The Rocca Sisters Blog

In today’s market, it is not uncommon to go to an open house and find more than 20 people checking the place out. Your offer competes against multiple others. The house may significantly sell over the asking price, and even with no clauses.

When the public, and even many discount agents, hear of market conditions with bidding-war stories like in today’s market, you would think during such times, almost anybody can simply post a sign in the yard and attract offers. The reality is this is a high stakes market with a lot to lose.  Home inventory is low and the competition stiff which is why a very significant number of sellers value a listing agent. Selling a home requires a high-degree of knowledge, expertise and strategy with intimate experience of the respective neighborhoods. An agent with proven results, specialized services and keen negotiating skills will always bring added value to the table.

Even if you regularly attend every neighbourhood open house, you will still not possess the intimate details and information required to fully understand what impacts your own homes value. Experienced agents have knowledge, insight and perspective to properly position your home to sell at the highest possible price based on what the market is prepared to pay.

A full time leading listing agent sell homes day in and day out. Here are a few key offerings that set them apart from the rest.

Understand the relationship between price, market data and recent sales

This is no small task and only an experienced agent with proven activity will give you the most realistic picture of what your home is worth. There is an urban myth that agents drive up the housing the prices.  This is a myth since the real estate market is an ever-changing industry with too many variables impacting highs and lows.  The market will only pay what it is comfortable to pay and at that given moment.  One key role of the listing agent is to bring their experience and market data to the table for the sellers to understand the current selling range of their home in the current market.  

Pricing your house right will make all the difference between your house sitting on the market for months or selling for the best price as quickly as possible. Your listing agent will be able to provide you with an objective, and thoroughly researched price range.

“Combining expert knowledge of the housing market in your neighbourhood with a competitive market analysis will determine what buyers are willing to pay for a house like yours,” says Cathy Rocca.

A good agent will also be able to present you with a list of comparable homes in the market that you can use to price your home for a quick sale.

Says Cathy: “The market is shifting every day. It’s the agent’s job to keep abreast of those changes. Pricing a home too high at the start often means it takes longer to sell and ultimately sells for less.”

 “If you’re too high for the market, buyers will not even look at it because they know it’s not a realistic price,” says Cathy. “Not only this but the longer your property sits on the market, the more people assume something is wrong with it.”

A good listing agent will also understand what type of buyers would be interested in your home, and can develop a targeted marketing plan from this knowledge.

Top-notch marketing materials and proven selling systems

A good agent will market your home aggressively. This means implementing a proven and effective advertising campaign that utilizes the most effective strategies, comprised of a combination of direct mail, advertising, networking and online publishing, which entices more agent traffic and buyers to tour.

“We don’t just throw your listing up on MLS and wait for someone to buy it,” says Cathy Rocca. “We have developed an intense engagement strategy to build awareness and exposure…this is true value and our results show it.”

The real estate market today is very visual, and first impressions count. It is a listing agent’s task to make your home look and feel its best. This can include our innovated staging techniques that connect buyers’ visual appeal to their emotional senses. Statistics have shown, that a properly staged home will sell for as much as 10 per cent more than its non-staged counterpart and in some cases, ten times faster.

Counter offer and negotiation expertise

The negotiation stage of selling your home can be stressful and complicated, as both parties want the outcome to fall in their favour.

Should I sign back the offer? What is the impact of signing back?  Will I offend the buyer and they take the offer off the table?  Am I asking for too much?  An experienced listing agent will help navigate the many unknown variables during the process and even help keep much needed perspective in a very personal transaction.  Imagine not selling your home because of a washing machine or a towel rack.  Imagine losing an offer because you did not understand the legal exposure to a sign back?  Experienced negotiators, combining an understanding of the market and selling process, with having the ability to keep a deal alive and still achieve the sellers’ goals. 

“It is our objective to maintain strong negotiations and protect the sellers’ interest while selling their home for the highest price possible in the shortest period of time”, says Tanya Rocca.

“Once a buyer is found, we will negotiate counter-offers, track the paperwork, and generally hand-hold our clients through the most nerve-racking part of the process,” says Tanya. “We can take care of all the details to navigate you through a successful selling process.”

It’s important to understand that each and every home sale has three distinct phases, the listing phase, the selling phase and the negotiation phase. What you should be looking for in a listing agent is their ability to price your home properly, thoroughly and professionally manage your listing while for sale and expertly close a deal. Find an agent that can perform these duties competently and you will likely enjoy a successful sale.

The Rocca Sisters & Associates will sell your home quickly and efficiently and will maximize the value of your most important asset. And we have the track record to prove it!