Why Your Realtor Is Your New BFF When You Are Downsizing
Once you’ve decided to move, one of the most important steps in your plan is choosing a realtor. And when downsizing, you will understand why your realtor will become your new BFF.
Realtors are instrumental in helping find your new home and helping you sell your old one, which is often your most valuable asset. Knowing where you’re going, what stuff you are taking, and what the timeline is, all depend on professionally-handled real estate transactions. Sound overwhelming? It is a bit. To paraphrase Bette Davis, “it’s going to a bumpy ride.” Engaging the right realtor for you can be a key to smoothing out the journey.You may know exactly where you’re moving, in which case, bully for you! You’re well on your way. Still, just starting the decision-making is progress! Many people have no idea where they are moving to, which creates a planning issue. How do you know what to take if you don’t know how much space you’re going to have or when you can get into the new space? Take a deep breath. I mean it, take a deep breath…it relieves stress, and that’s what we’re all working towards, right?This is just one more hurdle on the way towards your goal. To get ahead of the game, you can make some assumptions about the size of your desired new place as you shop for options. Will it be 30% smaller? 50%? How many bedrooms and baths? Will it have a basement or garage? Does it need to be all on one floor? This is all-important information to share with your realtor.A lot of people start looking online at potential homes first. You might use a site like Zillow to do this. However, according to some realtors, Zillow is very good at some things, not so good at others. Here’s what to look out for:
Zillow often lists homes that are no longer available
Zillow isn’t great at assessing the actual value of the home when it’s an unusual piece of property. However, if you live in a three-bedroom ranch with lots of similar homes nearby, it’s often very accurate. If you live in an 1890’s farmhouse on 200 acres, Zillow will make you crazy, meaning, you will not likely find a home to compare it with.
A key resource person will be your realtor. So, do you have a great realtor? This is the person who will help you negotiate to sell or buy what may be your largest asset. Do you really want to leave that to someone who does real estate as a hobby? Or, would you like to make sure you are on solid ground? There are a lot of part-time or inexperienced realtors out there. It doesn’t mean they won’t do a good job for you, just go in with open eyes. Know whom you’re working with and what their capabilities are. Be sure you read their listing agreement and are comfortable with the terms in it.Also, listen to their pricing advice. They want to sell your home for a fair price and have a vested interest in getting it right. We suggest talking to at least three agents from three separate companies to get a direction on where to go.
Questions to Help You Find a Great Realtor:
How many homes have they sold this year (calendar)?
What markets do they work in?
Have they prepared a comprehensive analysis for you?
Whom do you know who has used them?
Do they usually work for buyers or sellers?
What level of commission will they take on your home?
It can feel overwhelming, so break it down. Get a realtor you really trust, and they can help guide you through. Once you know where you’re going, you can start to decide what will be necessary to have in the new location. If you need help with your downsizing process, get in touch with us: https://bettybrigade.com/contact-us/.
Or give us a call Toll-free at 1-888-742-3889 or 734-994-1000 Until next time – Keep It Simple!
