Why use a REALTOR®?
179 Ways Agents Who Are REALTORS® Are Worth Every Penny of Their Compensation
Here’s a look at all the things — big and small — that an agent who is a REALTOR® may do to help clients when buying and selling a home. You know you earn every penny you get when you sell a home. This list can help you show your customers exactly what you do to help them buy or sell their home.
Pre- listing Activities
- Make appointment with seller for
listing presentation - Send seller a written or e-mail
confirmation of listing appointment
and call to confirm - Review pre-appointment questions
- Research all comparable currently
listed properties - Research sales activity from Local
MLS Broker Marketplaces and public
records databases - Research Average Days on Market
for property of this type, price range,
and location - Download and review property tax
roll/assessor information - Prepare preliminary Comparable
Market Analysis (CMA) to establish
fair market value - Obtain copy of subdivision plat/
complex lay-out - Research property’s ownership
and deed type - Research property’s public
record information for lot size
and dimensions - Research and verify legal description
- Research property’s land use
coding and deed restrictions - Research property’s current use
and zoning - Verify legal names of owner(s) in
county’s public property records - Prepare listing presentation
package with above materials - Perform exterior Curb Appeal
Assessment of subject property - Compile a formal file on property
- Confirm current public schools
and explain impact of schools on
market value - Review listing appointment
checklist to ensure all steps and
actions are completed - Review Obsolete Property
Rehabilitation Act (OPRA)
Report from Township for all
permitted records - Add client into your database
Listing Appointment Presentation
- Give seller an overview of current
- market conditions and projections
- Tour property
- Review agent’s and company’s
credentials and accomplishments
in the market - Present company’s profile and
position or niche in the marketplace - Present preliminary CMA to seller,
including comparable properties,
sold properties, current listings, and
expired listings - Offer pricing strategy with updates
to CMA based on tour of home and
updates, upgrades professional
judgment, and current market
conditions - Discuss goals with seller to
market effectively - Explain market power and benefits
of Local MLS Broker Marketplaces - Explain market power of web
marketing, IDX and REALTOR.com - Explain the work you do behind
the scenes and your availability
on weekends - Explain role in screening for qualified
buyers and protect seller from
curiosity seekers - Present and discuss strategic master
marketing plan - Explain transaction/agency
brokerage relationship - Review and explain all clauses in
listing contract and addendum,
then obtain seller’s signature once
property is under listing agreement - Review current title information
- Gather square footage/measure
overall and heated square footage
as required - Measure interior room sizes
- Confirm lot size via owner’s copy
of certified survey, if available - Note all unrecorded property liens,
agreements, easements - Obtain house plans, if applicable
and available - Review house plans and make copy
- Prepare showing instructions for
buyers’ agents and showing times
with seller - Discuss possible buyer financing
alternatives and options with seller - Review current appraisal if available
- Identify Homeowner Association
manager if applicable - Verify Homeowner Association Fees
with manager—mandatory
or optional, plus fees - Order copy of Homeowner
Association bylaws, if applicable - Research electricity availability,
supplier’s name, and phone number - Have utility companies provide
- average utility usage from last 12
- months of bills
- Research and verify city sewer/septic
tank system - Calculate average water fees or
rates from last 12 months of bills - Confirm well status, depth and
output from Well Report - Natural Gas: Research/verify
availability, supplier’s name, and
phone number - Verify security system, current
terms of service and whether
owned or leased - Verify if seller has transferable
Termite Bond - Ascertain need for lead-based
paint disclosure - Prepare detailed list of property
amenities and assess market impact - Prepare detailed list of property’s
inclusions and conveyances with sale - Compile list of completed repairs
and maintenance items - Send vacancy checklist to seller if
property is vacant and register the
property with the township if it is
vacant or a rental home - Explain benefits of Homeowner
Warranty to seller - Assist sellers with completion and
submission of Homeowner Warranty
Application - Place Homeowner Warranty in
property file for conveyance at
time of sale - Have extra key made for lockbox
and one for your file - Verify if property has rental
units involved. - If the property does have rental units,
make copies of all leases for retention
in listing file - Verify all rents and deposits
- Inform tenants of listing and discuss
how showings will be handled - Arrange for installation of yard sign
- Complete new listing checklist
- Review curb appeal assessment
and provide suggestions to improve
saleability - Review interior décor assessment
and suggest changes to shorten
time on market - Load listing into transaction
management software program - Prepare Local MLS Broker
Marketplaces Profile Sheet - Enter property data from Profile
Sheet into Local MLS Broker
Marketplaces Database - Proofread Local MLS Broker
Marketplaces database listing
for accuracy— including proper
placement in map - Add property to company’s active
listings list - Provide seller copies of the listing
agreement and Local MLS Broker
Marketplaces Profile Sheet within
48 hours or within the time period
of Local MLS Broker Marketplace
guidelines - Take additional photos for upload
into Local MLS Broker Marketplaces
and use in fliers - Create print and internet ads with
seller’s input - Coordinate showings with owners,
tenants, and other agents. - Return all calls
- Install electronic lock box if
authorized. Program agreed-to
showing times - Prepare mailing and contact list
- Generate mail-merge letters to
contact list - Order Just Listed labels and reports
