Why Selling a Home is a Good Decision During a Divorce

Most experts claim it is time to sell your home when you go through a divorce. It can help you tackle some of the most crucial situations the easiest way possible. This way, you don’t let things complicate further and get into an even worse situation.

Selling the Home

Selling the home during a divorce is not much different from selling real estate during normal times. However, the former must follow a carefully laid out groundwork on who gets what after the sale from the proceeds.

The decision over the equity is best done with the help of attorneys. They shall thoroughly go through the history of your marriage with regard to the property and would also consult a few real estate appraisers.

You must first have a good idea of the real worth of the home and the value of the improvements you made on the property. Once you do this groundwork, then it is the right time for you to choose the right real estate agent who can do a good job for you.

Do this by interviews, credentials and sales history. This will enable you to get your home successfully on the market. You also need to understand that once you have found the right agent, you must be willing to follow his or her advice and be willing to compromise a bit, because selling for a little less shall help you get rid of the house faster letting you move on with your lives smoothly eventually.

The Role of Good Real Estate Agents

A good real estate agent communicates well both with the owners divorcing, as well as the parties showing interest to buy the property. They shall let you know clearly where you stand in connection with your present selling situation and let you move quickly to another buyer.

Good agents are proactive in inviting potential buyers, communicating with them and constantly chasing new leads. In each of these regards, they should keep their client well informed of the proceedings. They also listen to you well and understand your needs and concerns so that the decision they make favors your good interests.

Good agents put their vendors first since they are going to benefit more from the deal if the house sells for a good amount. They shall create a situation for the client to feel that he or she is supported all the way through.

Therefore, they always intend to keep their clients happy and confident. They are also good at reading the minds of their clients or just communicating with them in a suitable manner.

They communicate with the client in the most convenient way the client requests.

Accomplished agents know the time frame the client has got to work through and are therefore under tight schedules as they prepare themselves to complete the deal, as quickly as possible.

If the clients have the luxury of time to complete the deal, then they can advise on how to benefit the maximum from the market while spending some more time effectively through the deal.

Good agents grasp the real needs of their clients and fine tune their approach accordingly to serve their best interests.

Good agents shall be prepared to share their previous clients’ testimonials with you so that you can make the right choice in choosing them.

The agents can work with a thorough knowledge of the area and also invest their recent sales experiences to drive for a better outcome in the deal. Agents working in a well-organized and professional way can drive the process with a keen eye to minute details.

This can work very well in a tough market. They can also suggest some great points to you, that can make your home more attractive and sellable in the eyes of the buyers.

They will take the best photos to be creative for MLS listings and project it in the most effective manner. They are experts in managing the client appointments and in dealing with the client queries in the right way.

A good agent will have highly-desirable qualities and will give handheld assistance through the entire sale process while enabling you to profit more from the sale of your home during a divorce.

A Professional Real Estate Agent is Worth the Effort

Here are some of the most useful tips, which can help you find out more about the real estate agents in order to identify the real estate agent you really want to hire.

First, you have to ask the real estate agent for a list of referrals and testimonials. Maybe even ask to speak to a past client.

 It is important to talk to them so you can find out details about the price they asked vs. the price they ended up getting, as well as the amount of money they received in the end.

Talk to the agent to see if the past properties they helped to sell were similar to yours, how they did and most importantly, how long the property spent on the market.

Then check with the state's regulatory body to find out if the person you are thinking of hiring is licensed or had any disciplinary problems.

This is a safe way to ensure your sale is in the best hands possible. Also, it is very important to receive advice from a real estate agent who specializes in your type of property.

The state licensing authority can provide you with information about how long the agent has been in the business as well as other important information like their disciplinary and award winning track record.

Most people do research online before buying so as to form a more realistic personal opinion on the property value.

So should you. An extra check on Realtor.com or on the agency’s official page could definitely help you get an idea about how present your agent is on the internet, online house market environment.

When you choose an agent you also want to pick an agent that is professionally familiar with the area your house is in. Don't shy away from verifying his or her knowledge on the subject by asking simple questions about the properties that are for sale in your neighborhood.

Always Interview

It is very important to find an agent that is not only interested in making a ale, but one who also understands your needs and has your best interest at heart.

In that aspect, it is not recommended that both the seller and the buyer share the same real estate agent. In order to make the right decision, there are some questions you need to ask first.

Try to get as many details about the type of properties the agent specializes in selling, how many houses he/she sold in the past year and about how seriously he/she takes the education in this domain.

It is important to have a discussion with the Real estate agent  about why you need a bigger house, a new district, that maybe you want to be close to the highway.

Also mention the time frame you have to close the deal on your property and move to the new home. 

Never allow the agent to decide for you. Ask them to provide you with statistics so you can make a realistic decision yourself.

Although it may seem less important, the buyer’s agent must also be able to work with you, taking into consideration your timeline and preferences.

Another thing that needs to be established is the availability of the agent and how frequently he or she is available for visits. You two should be able to work together on a timetable to see different houses.

In order to avoid misunderstandings, you must establish a clear open line of communication early on. Any professional real estate agent  will set the ground rules from the beginning. One example of that is, the reasonable response time for a text, email or phone call.

