Basics of Property Management: Screening Potential Tenants
Thinking About Listing Your Home? 3 Reasons To Call A Real Estate Agent Today
Jesse Obrien
Put down your phone and close your laptop. Although many new programs promise to make it easier to list a home for sale on your own, selling real estate can be incredibly complicated. Here are three reasons you should call a real estate agent today instead of using alternative means.
1. Choose Home Improvement Projects Carefully
While you can look up which home projects typically carry the highest return for your investment, it isn't easy to determine which project would make the biggest difference for your individual property. However, real estate agents can walk through your home and chat with you about different improvements that might be smart for you to make, and how they could improve your listing.
Oftentimes, people call a real estate agent for a pre-listing walk-through months before thinking about putting their home on the open market, because they will have time to complete larger renovations such as remodeled kitchens, new home exteriors, and updated landscaping.
2. Learn More About the Market
Unless you read about real estate developments in your free time, you may not be aware of big changes to your area until projects are already underway. On the other hand, real estate agents pay attention to things like zoning changes, announcements from businesses and restaurants, and city council notes to predict what the market will do and how it could impact buyers and sellers in the area.
By contacting a real estate service as soon as possible, you can learn when the best time to list your home would be, since you may learn about factors that could raise your home's value.
3. Manage Your Expectations
You might think you have a good idea about what your home is worth or how fast it might sell, but if you aren't careful, you could be getting the wrong idea. Markets can be tricky, which is why working with the right professional is so important. Sitting down with a real estate agent can help you to understand the average of how fast homes in your area are selling, what you need to do in order to prepare for the sale of your space, and how to manage various aspects of your listing.
Focusing on your real estate journey with the help of a professional is important, so don't be shy about reaching out to someone today. Bring ideas about your goals, your current real estate investments, and what you hope to accomplish by moving or selling with you to the meeting.
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For the last several years, I've used a property management firm to help with my rental properties. One of the tasks that they handle for me is screening applicants who would like to move into one of my vacant units. Their expertise has helped me lower my tenant turnover and find people who want to stay with me for years. Part of the process is a tenant screening credit check. Before any further contact takes place, my manager orders credit reports from at least two agencies. That is enough to tell us if an applicant is a good financial risk. Assuming the references work out, I meet the candidate and make the final decision. If you own rental properties, let me tell you more about the benefits of having a property manager. I'm betting you'll find this type of arrangement will work for you too.