- Prepare fliers and feedback reports
- Review comparable Local MLS Broker
Marketplaces regularly to ensure
property remains competitive - Prepare property marketing
brochure for seller’s review - Arrange for printing or copying
of marketing brochures or fliers - Place marketing brochures in all
company agent mailboxes - Upload listing to company and
agent Internet site, if applicable - Mail out Just Listed notice to all
neighborhood residents - Advise network referral program
of listing - Provide marketing data to buyers
through international relocation
network buyers - Provide marketing data to buyers
coming from referral network - Provide Special Feature cards for
marketing, if applicable - Submit ads to company’s
participating internet real estate sites - Price changes conveyed promptly to
all internet groups - Reprint/supply brochures promptly
as needed - Feedback e-mails sent to buyers’
agents after showings - Review weekly market study
- Discuss with sellers any feedback
from showings to determine if
changes are needed - Set up marketing reports on
showing-time application and
company website - Place regular weekly update calls
to seller to discuss marketing and
pricing - Promptly enter price changes in
the Local MLS Broker Marketplaces
database
Offers
- Receive and review all Offer to
Purchase contracts submitted by
buyers’ agents. - Evaluate offer(s) and prepare a net
sheet for the owner for comparison
purposes - Explain merits and weakness of
each offer to sellers - Contact buyers’ agents to
review buyer’s qualifications
and discuss offer - Deliver Seller’s Disclosure to buyer
upon request and prior to offer if
possible. Upload to the Local MLS
Broker Marketplaces additional
documents at time of listing - Confirm buyer is pre-qualified by
calling loan officer - Obtain buyers’ pre-qualification letter from loan officer if not submitted with offer
- Negotiate all offers per seller’s
direction on seller’s behalf, set time
limit for loan approval and closing - Prepare and convey counteroffers,
acceptance or amendments to
buyer’s agent - Create excel spreadsheets for easy
review on multiple bids - Email or send copies of contract
and all addendum’s to the closing
attorney or title company - When Offer to Purchase contract is
accepted, deliver to buyer’s agent
Contracts
- Record and promptly deposit buyer’s
earnest money in escrow account - Disseminate under-contract showing
restrictions as seller requests - Deliver copies of fully signed
Offer to Purchase contract to seller - Deliver copies of Offer to Purchase
contract to lender - Provide copies of signed Offer to
Purchase contract for office file - Advise seller of additional offers
submitted between contract and
closing - Change status in Local MLS Broker
Marketplaces to Sale Pending - Update transaction management
program to show Sale Pending - Provide credit report information
to seller if property will be seller financed - Assist buyer with obtaining
financing, if applicable, and
follow-up as necessary - Coordinate with lender on discount
points being locked in with dates
Inspections
- Deliver unrecorded property information to buyer
- Order septic system inspection, if applicable
- Receive and review septic system report, and assess any possible impact on sale
- Deliver copy of septic system inspection report lender and buyer
- Deliver Well Flow Test Report copies to lender and buyer, and property listing file
- Verify termite inspection ordered
- Verify mold inspection ordered, if required
- Confirm verifications of deposit and buyer’s employment have been returned
140.Follow loan processing through to the underwriter - Add lender and other vendors to your management program so agents, buyer,
and seller can track progress of sale - Contact lender weekly to ensure processing is on track
- Relay final approval of buyer’s loan application to seller
Home Inspections
- Coordinate with seller for buyer’s
professional home inspection - Review home inspector’s report
- Enter completion into transaction
management tracking program - Explain seller’s responsibilities, and
recommend an attorney interpret
any clauses in the contract - Ensure seller’s compliance
with Home Inspection Clause
requirements - Assist seller with identifying
contractors to perform any
required repairs - Negotiate payment, and oversee all
required repairs on seller’s behalf,
if needed
The Appraisal
- Schedule appraisal
- Provide to appraiser any comparable
sales used in market pricing - Follow-up on appraisal
Process for Closing
- Enter completion into transaction
management program - Assist seller in questioning appraisal
report if it seems too low - Get contract signed by all parties
- Coordinate closing process with
buyer’s agent and lender - Update closing forms and files
- Ensure all parties have all forms and
information needed to close the sale - Select location where closing will
be held - Confirm closing date and time, and
notify all parties - Assist in solving any title problems
or in obtaining death certificates - Work with buyer’s agent in
scheduling buyer’s final walk-thru
prior to closing - Double check all tax, homeowners’
association dues, utility, and
applicable prorations - Request final closing figures from
closing agent (attorney or title
company) - Receive and carefully review closing
figures to ensure accuracy
of preparation - Confirm buyer and buyer’s agent
have received title insurance
commitment - Provide homeowners warranty
for availability at closing - Forward closing documents to
absentee seller as requested - Review documents with closing
agent (attorney) - Coordinate closing with seller’s next
purchase, and resolve any timing
problems - Have a no-surprises closing so seller
receives a net-proceeds check at
closing - Refer sellers to one of the best agents
at their destination, if applicable - Change Local MLS Broker
Marketplaces status to Sold. Enter
sale date, price, selling broker, etc.
Follow-Up After Closing
- Share the warranty paperwork for claims in the future
- Attempt to clarify and resolve any conflicts about repairs if buyer is not satisfied
- Respond to any calls and provide any information required from office files
- If a rental, verify all deposits and prorated rents are reflected accurately on the
closing statement - Close out listing in your management program