Benefits of Working with a Boca Raton Realtor

Home buyers and sellers find limited success without Realtors

In Boca Raton, many home sellers find themselves to be internet savvy. So when the time comes to sell their home, many decide to use a Web-based real estate company that promises to charge less than a traditional real estate agent. But, for most clients, the process doesn’t work out as planned.

Many times, sellers who try to sell their home have to deal with extremely low bids because buyers think they can deduct the normal realtor’s commission from the asking price. The price ends up being under market value, yet the seller has all the headaches and work ahead of them.

After months of not being able to sell their home, or becoming tired of dealing with low bids, most home sellers change to a traditional Realtor who is able to market their home both online and offline. This in turn provides more exposure allowing the seller to sell their home in less time for a higher price.

With home selling slowing down, it is becoming more and more apparent how crucial the role of a Boca Raton Real Estate Agent is when selling a home. Many sellers have come to realize that they are better off with the services of an agent who can best market their home and who are most familiar with the specific activity of their Palm Beach County neighborhood when pricing their homes.

Buyers are also realizing that using a local expert to find the right home can save them money when it comes to negotiating down the road.

Real estate on the Internet

Selling or buying a home on your own can be very emotional and time consuming. The Internet allows people to educate themselves about what's on the market, preparing them for the realities of the future.

The National Association of Realtors estimates that 77% of home buyers used the Internet to search for a home in 2005. Ten years ago, only 2% of home buyers used non-traditional methods.

With the rising use of the Internet, consumers still turned to Realtors to help them with the process of buying a home. While only 9% bought their home directly from a seller, 12% worked with a builder and 77% of home buyers used an agent.

"Real Estate Professionals provide a value and service that will never go away. Says Steven Koolik, broker of Koolik Group Realty. If you are using a realtor that is not familiar with the neighborhood you are moving into, you may find yourself paying too much for your next home.”

Sellers and the Internet

One of the main advantages for sellers to use a Boca Raton Realtor is to help them market their home to the most buyers as possible. Sellers should consider an agent's complete marketing plan before giving them the responsibility of selling their home.

Sellers need to have maximum exposure in order to sell their home quickly. “Since being in business for over 15 years, I have found that our unique marketing plan allows us to sell more homes quickly.” Says Elliot Koolik of Koolik Group Realty. “With the proper use of a detailed marketing plan that utilizes multiple print and online venues, we had a home that recently went under contract in 2 days!”

Maximum exposure can be especially beneficial for higher-end homes that may have a more niche clientele. Taking pictures of a property is a key part of the homes marketing power.

“Some agents fail to take enough photos.” says Michelle Linger of Koolik Group Realty. “We find that it’s best to take 20 or more pictures to provide buyers an in depth view of the home they are interested in.”

Sellers who are thinking about selling a home without a Realtor from the Boca Raton area should keep in mind some of the turbulences that can be encountered to complete the deal at the right price -- even with the help that the Internet has to offer.

Online home valuation web sites can often mislead sellers on the correct pricing of their home. Most of the home values sites are based on public-records – but don’t provide for exceptions.

Pricing a home should not be based entirely on public-record information that can be found online because it won’t take into account a home that will be priced lower for being on a busy street, or a home that will be valued more for being on a lake.

Using a Realtor is a key component of selling a home during a slow market. Successful realtors have access to a list of buyers, and homes not being professionally marketed by an agent could take longer to sell.

Buyers and the Internet

The Internet has revolutionized helping buyers to become more efficient with their research. It's easier to narrow down the neighborhoods they're interested in, saving them valuable time. Web sites are offering more and more features daily, including statistics about the neighborhood, schools, development/subdivision information, surrounding areas of interests, etc.

The number of people who locate their dream home through the Internet and then execute a contract for sale completely through an online process is slim to none. Mainly, the Internet provides a starting place for buyers to begin their search.

Although many listings find their way to the Internet, Realtors are still ahead of the curve when it comes to all available homes on the market. Most of the time, Realtors know about properties that are going to be coming on the market well before they become listed for sale.

Actually negotiating a contract, also requires a certain finesse, that a licensed Realtor will be trained to handle. Using a local expert from the Boca Raton, Delray Beach or Highland Beach area, will help buyers make sure they don’t pay too much for a home. An expert Realtor familiar with the neighborhoods of Palm Beach County will know more about the price that homes are currently selling for – versus only knowing the price homes have sold for in the past. This can make a big difference when negotiating your final offer price on that home you’ve fallen in love with.

The Internet has become more of a research tool for prospective home buyers and sellers -- not a replacement for a real estate professional who can take you from the beginning to the end of the home buying process.

About Wendy and Elliot Koolik: Wendy and Elliot Koolik are a recognized leader in the Boca Raton luxury and country club real estate communities. While they are active in all of Palm Beach County, they focus on Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Highland Beach.

Wendy and Elliot Koolik are part of Koolik Group Realty, a family-owned and operated real estate company serving buyers and sellers since 1990. The real estate firm is known for its responsiveness to clients, knowledge of the neighborhoods they specialize in and, above all, for its boundless passion for the real estate business.

For more information, contact Wendy and Elliot Koolik by phone at 561.393.9997 x113, online at www.ElliotKoolik.com or by e-mail at EKoolik@Koolik.com.