Rochester Hills, Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham and Troy real estate listings, home buying, selling and relocation information

Sellers Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why should we list our home for sale with you?

A: First of all, we don't just list properties, we agressively market them. You should hire us for the same reason that other sellers have used us over and over again. They know that they can depend on us to get them the most money, in the shortest amount of time, with the fewest hassles.

Our Hassle-Free Listing Home Marketing System offers benefits that the ordinary agent does not. Our program offers flexible commissions to put more money in your pocket, a client reward program when both buying and selling that actually rebates cash back to you, a cancel anytime policy, and the right to sell your home yourself and pay us nothing. Additionally, our average time to sell a home is over 2.5 times as fast as an ordinary agent.

Every year we help well over 100 people buy and sell. The average agent handles about six sales a year. When hiring anyone to perform a job for you, experience should weigh heavily in that decision. Who really wants to be the surgeon's first patient

Let's examine one of our program benefits; we allow you to cancel the listing at anytime. Most agents will not give the consumer this right. You might ask yourself why agents need to "lock you up" for four to six months. Why would they be afraid to give you the right to cancel? Our philosophy is that we would rather strive to earn your business every day. We are confident that we can provide a superior level of service and care. If we don't, we don't deserve your business. It is that simple.

Q: I heard that there are limited service agents who charge less. Why shouldnt I hire the cheapest agent?

A: Sellers dont need an agent just to sell their house. They need an agent to sell their house for more and faster! If your property would sell for the same price no matter who sells it it probably would be in your best interest to sell the home yourself. In that case, why pay any agent?

The fact of the matter is we can sell your home faster and for more. We have the track record we do because we are experts at pricing the property (using a specific supply-demand analysis prior to even looking for comps) and experts at creating the greatest amount of exposure of your property.

Even at contract presentation, we do not follow the pack. We do not permit other agents to pressure you into a rash decision. The contract will be presented to you by us alone. This specific action (especially when there are multiple offers) gets significantly more dollars for our sellers. It is very difficult for a seller not to transmit emotions and reactions to another agent. That can cost a seller money.

Sadly, there are many agents who need the deal (sometimes more than you do). The weakest negotiator in any transaction is the one who has to have the deal. We are in the fortunate position of having enough clients that any one deal wont make us or break us. Therefore the negotiations are really about getting you the most money for your home. Period. If the offer doesnt make sense, you can count on us to tell you so.

In addition to these points above, with our sliding scale commission (6% - 4% - 1% - 0%) and our Client Reward Program, our fees in many cases are even less than the limited service broker.

Q: Why do you sell so many homes?

A:Due to our extensive internet and print campaigns, more buyers and sellers are more familiar with us than with most other agents in Southeast Michigan. Additionally, experience, product knowledge, doing the little things right, effective marketing programs, and our skilled team all add up to positive results. Every field has people who, through their drive and passion, manage to excel.

Q: Why do you sell homes faster than other agents?

A:Price, condition, and marketing work together to get a home sold. We make it our business to know the market, so we can ensure we get the highest possible price for our sellers. Our homes typically sell faster than the average agent because of the effective marketing we do. We accomplish this by first doing a supply/demand analysis in the immediate area for any home we consider marketing. All agents have access to the same market information. It is the evaluation of what that information means to the marketing of a home that matters. X-rays mean nothing until they are evaluated by a competent doctor. Similarly, knowing what the market isdoing in any area affects both the marketing time and value. Factors like area, demand, condition, pricing, accessibility, and agent choice all affect a home's time on market.

Q: Tell me about your marketing plan.

A:The exposure your home gets while listed with us is second to none. No other agent in the Southeast Michigan can give your home the exposure we can.We advertise our listings on the internet (50+ sites), print ads, and direct mail. These prominent ads create a high volume of contact both from buyers and sellers. Additionally, our signs throughout the Southeast Michigan area connect us with buyers in all price ranges and areas. Our ads and signs also reference our website, resulting in additional contact. Here, buyers can view our "featured homes" in addition to shopping the broader market. Our website alone receives over 8,000 hits a week and most of these users are buyers.

