosure

All agents must disclose all known facts about a listing, often known as material facts. The duty to provide this information also applies to all details that can affect decisions about a listing or influence negotiating position.

Confidentiality

Real estate agents must maintain confidentiality of client information. They must not reveal anything about your business, financial or private affairs, or motivations unless instructed by you or ordered by a court to do so. This fiduciary extends even after closings.

Lawful Obedience

Agents must comply with their clients’ instructions, as long as the requests do not violate any laws or contracts. For instance, sometimes clients ask real estate agents to write a low offer that the agent disagrees with. Real estate agents must complete those requests even though they have a disagreement.

Allegiance

Real Estate Agents must maintain the best interests of their clients above any other individuals, including themselves. Commission, particularly in competing offer scenarios, must not be a factor and would otherwise be disloyal. Keeping information private is also a facet of loyalty.

Why You Should Hire A Real Estate Agent

Selecting an agent has many benefits. Beyond what is listed above, real estate agents have an even more influential task of controlling interactions between buyers and sellers. The home buying and selling process can be extremely complicated. Having the influence of an individual that will protect your best interests but is not emotionally involved will facilitate transactions and lead to successful closings. This sums up the importance of getting representation from a real estate agent in Franklin TN or the Middle Tennessee area.

Contact Blueprint Realty, Inc. at (615) 538-8328 or hello@blueprintrealtytn.com for additional information.