5 Things to Ask Your Realtor Before you List your Naples Home for Sale

1. Who do you envision as the likely buyer of my home?

-Your realtor should understand exactly what type of buyer will be most interested in your home and WHY. Their marketing strategy should reflect your target buyer audience.

2. How will you get my home in front of that buyer and ensure they'll pay top dollar?

 -The answer should go far beyond simply taking professional photography and putting the home in the MLS. If the answer doesn't involve a detailed strategy to make your home absolutely irresistible to potential buyers, move on. At Sotheby's International Realty we don't wait for a buyer to "search" for your home - we put your home in front of a targeted audience of qualified and likely buyers. 

3. How does my property compare to other available options? What are the ways my home is superior? What are the weak spots and how will you overcome them?

 - Your advisor should walk through the home with you and point out the pros, and the areas that could be improved so your home will sell for top dollar. This will also reveal how well the real estate agent understands the market and your competition.

4. What do you think is the best strategy for pricing my home and why?

 -This should be an analytical answer backed up by quantitive and qualitative data. When we price a home we look at recent sales, and your current competition on the market so we can strategically position your home for optimum sale.  If there are 20 similar homes on the market, how can we ensure a buyer will pick yours? This is part of our pricing strategy.

5. What does an ideal transaction and timeline look like for my home? What will you do if we don't achieve that? 

-Your Realtor should know, based on data, how long it typically takes for comparable homes in your area to sell. They should also understand seasonality of the Naples market. Make sure they have a plan to constantly analyze progress and quickly pivot if not. My sellers receive a weekly spreadsheet showing activity in the neighborhood and how we are positioned so that we can make changes quickly if needed. 

If you're looking to sell your Naples home I would love the opportunity to discuss these questions - and see if we are a good fit for each other.

PS - If you live in another city, state or country, I have a global community of Sotheby's real estate advisors who can help!  Allow me to introduce you.