Seller Questions: 

Won’t an Agent work more quickly to get my home sold with a short term listing?

Why is the amount of time I give my Listing Agent to sell my home important?

An appropriate length of time for a listing depends upon market climate.  In a normal market climate, a six to nine months listing timeframe makes good sense.  If we are in an extreme market favoring Sellers, three to four months can be OK.  But if the market favors Buyers, a nine to twelve months listing is important. 

Regardless of market climate, there should be an understanding when the Listing Contract is written that if you determine that your Agent is not doing what was agreed upon, you will exercise your responsibility to contact the Office Broker and get a replacement Agent!  

The first three to four weeks of a listing are both labor and dollar-intensive for your Agent as the MLS write-up and photos are put in place,  magazine and newspaper ads are scheduled, internet photos and tour are put together,  mail-outs are ordered, and flyers are printed. There are many items that go into creating your market exposure, with varying costs and varying lengths of time to get into place.   Short cutting the listing time means short cutting the marketing exposure.  Beware of an Agent who will agree to a short listing time!!!

While it is certainly possible a waiting Buyer who is financially qualified may be brought to your property shortly after the listing goes active, please keep in mind that “average” days on market are made up of two time components!   Unfortunately, in a climate other than an extreme Seller’s market,  there is no way to guarantee that your Buyer will be found immediately.  Those listings with the longest time-frames will receive advertising advantages, as there is more of a guarantee that the dollars spent will be re-couped.

In a Buyer-friendly market, several months marketing time and dollars may be needed for your property.  But there is more that goes into your listing time-frame than marketing.  

Once a qualified Buyer has been found and an accepted purchase contract is in place, there will normally be an additional 30-45 days required by the Lender to process the transaction  If all goes well, you can hope to have a successful transaction CLOSED by the end of that time. 

But, what if the unforeseen happens?  The Buyer’s Lender says “no”?  The Buyer has a change of mind and backs out?  It occasionally happens.  If you have been smart and given a generous time allowance to your Listing, and the scheduled close does not take place, your Agent can have your property back on the market QUICKLY – the marketing is already in place, and down-time is minimized while working to bring in another qualified Buyer.  

For a successful sale in a reasonable time, price your home carefully, set a listing time that is in harmony with the market climate, and choose an experienced Realtor who will work for YOU to bring in a qualified Buyer for your property.   

For Results that Count……  List with Liz!