And other myths denied

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Selling your home on your own, without a Realtor, is becoming less and less popular. This is surprising, considering that home values have skyrocketed and commissions have risen along with them.

That’s not what we’re experiencing. IHS Realty had a record year last year. We will likely have one again. More people are learning they can do it on their own.

To sell your home on your own however, you are missing the most significant marketing tool available to you. The Realtor’s Multiple Lisitngs Service (MLS).

More misinformation. The genie in the bottle is you can sell your home yourself AND get listed in the MLS.

70% of all home buyers start out on the web. So it is crucial for you to be in the MLS. But, the challenge has always been that to be in the MLS you have to sign with a Realtor at 6% of your sales price.

The first sentence is true. 70% of home buyers start their search for a new home on the Web. So it makes sense to list your house there, right?

You do need a real estate broker to get listed on the MLS, but you don’t have to let that broker be your sales representative.

But let’s get realistic. Most buyers work with a Realtor. So you will be spending at least 2% to 3% for the buyers commission.

True. You may have to pay the buyer’s agents commission. Remember, though, commissions are negotiable. And 2%-3% is better than 6%. Agreed?

So how do you do this? Well depending on your State you can list your home for a flat fee as low as $500. But, you get listed in the MLS with zero service.

How about listing for as low as $399? And service? At IHS Realty, we treat you like family. You’ll get the best customer service in the business.

See Also

• Compare IHS Realty To Other Services
  You can save money with a flat fee MLS listing.

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Buyers need to dig for information

Buyers should snoop before bidding on house

Learn why sellers are selling, if they have deadline, what they paid, what inspections they’ve had done

These days, the home buyer is king.

That’s because in most markets, there is an oversupply of new and resale homes available. Just ask any real estate agent for the “number of days on market,” and you will discover home listings languish much longer than a year ago.

No truer words were ever spoken. Buyers need to gain leverage. You do that by learning about the seller - why is he selling? Does he have a deadline? How much the seller pay and when did he buy? If you don’t ask the questions then you’ll be negotiating in the dark.

Here’s a short list of information to dig for:

Why is the seller selling?

What did the seller pay?

What is the seller’s deadline to sell?

What inspections has the seller had performed?

One more thing - ask your agent to conduct a comparative market analysis.

See Also

• More Tips For Home Buyers
  6 ways to save on buying a home.

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Mortgages are easier to come by as well

Competition from other prospective home mortgage applicants/buyers is at its lowest; so your purchase offer will be even more welcome than usual.

Another reason to shop for a home during the Christmas season is because fewer people are competing for mortgages. That means your mortgage application is more likely to be acted upon quickly and will be seen in greater favor. You should shop for a mortgage before you shop for a house. That way, you can walk in with your pre-approval letter and the seller knows you’ll have no problem securing the funds for your housing purchase.

See Also

• Apply For A Mortgage Online
  Apply today for your mortgage pre-approval letter and you’ll know whether you qualify within two days.

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Flat fee services like IHS Realty are saving the day

Flat fee MLS services like IHS Realty are growing more and more popular with home sellers. With prices getting lower all around the country and buyers taking control of the market, home sellers have no recourse but to slash their costs. The best way to do that is to cut out the real estate agent commission. That’s why many home sellers are now listing their homes themselves on the MLS, where 75% of all home buyers go to make their purchases. With so many home buyers making the move to the multiplie listing service, it’s no wonder this alternative is attractive to home sellers.

See Also

• Get The Scoop on the MLS
  How you can save thousands of dollars selling your house.

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Photos, Searches and Mapping Important Tools to Online Buyers

91 percent of respondents to a recent survey conducted by Prudential Realty agreed that they most enjoyed using the Internet for their home search because "it saves time." Prospective buyers cited the ability to view photos as the most important reason in visiting a real estate website followed by property search and mapping the home location. As consumers are becoming more empowered agents are assuming more of a consulting role.

If you are selling your home you want to be sure your marketing efforts are appealing and reaching the buyers in a capacity they want. Making sure your home has a multiple photos and/or a virtual tour can differentiate your home from you neighbors. Flat fee MLS provides all the tools needed to market to the online home buyer.

See Also

• Flat Fee MLS

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Home Buying Rebates and Savings

Recent studies by the National Association of Realtors have revealed that 77% of home buyers begin their home search online. Furthermore, industry insiders have estimated that home buyers do 90% of the research and work to find their next home on their own. Taking that information into consideration, doesn’t it seem like a Buyer Agent is making a little too much in commission. I think so. The average home buyer is taking advantage of the resources offered by the internet assuming control over the transaction by viewing homes online, finding home valuations, conducting CMA’s of their home, and narrowing their search field before enlisting the services of an agent. The average time a consumer spends with an agent before writing a contract has decreased to under 14 days, and less than 40 work hours. This means an agent is making a 3% commission for your hard work. Consumers are making the job of a buyer agent significantly easier without demanding a change in the commission structure. At IHS we think you should see reward for the hard work you have put in, so, if you purchase with an IHS network agent you can receive up to $2,000.00 back at closing. We have also teamed with Charter One Mortgage to provide additional savings in closing costs. We feel if you are willing to put the work in, you should reep the reward, not the buyer agent.   

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