Valuing your property

A real estate agent does not value your property. He or she may be very accurate in knowing the value of their home, but because they are not licensed appraisers, they can only state an opinion.

Why do real estate agents give me conflicting estimations for my property?
The old adage of ask three agents get three different prices often rings true. The price a particular agent gives is determined by two factors:

1. Knowledge and Experience of selling similar houses in your area. That aside, they may have previously over or under-priced houses, so their sales record is not necessarily related to whether they got the price "right".
2. Their sales objectives. Real estate agents are in business and their aim, like most other businesses, is to maximize their profits. An agent such as your Realpro professional is bound by the Realtor code of ethics to give you an accurate and impartial comparative analysis. Secondly to do otherwise not only violates the code of ethics but violates California state laws and thirdly would be in violation of Realpro's procedures of conduct.
   Some agents will tell you a price that far exceeds your expectations, so that you will be suitably impressed by their confidence to appoint them over their competitor. In some cases, homeowners report that several weeks later, after no inquiries, the agent suggests dropping your price. If you feel their estimate is too low, it might be that they want to make a quick sale so they receive their commission faster.
   A honest and professional salesperson will give a fairly accurate price; furthermore a reputable agent will not take your listing if they feel you have over-priced your property. Again, it is their reputation they need to be concerned about and are in the business to sell homes, not "list" them.

Your house is worth what someone is prepared to pay for
No matter what an real estate agent tells you, your property will ultimately sell for the amount someone is prepared to pay for it. That amount is affected by numerous factors, but most importantly the value that the buyers places on the property, especially the features which are important to them.
You can increase the price people are prepared to pay with very little effort.

You, not your estate agent, ultimately accepts or rejects an offer
Whether you sell through an agent or by using the Internet, you still make the final decision.
From the outset, it is important to set two figures in your mind:
- The lowest price you are willing to accept.
- The ideal price you would like to achieve.