Maryland Real Estate Agent
Advantages of a full-service Realtor
Like many other industries, real estate has become a war-zone of heavy competition. Agents find themselves contending with each other for an ever decreasing “piece of the pie”, while banks, insurance companies and relocation companies are also vying for their share of local markets.
Common catch-phrases become the ammunition used by many brokers to set themselves apart from their competitors. One such phrase is “full service”. This term was once used to differentiate the “one-stop-shop” brokerage, from the brokerage who relied on the four “P’s”; Pitch a sign in the yard, Put it in the MLS, Place and ad in the paper, and Pray that it sells. But because it has been overused by companies who don’t provide services, it has lost its meaning.
It is no secret that today’s consumers want to be well represented, and they want the service that goes along with that representation. The challenge for many hardworking agents is showing how true-full-service helps the seller obtain a larger bottom line from the sale of their home.
A comprehensive marketing plan that is consumer driven, and not ego driven is the foundation of services a home seller should expect. And the agent should be able to show how their plan will increase the sellers bottom line. Does the agent have an interactive website? Can their web site be easily found in the Internet search engines? Are they able to capture potential buyer-leads? How? Will the agent provide brochures? Virtual tours? On-line photo albums? Does the agent advertise in a variety of homes publications? How far reaching is their advertising? What other services does the agent have that might save time and money?
When all is said and done, there is a simple formula that will show the home seller that a brokerage providing a broad variety of services leads to a higher bottom line. An agent should always know their “list price to sell price” ratio. This figure is the average of all of their listings selling price divided by the initial list price. The higher the average the more likely the home seller will receive a larger bottom line; perhaps the single best service a “true full-service” brokerage can offer a home seller.
For a free home valuation, and to discuss your custom marketing plan provided by DeHanas Real Estate Services, call 301-638-3443 or 301-870-1717.