Explaining from the beginning what to expect, makes things easier and avoids difficult situations.

The Questions You Might Want to Ask

Whether you are a buyer or a seller, it is smart to interview the agent before signing the paperwork that allows him or her to take control over your transaction.

An agent that does not ask you questions right back, in order to find out what you want and need, red flag should raise and must be avoided.

You should also be careful not to interview agents from the same company. You can ask questions to the agent on the phone, even before the first meeting.

Do not expect free consulting at your home before you make the final decision on hiring the agent. The first important question to ask the agent is how long he or she has been in the business.

A good thing about a new agent is that what he or she may lack in experience, he/she also has enough time to focus on your transaction.

With access to a good mentor, a young agent may not be a bad option. Some agents with many years of experience learn new things each year, while others repeat their first year over and over again.

The second question should be about the list price to sales price ratio.

Any good agent is able to negotiate a sales price lower than the listing price. A competent listing agent should keep a track record for negotiating sales prices that are very close to list prices.

 Find out details about your agent’s best marketing plan or strategy and see if it matches your needs.

As a buyer, you need to know how the search for your home will be done, statistically how many homes you most probably have to visit before finding the one you want to buy and if there will also be other buyers to compete against.

It is also a good thing to know how to handle multiple offers and if it is expected of you to present the offers yourself.

As a seller, you need to be informed about how exactly your house will be sold, what makes a direct mail campaign appropriate or not, how often and when it is best suitable to advertise, how do you market your property online, as well as if you will be able to see a sample of the flyer before it is distributed.

 References are important in the real estate industry. Even the new agent must have some form the previous employer.

So ask for a list of clients, find out if the agent is related to anyone on that list and ask if you can call some of the listed people for further information on how those sales had gone.

Careful how you ask these questions, some of the more experienced agents may feel insulted. Concerning this aspect, researching them on the internet is your best bet.

If you can find enough consistent internet reviews about a certain agent, you don’t need any other references. Any good real estate agent should have a prepared answer about what qualities set him or her apart from other agents.

Most people want to hear about honesty, trustworthiness, good negotiating skills, assertive attitude, good communication skills, friendly nature, and availability by phone or email and advanced analytical skills.

People that have a good sense of humor in difficult situations are also well worth taking into consideration.

Any professional agent will give you the chance to review the documents you must sign a day before. Just to be sure, ask that up front.

As a buyer, you need to review the Buyer's Broker Agreement, the Agency Disclosures, the Purchase Agreement and the Buyer Disclosures. As a seller, you need to take a look over the Agency Disclosure, the Listing Agreement and the Seller Disclosures.

Your agent should be able to supply you with a written list of referring vendors such as mortgage brokers, home inspectors and title companies. That should help speed up the process.

If you see the word “affiliated” anywhere ask for details because there might imply the existence of some extra costs.

All fees are negotiable. The charged percentage is different from one agent to another.

A real estate agent will normally charge between 1% and 4%, a listing agent may want 3.5% for themselves, while another 3.5% might be required for the buyer’s agent.

The better ranked the agent is, the higher his or her commission will be. Remember to consider what happens if you change your mind after signing the agreement.

Be inquisitive and find out what is the company’s policy on canceling agreements and if any other clients tried to go back after the signing.

The way the agent answers these questions should help you decide if he or she is the one you want to sign with or not.

An agent that takes the time to talk to you and make sure you get all the information you need, is usually an agent that will consider your transaction as important.

Big Mistakes to Stay Away From

Choosing a Real estate agent is the most important key to successfully selling or buying a home.

Hiring a professional, high-performing real estate agent can be the difference between a great, fast and smooth deal and a bureaucratic nightmare.

Here are some of the most common mistakes that people sadly make when choosing a real estate agent:

?          Choosing an agent that agrees with every crazy thing you may ask.

?          The real estate agent should be professional and highly educated in their field of work.

They should know how to politely and rationally redirect you towards what your interest and focus should be.

?          Believing that all real estate agents know the same things.

Real estate agent s should be professionals and like any professionals they have various degrees of education.

Another aspect that distinguishes one real estate agent from another is their individual level of experience.

?          Choosing to work with a family member as your real estate agent.

?          You don’t take time to interview more than one agent, so you hire the first one in.

?          Picking the agent that promises to keep your house as an open-home for the longest period of time.

Open-house viewing does sell houses, but not necessarily yours.

While viewing, people usually form a clearer view of what they want.

While the people that visit your house might not buy your house, most probably someone that is doing an open-home visit somewhere else will.

?          Hiring the first agent whose presentation you like.

Liking a presentation should not be the only defining reason for you to list.

Make sure you cover your ground before signing the documents.

?          Choosing a real estate agent based exclusively on the number of houses sold in the past year or just because they conveniently suggest the highest price for your sale.

?          The commission is always negotiable; so don’t pick the agent that asks the lowest percentage. It might just be because they advertise on the third party websites.

Choosing a real estate agent holds the key in whether your home transaction will be successful or not. Selling or buying a home does not have to be a stressful, impossible achievement anymore, especially under the guidance and expertise of a top real estate agent.

Choose to work with an experienced and hi-performing agent to make sure you get the best deal for your house and get the whole thing over with.