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Could you sell
your own home?
Selling
a home is complex. Whether you are capable of handling this
task on your own, or whether you would be better off using a
REALTOR® will largely depend on your answers to the following
questions.
- Are
you familiar enough with the changing real estate market to
accurately evaluate your home and market it at a price that
will be attractive both to you and prospective buyers?
- Do you
have sufficient knowledge of the many laws and regulations
that affect property ownership?
- Do you
have the skills to advertise and market your property effectively?
Do you know how much advertising costs and where to place
it for the best exposure?
- Are
you a good negotiator? Will you be unnerved or offended by
aggressive buyers looking for bargains?
- Do you
know that all British Columbia real estate property purchasers
must pay a government Property Transfer Tax? Do you know how
much?
- Do you
have the time to show your home to all prospects at any time
of day, evening or weekend? If you take a day or evening off,
will you miss the one big chance you have for a sale?
- When
the doorbell rings with a prospective buyer, will you be able
to determine if he/she is serious or is merely making frivolous
enquiries? Furthermore, would you be able to determine - and
protect yourself - if the buyer is really a thief or a con
artist?
- Can
you qualify a prospective buyer’s financial capability?
Do you have the knowledge and contacts necessary to help the
buyer arrange mortgages?
After
you’ve totalled all of your selling expenses, including
non-monetary costs such as time invested, invasion of privacy
and other possible disruptions and frustrations, ask yourself
if you have truly saved money by selling your home yourself?
Most people
feel they haven’t the time, objectivity or skill to undertake
the sale of their home, so it’s best to rely on a professional
— your REALTOR®. Only trained, licensed real estate practitioners
can call themselves REALTORS®. As members of the Real Estate
Board of Greater Vancouver, REALTORS® adhere to a strict code
of ethics and high a standard of business practice in representing
your needs.
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