Our presence on Realtor.com and other top sites insures maximum property exposure to buyers throughout the country. Even small details, such as multiple digital photos of homes, increase the attention we attract to our homes. Additionally, we do thousands of mailings to past and potential clients.

Another important link is our marketing to the agent community. Remember there are over 12,000 agents in Southeast Michigan that we want to think of us first when preparing to show properties to their buyers. Because of our affiliations in various real estate organizations and networks, we have developed exclusive networking opportunities with agents in the local, national, and global real estate market. Keller Williams Realty is an international company, which means agents in other states and countries are referring their buyers to us. We receive a large number of referrals on a yearly basis and each time we do, we find the listings we're currently marketing that match what the buyers are looking for because maybe it's a perfect fit. A company such as Real Estate One on the other hand, operates only in Michigan, so the networking opportunities are extremely limited, which means the marketing of your home is limited too.

As NUMBER1EXPERTS and Real Estate Experts for the Real Estate AdvocateŽ, we have an exclusive opportunities to work with other agents throughout the country and around the world. On a regular basis, we receive phone calls from agents who have clients moving into Michigan. These agents know that they can put their buyers in our hands and well take good care of them. Other agents dont have this opportunity and they dont get the referral calls.

Q: If we list with you, will my home be on the internet?

A: Absolutely! All of our yard signs along with our print and internet ads prominently feature our website address. No other local agent offers that benefit. . Your home will also be prominently featured on Realtor.com, the number one real estate website in the world, as well as Yahoo.com, Homes.com, Trulia.com, AOL.com, MSN.com, and 40+ other top web sites. To increase buyer interest in our properties weve secured featured homes positions. According to the National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, over 80% of home buyers use the internet when starting their home search process. We make sure your home is prominently featured and easy for buyers to find.

Q: Why should I use a team vs. a single agent?

A: Because times have changed. No one agent can be everywhere at the same time. Let's suppose an agent has a relocation buyer in town. For three or four days they have to be with just that one buyer, a dream scenario for the agent, but not so for you. They are unavailable to show your home, they are unavailable to get feedback on showings, they are unavailable to negotiate contracts or inspection reports, and so on. Also, most agents are either great at people skills or great at paperwork. Rarely will they excel at both. Unfortunately, today's real estate marketplace demands that the agent possess all of these skills.

Under a team scenario such as ours, we have specialists. We have three Buyer Agents who only show properties. We have a full-time Listings Manager whose main job is to keep you informed of activity and feedback on showings. Additionally, we have a full-time Office Administrator. Each is an expert at that specific job. Simply, we can and do provide a higher level of service to our clients than most agents can even conceive of providing. Imagine that you're a quarterback of a football team. Would you rather have 1 player on your team or the power of many that you have with our team?

Q: Are all Keller Williams agents in your office part of Holland Realty Group or the Hassle-Free Listing?

A: No! The Keller Williams Troy Market Center is the brokerage firm we work for. To receive the benefits of our experience and program, you need to contact the Holland Realty Group directly at 248-343-0449

Q: Shouldnt I pick an area specialist to sell my home?

A:.There are agents who focus primarily in one geographic area or neighborhood. But buyers come from all over the Southeast Michigan, from throughout the country, and also from out of the country, not just from that small neighborhood. So an area specialist usually really means "listing agent" in the area. Many years ago the real estate business was successfully composed of lots of small "boutique" offices - where companies did specialize in a certain area or part of town. But computers, the Internet, and cell phones have changed that aspect of the real estate business. Now the important points in selecting an agent are experience, track record, and marketing skills.

Q: Once I have reviewed your No Hassle Listing package, then what?

A: Contact our office by email (HollandTeam@HollandTeamHomes.com) or phone (248) 530-7254, and we will set up an appointment to have one of our listing specialists meet with you. We will tour the home, go over recent market activity in your area to educate you on values, and make recommendations for maximizing your profit and increasing your speed of sale.

Q: If we list with you, will we be on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)?

