Selling your Condo in Hoboken? Here Are 3 Reasons to Fire Your Listing Agent
Categories: About Realtors, For Buyers, For Sellers, Hoboken Condos
1. The MLS Listing of Your Property Has No Photos
There are, literally, hundreds and hundreds of condos for sale in Hoboken today. When an agent is working with a buyer, there is no way every unit can be shown. The agent will choose what to show the buyer based on what they think the buyer might like and, of course, what meets the buyer’s criteria. Most properties listed for sale on the MLS have at least 8 or 9 photos of the property. A photo of the facade of the property is supplied by the MLS automatically when the listing is entered. I am always stunned, however, when I see a listing with no other photos. What is the listing agent thinking? How can anyone expect to have shown and sell a property without photos? If your listing agent has not taken (or hired a pro to take) several excellent photos that highlight the best features of your property and put them up on the MLS, you need a new listing agent.
2. The Flyer Advertising Your Condo For Sale Placed in the Window of Your Agent’s Office is Incorrect
Every Hoboken real estate office displays flyers in the window advertising properties for sale. If you are selling your condo in Hoboken and have listed it with a realtor, you should have a flyer, too. Take a close look at yours. Are there typos? Grammatical errors? Is the listed price correct? What about the taxes and maintenance amounts? Is the description complete and enticing? Do the pictures make your unit shine? If your flyer is not perfect your listing agent is not doing his or her job. The same principle applies to any on-line or print ads regarding your property. In today’s market, everything that is used to market your condo had better be perfect. You need to stand out from the crowd. If your agent doesn’t strive for excellence, find one who does.
3. The Keys to Your Hoboken Condo are at a Real Estate Office Outside of Hoboken
Even though you are selling a Hoboken property, you may have listed it with an agent from an office outside of Hoboken. That, in and of itself , may be problematical but that’s another post. If your out-of-town listing agent thinks that local Hoboken agents are going to drive to Jersey City or Clifton to pick up keys to show your Hoboken property, he or she is dead wrong. If the property is in Hoboken the keys (note I say keys, plural) should be in Hoboken. The harder it is to show your Hoboken condo that is for sale, the less likely it is going to get shown or sold. Unless your agent keeps the keys at the Hoboken office or arranges for a lockbox, it’s time to find a new listing agent.
Hopefully, you will consider these things when deciding who you would have list your property and before you sign on the dotted line. Next post - how a buyer knows if they are working with a competent agent.
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The 3 Most Important Questions to Ask When Selecting a Hoboken Realtor.
Categories: About Realtors, Hoboken Real Estate News
So you’re ready to buy your first condo or trade up to a larger unit.
You know a realtor can help you shop for properties but how do you know which one to choose? First, you should have a good gut feeling about the person - we all know instinctively we like someone or we don’t. Beyond personal chemistry, however, you should ask every realtor you are thinking of working with the following 3 questions:
1. Do you live in Hoboken?
This seems obvious but many realtors do not live in the neighborhoods in which they work. There are realtors in Hoboken who drive in from the suburbs, park at the municipal lot, walk a block to their office and rarely venture much further around town. Do you think they really know what it’s like to live next to the light rail? Or how hard it might be to find a parking spot uptown on a Saturday night? Can they tell you which gym has the best aerobics classes or even which supermarket has the best produce? It’s the accumulation of all the little things that may make a difference in your ultimate happiness when deciding where to buy. A realtor who lives in Hoboken has more to offer than an outsider.
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How to Search for a New Home Without Losing Your Sanity
Categories: About Realtors, For Buyers
You’ve decided to buy a place.
Your financial life is in order. You know what price range works for you. You even have a pre-qual letter or, maybe, are actually preapproved for a mortgage. Now comes the fun part. It’s time to shop for properties! Buying a condo is a numbers game and the more properties you see, the more comfortable you will feel making an offer when you see the right one. Plus, you’ll have a much better basis on which to judge value. Take notes and (ask first) pictures. Start a little notebook to keep track of what you’ve seen. After a while, it will all turn into a big blur. Today there are lots of ways to search for a home. Here are some suggestions:
Search the Internet
The internet is where most buyers begin their home search today. Sites like realtor.com, zillow, trulia, googlebase, yahoo, FSBO.com and craigslist are the most popular. Every real estate agency and realtor in town has a website too. Keep in mind that few of these are updated in real time. So you may see the condo of your dreams on-line only to learn that it is already under contract.
Visit open houses
There are lots of them every weekend. Just check the Hoboken Reporter for listings. Ask lots of questions while you’re there. Talk to other people visiting the open house. They may have seen something that’s not right for them but perfect for you.
Find a really good realtor
I know, realtors have a bad rep. Many times, it is well deserved. I’ve had realtors take me around to places that were exactly what I said I didn’t want. Some of them waste your time, don’t listen, don’t know the market or the neighborhood and don’t understand the process. Others bombard you with irrelevant emails. You should not use these realtors.
There are, however some good realtors out there and it may pay to have one working for you. A good realtor can show you around, educate you on the market, and save you from wasting time. They should be willing to show you other agent’s listings. They have access to the MLS and can share new listings with you. An experienced realtor can help you assess value. They should “pull comps” on similar properties and other units in the building in which you are looking. They should help you negotiate your offer and may be very instrumental in working out problems that arise with the seller.
Talk to friends and neighbors
They may know someone who is about to put their place on the market. You may be able to get in early and grab it at a great price. Anyway, it can’t hurt to get the word out that you are looking.
Eventually, you will find the right place. Next - making an offer.
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