Help From Your Listing Agent

From A-Z, there are literally dozens of things that need to be considered, handled and resolved in the course of selling your condo. Certainly that's why you've engaged a professional real estate agent as your partner.

From placing your condo on the market to signing the final closing papers, here's how your listing agent can help:

• Price and Prepare Your Condo for sale
• Market to Other Agents
• Market to Potential Buyers
• Negotiate, Handle Paperwork and Close the Deal

Prepare Your Condo

A good agent will help you prepare your condo for sale. From offering advice on how to spiff-up your living space to helping you decide on your asking price, here are a few things you can expect from a MyCondoNetwork agent.

• Comparative Market Analysis (CMA). Your MyCondoNetwork listing agent can generate a report that compares your condo to the other condo's currently being sold in your area. It may also show other condo's that have sold recently, or expired from the market before selling. This data will help you and your agent decide together on the most realistic asking (or list) price for your condo.
• Interior and exterior improvements. Your condo should "smile a welcome" to prospective buyers. The exterior's curb appeal will get them in the door; the interior will seal the deal. Your agent will tour your condo with you, offering objective advice about which improvements that should or could be made.

Market to Other Agents

A good agent also knows the value of spreading the word about your condo to other agents. A MyCondoNetwork agent will widen your audience of potential buyers using these techniques.

• Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The MLS lets real estate agents showcase and sell each other's listed properties as "cooperating brokers." It's an electronic database promoting large and small brokers' listings. The more agents who know your condo is for sale, the faster it's likely to sell.
• Brokers' Open Houses. Your agent will host this tour (usually held on a weekday morning specific to an area) and invite local agents to see your condo; agents who will preview it for their buyers.
• Lockbox. Your agent will provide an electronic key or numeric combination to open a door-hanger, which holds your house key. Agents will be able to show prospective buyers your condo, even when you're not there. If you're away from condo a lot, or if you're condo is off the beaten path, this is a great convenience.

Market to Potential Buyers

For every condo, there's a buyer. Let your MyCondoNetwork agent connect you to "the one" with these tactics.

• www.mls.ca Listing. The Internet is a popular choice for condo "shoppers." Nationally, more than ever before more people in the market for a new condo use it. It's especially valuable for people relocating to your area. Your MyCondoNetwork agent will provide you with real-time listings, open houses and plenty of photos that showcase your condo to Web surfers.
• Community Newspaper Ads. This most basic marketing tool is still important in many areas. Your agent will advertise your condo in the real estate pages of your local newspaper (and tell you how often), with a brief description, asking price and contact information.
• Showings. Your MyCondoNetwork sales associate will set up showings to accommodate the schedules of qualified buyers and their agents – without inconveniencing you and your family.
• Open Houses. Your potential buyer may still be around the corner, but open houses can bring them to your door. Ask your MyCondoNetwork agent if s/he will hold them and if you should be away from the condo when they occur. Consider a weekday open house – they're not just for Sundays anymore!
• Direct Mail. Promotional postcards and other written materials about your condo can be sent to targeted market areas and the potential condo buyers who live there.

Close the Deal

It may seem ceremonial, but closing the deal is often the hardest part of a real estate transaction. Your MyCondoNetwork agent will start working for you even before the final sale.

• Qualification/Pre-Screening. Prospective buyers visiting your condo should be financially able to purchase it. Your listing agent can work with the buyer's agent to assure that the people who see your condo can afford what you're asking, and that they have been pre-approved by a qualified lender.
• Inspections. City code, general condo, and pest (if necessary) inspections. Your MyCondoNetwork listing agent can represent you (and your interests) during these appointments so you don't lose time from work or school.
• Contract Acceptance. Buying a condo is one of the biggest decisions of your life. Rely on the guidance and objectivity of a trusted professional. Your MyCondoNetwork listing agent can make sure that details are remembered and your interests protected.
• Legal and Other Documents. A real estate transaction can involve listing and purchase agreements, multiple disclosure statements, waivers, schedules, amendments and conditions. Do you work with real estate-related legal documents every day? Your MyCondoNetwork listing agent does. Rely on his/her familiarity with the language, timelines and requirements that lie within these legal documents.
• Dispute Resolution. Even the smoothest, simplest real estate transaction involves two parties, with needs and objectives that may differ. The right real estate agent can provide skilled negotiation and mediation and conflict resolution. Let your agent deal with the sticking points that can sometimes offend a seller.
• Facilitate Closing. The old adage, "the devil is in the details," is no less true at closing. Once you've accepted an offer on your condo, your MyCondoNetwork agent will work quietly and efficiently to keep things moving smoothly and according to plan. Broker, lender or lawyers. Everyone needs paperwork, signatures, verifications and certifications. From listing too closing and final title transfer, it's another area where the right agent can make the difference.
• Conditions. Conditions in your Agreement of Purchase and Sale are terms that must be met before an agreement is firm and binding. The written conditions, therefore, must also be removed in writing, through the use of either a Waiver or an Amendment by a specified date before the contract can be fully in effect. Whether it's financing, inspection or any other item your agreement is subject to, MyCondoNetwork listing agent can assist you in understanding and fulfilling these contractual conditions.