A: Again, absolutely! Any agent who does not place your home on MLS is doing you a huge disservice. In fact, your home will be featured on two MLS systems, not just onethe increased exposure makes a huge difference. With 12,000 agents in the Southeast Michigan, it is important to tap in to that agent base of buyers. Also, if you are not on the MLS you cannot appear on Realtor.com, the number one real estate site on the internet.

Q: Can I save more money if I buy and sell through you?

A: Absolutely! If you are selling more than one house or plan to both sell and buy (new or resale) ask for a copy of our Client Rewards Program. We will mail or email it to you immediately!

Q: Do I need an appraisal?

A: In most cases, it is not necessary to get an appraisal prior to sale. There are three different types of appraisals: FHA, VA, and conventional. Currently, the most common appraisal is the conventional appraisal. Once your home is under contract, the lender for the buyer will determine what appraiser they will allow to do the appraisal. A current appraisal can be unusable by the buyer's lender - even if it is the right "type" of appraisal - because the appraiser is not approved by the lender. Or if the seller orders a conventional appraisal, and the buyer is getting an FHA loan, here again the conventional appraisal is unusable. So ordering an appraisal prior to sale can end up being an unnecessary seller expense.

However, when a property is so unique that pricing can be difficult, an appraisal can guide sellers towards proper pricing. We say "guide" towards proper pricing, since we have seen many homes sell above as well below appraisal price. If you have a question on whether you should obtain an appraisal on your home, please feel free to contact us for counsel.

Q: How do you set the price for my home?

A: We will meet with you to review a complete market analysis of your home, evaluate supply and demand for the area, and examine property condition. At that point, we can guide you to the correct range of pricing.

Q: There are a couple of people who are interested in buying my home. If they buy it, do I have to pay you a commission?

A: Absolutely not. There is no commission due for any buyer you find, before or while you have your home listed with us, as long as that buyer is not an Agent or working with an Agent. With most agents, if you have your home listed with them and find your own buyer, you owe them the full commission. How would you feel if this happened? With us, unless you want our assistance, there is no commission due

Q: I'm out of town. Can you handle the transaction for me or will I need to come back to town?

A: We can take care of all the details from start to finish without you needing to come to town. We have handled sales with clients living as far away as Italy and Kuwait. We simply need a key and your email address to get started.

Q: My home needs some repairs. Do you know any service people that can help?

A: We have a number of service people whom we have used in the past and are happy to recommend to you.

Q: I don't have any money to fix up my home. Can you still sell it in its current condition?

A: Absolutely! Just like any home, we will simply evaluate the condition issues, supply/demand in the neighborhood, and pricing relative to those factors.

Q: I am currently listed with another agent and want to cancel. Can you get me out of my listing agreement with them?

A: Unfortunately, if you signed a listing agreement with another agent, you are bound by that agreement. You certainly can approach the broker or agent to address your unresolved issues. Our "cancel anytime" policy towards listings does not give us the authority to cancel other agents listings.

Q: What if my plans change and I don't need to sell my house?

A: You may cancel your listing at anytime. There is no charge and no hard feelings

Q: Will you make a flyer for my house?

A: Yes. We prepare a high quality, multiple photo, full color flyer of your home. Well place brochures in a flyer box outside your home and we always place another set of flyers inside the home to highlight the home's unique features and as a visual reminder for the buyer.

Q: Can I have my sign as well as yours on the property?

A: The only marketing right you give up when you list with us is your own for sale sign. Having another sign, besides our Keller Williams Realty sign, could potentially interfere with agent showings. In order to comply with Realtor rules, we can only have one sign on the property

Q: If I list with you, can I still run an ad in the paper or hold an Open House?

A: Yes. The ONLY marketing right you give up when you list with us is your personal yard sign. If you find a Buyer who is not an agent, and who isn't working with an agent, you have the option of calling and letting us know you've sold the property. We will then cancel the listing at no charge to you. Or, if you would like us to represent you in the sale, we will write the contract and handle all the various details to ensure a successful closing. You pay just 1%!