• A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) - Often advertised as a Free Market Evaluation, a CMA is provided by the majority of Realtors as a complimentary service. Understand that who you select to perform a CMA is critcally important. As sales people, Realtors may be swayed to provide you an artificially inflated CMA thinking that it will gain them your listing. Specifically mention that you are interested in documented information supporting the evaluation as well as examples of comparables below the evaluation price and above the evaluation price. When performing a CMA I personally bring the following information to the client:
  • Sales data from comparable previous sales.
  • A print out of currently listed properties that would be seen as competitive listings.
  • A live internet connection to explore listing data online with the client.
  • Advice on suggested list price, likely selling price, best case scenerio selling price and worst case scenerio selling price. All prices are given with a range, it is impossible to be completely accurate in a market evaluation

• Mortgage Pre-Approval - A key contact along the way is a solid mortgage provider. This can be in the form of a bank representative or a mortgage broker. A bank representative will provide you infomration on the products and offerings of the bank for which they work, while a mortgage broker will source suitable financing from a number of different sources and assist you in determining which provider is the best fit. A pre-approval is important to know your budget constraints and understand payments.

2) Select a Full Spectrum Marketing Effort - Selling a home requires a wide range of skills and activities. It has been proven time and time again that organized real estate is the fastest, simplest and most profitable method of selling a home. Within organized real estate you will have choices to make with respect to which organization and individual you will have service your needs. Below are key points of consideration:

• Market Presence - Choose a Realtor with substantial market presence.
• Technical Proficiency - So much of selling a home and marketing to the public is based on the internet now. Over 90% of people use the net as the main source of listing data. Having a focus on internet marketing is key.
• Sales Training - Many Realtors will lead you to believe that their role is 'marketing your home'. This is a simplification of the true role. Marketing is one slice of the overall role - a sales representative. Along side excellent marketing is the need for skill in negotiation, people skills and old fashioned hard work.
• Service Capacity - You should be looking for a wide array of service offerings - is there technical expertise, are there efficient administrative systems, are there people resources. It is rare that a single Realtor possesses the skills to cover all these bases effectively.
• Sufficient Resources - Not all Realtors are alike. There is no place more true for this than in their operating budget. A larger operating budget allows for a more diverse promotional campaign and extra hands to help out in the

3) Implement the Plan - After developing a full spectrum marketing effort, work with your Realtor to fully implement the planned strategy. Prior to going public with your listing, it is advisable to have all marketing materials complete and ready for the public. Personally, I focus heavily on being sure the marketing implementation is quick and efficient resulting in a fully active listing within days.

4) Maintain the Excitement in your Listing - Regular updates in photography, descriptions and