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Are you wondering whether you chose the right Realtor®? People choose the wrong Realtor® for all kinds of reasons. I hear this one a lot: a good house just sells itself, right? Wrong. Even in the proverbial “seller’s market,” your real estate team should be working hard to provide you with the best marketing strategy and services available, so your house not only sells but sells fast and for top dollar.

Here are five must-have services you should expect from your Realtor® when you sell your home. Remember, not all real estate services are created equal, so take a close look at the quality of each service and compare. Don’t settle for second best.

#1 Complimentary staging

Potential buyers aren’t just looking for bricks and mortar, they’re looking for a place that reflects their dreams and meets their goals. Professional stagers are trained to showcase your home’s best assets, and a well-presented home will result in a faster home sale, for a higher dollar.

Questions to ask if they say they offer home staging:

• Who is doing the staging? (It should be a designated professional and not the Realtor® or some other member of the team.)
• What are their credentials?
• How long have they been in the business?
• How many homes have they staged? (Take a look online to see samples of their work.)
• Is the staging offering a comprehensive, three-step process or is someone just going to walk in and fluff pillows?
• Is the staging complimentary or are there any other fees associated with it?

#2 Professional photography

With over 90% of buyers searching for homes online, true, professional photography is a must to sell your home. Without quality photos, buyers are not excited to make the crucial next step: visiting your home. Some may even pass on your listing altogether, an outcome that can easily be avoided if proper photos are taken.

Questions to ask if they say they offer professional photography:

• Who does your photography? (Be sure to go online and take a close look at their work and compare to others.) 
• What is their experience in real estate photography? (Be sure there are professional photographers doing this job, not the Realtor®.)
• Do you offer aerial (regulations apply) or elevated photography?
• Do you offer twilight photography for homes over a certain price point?

#3 Professional video

Along with photos, home video tours are a crucial piece attracting quality buyers to your home. If a buyer can participate in a complete virtual tour in advance, the seller stands to gain back hours of time that would otherwise be spent hosting those who haven’t yet discerned their interest in your home. With a quality home video tour, every in-person appointment you book is really like a second showing.

Questions to ask if they say they offer professional videography:

• Who does your videography? (Be sure to go online and take a close look at their work and compare to others.) 
• What is their experience in real estate videography?
• Do you offer aerial videography? (Regulations apply for aerial videography.)
• Do you offer a virtual 360 videohome tour for homes over a certain price point? 

#4 Local, GTA and international exposure

The market of buyers looking to purchase homes from Toronto, the GTA and even internationally is growing. In addition to MLS Realtor.ca, there are a number of avenues your real estate team should take to give your home maximum exposure. Make sure your Realtor® has a strategy for marketing your home across a variety of platforms so no potential buyer is missed.

Questions to ask about exposure:

• What social media channels are you on and what kind of stats can you provide to show engagement? 
• How many views does your website get every month?
• Do you show the prices and information on your website or do potential buyers have to go through your team to get information? (It’s not to your advantage if the team makes potential buyers jump through hoops just to find out the price of your home.)
• What boards will you post my home’s listing on? (Make sure they post on all local boards, TREB, and international boards as well.)

#5 Professionally designed feature book of your home

Buyers view 5-10 homes on any given day of house hunting, so it’s understandable that they’re poised to forget what each home had to offer. Having a high-quality take-away keeps your home and features they loved about it top of mind.

Questions to ask about what they give potential buyers who come to view your home:

• Can I see a sample of what potential buyers get to take home with them after viewing my home? 
• Is it a one-page document or a professionally designed piece?
• What is the quality of the design, print, photography, and writing on the inside?
• Does it provide enough information about the home?
• Is it compelling and memorable?
• Does it WOW you? (Be sure to compare to what others are offering. Faris Team clients offer potential buyers a stunning, hardcover feature book about each individual home that is informative and looks like a work of art.)

Your home will have a massive advantage over other homes on the market if your Realtor® is delivering these five must-have services at the highest level possible, and you will not have Realtor® remorse.

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