I received an e-mail from a woman earlier this week through our website in which she asked for guidance as to whether she should use a realtor to help her sell her home. In this ever-changing economic climate, which has made the real estate market so very volatile, the role of a realtor is more vital than ever before. For sellers, a realtor is a valuable resource and partner in your efforts to sell your home. There are many benefits that a realtor can provide you as a seller:

• A realtor knows the market, and can give you an honest assessment of the true value of your home for the purposes of listing the property, as well as suggest various improvements that could ultimately increase its value;
• A realtor can help you lay out the furnishings throughout your home that makes it more appealing to potential buyers;
• A realtor will promote your home to other agents and individuals through the listing of it on the local multiple listing service, as well as advertising the property for sale and conducting open houses so that potential buyers may view the property.
• A realtor will be able to "weed out" weaker buyers who will not qualify for a mortgage or who might not be able to complete the transaction, which ultimately saves you time and money; and
• A realtor is a skilled negotiator who can assist you in the negotiation of the terms of the agreement which will govern the manner in which the transaction will proceed, and will maximize your return on the deal.

When you're ready to think about selling your home, it comes down to one simple question you need to ask yourself: with all of the other obligations you have in life, do you really have the time, energy, resources and contacts to sell your home yourself? If not, you will find that a competent realtor will be just the individual you need to assist you through one of the most important transactions in which you will ever find yourself. We work will a number of terrific realtors, so if you are interested in meeting with some to see who is best suited to help you, please feel free to contact me for some suggestions.