Coldwell Banker Countryside, Realtors

• Over 10 years of real estate marketing experience, and over 18 years property management experience.

• Virtual Tours, Complete Internet Marketing of all property listings which is the best way to market your property to not only local cliental, but potential buyers all over the world.

• Going the extra mile to find you the perfect property, or buyer for your property, No listing or client is too big or too small that they do not get our complete attention!

Introduction
Choose an experienced full time agent who will diligently protect your interests, especially in a tough negotiation. Your comfort level is important since you will probably spend a significant amount of time with your agent. You’ll want an agent that understands your needs and desires and promptly returns phone calls or e-mails to answer your questions day or night. Can you talk directly with your agent or do you only get an assistant? Finally, you want an agent who knows the area in detail, and has already previewed many of the homes that have recently sold and that are available for sale. Selling your home is a significant transaction so don’t leave it to chance. More often than not, the keyword in the real estate industry is "sell" rather than "represent". Far too many brokers and agents appear to have an undeclared mission statement that reflects "salesmanship" rather than "representation" of Buyer or Seller. First and foremost, ethically and legally, a real estate agent should be continuously aware of his or her responsibility to the client.

Understanding Real Estate Agency
On the surface all real estate agents seem alike. They all charge similar fees and provide similar services. However picking the wrong agent can cost you thousands. One of the first things your new agent should discuss with you is real estate agency. Most buyers don't understand the difference between a listing agent, a buyers agent, a transaction broker or who represents whom in a transaction. A single agent represents either the buyer or seller but not both parties. A transaction broker represents both parties in a limited fashion.

The Buyers (Selling) Agent
The selling agent is the buyer's agent exclusively. He or she has a responsibility to represent you and look out for your interests. You may or may not have a written agreement (Buyer's Broker Agreement) with your agent.

The Listing (Sellers) Agent
The listing agent is the seller's agent exclusively. He or she has a responsibility to represent the seller and look out for the seller's interests. The listing agent almost always has a written agreement called a listing contract that specifies among other things, the price, commission amount, and the authorization to put the property in the MLS, split the commission with the selling broker, and put a yard sign in front of the property.

The Transaction Broker (Buyer and Seller)
There are time when a real estate agent will represent both the buyer and seller in a transaction. This happens when a buyer who is not represented by a buyers agent calls on a sign, ad, or Internet listing. The listing agent will show their property listing to the buyer. If the buyer decides to write an offer for the home without employing their own agent they will ask the listing agent write the offer. Before writing the offer, the listing agent has the buyer sign the transaction broker notice and the seller sign the transition to transaction broker notice form which discloses that the agent will not work to represent one party to the detriment of the other party when acting as a transaction broker to both parties. This is perfectly legal but not always in the best interest of the buyer. When you make an offer to buy a house, you are entering a negotiation. The seller wants as high a price as possible and the buyer wants the lowest price possible. If a Realtor represents both sides, there is a conflict of interest, though an ethical Realtor can equally represent both sides. Most Realtors are very ethical and take their responsibilities seriously. However, If the listing Realtor knows how much you are willing to pay for a home or the loan amount you have been qualified for, and that information gets somehow passed on to the seller even though they are also representing you as the homebuyer, you are at a disadvantage. You won’t be in this position, wondering if your getting a good deal, if you hire your own agent to protect your interests.

Seller Beware
A seller interviews agents to get their opinion on what their home should sell for, what price to list the home at and to hear their marketing plan. Most agents will provide pricing opinions within a few thousand dollars of one another. However, there is usually at least one agent who says he can get the seller significantly more for the property than the other agents. This agent will lavish praise on you and your home, how special it is, how good the market is, and how he knows it will sell for more. What do you the seller do? You list your home with the "pie in the sky" agent who promises the world. Then the property sits there because it's overpriced. A few weeks or possible months later you wonder why there have been few showings and/or no offers on your home. At this point the "pie in the sky" agent tells you that your home is overpriced and maybe you should lower the price. In the meantime you’ve wasted precious time and you are now furious at the agent for misleading you. The lesson here is, do not choose a listing agent based on their unrealistic value of your home. This type of agent is either a blatant liar or has no idea of what is going on in the local market.

Understanding How Agents Get Paid
Many buyers don't understand how their agent is paid. Some think the buyer has to pay a fee for representation. Here's how it works: When a seller lists a property for sale, the listing agreement includes a commission clause that stipulates how much commission the seller will pay. It's usually a percentage of the final selling price, let's say six percent. Typically that 6% commission will be split between the buyers agent and the listing agent at the close. The listing broker lists the home in the MLS notifying all the other brokers that the commission split is 3% to the selling broker. However, in certain situations the buyer pays a commission. For example, the buyer may want to buy an unlisted home from a private party. The buyer can hire an agent to write the contract and pay him direct. But generally with most listed MLS properties the seller will pay the entire commission.