Recently, a man came to our office to make sure we were aware of his listing with another agency. He hadn’t been getting many showings and was hoping we would keep his home in mind for future clients. We proceeded to search for his listing on-line so he could show me how beautiful a place it was. We searched vallartanayaritmls.com (the main online system used by Realtors here) and could not find it. Then we searched MLSVallarta.com (the oldest listing system in town) and we found it. However, there was only one picture – of the pool – and not much of a description. The man was disappointed, as I could not see how great a place it was – and at $600,000 USD I was sure that it was.
This man’s visit got me thinking about what people should expect from their agent when listing a property with them. First and foremost, your property needs to be prominently advertised on the internet. Most people looking for a property in today’s world start their search on the internet. If the agent is an AMPI member (Association of Realtors in Mexico), then it needs to be on vallartanayaritmls.com (also referred to as flexmls) to make sure that other agencies and clients can find it. I suggest that your listing needs to be on many other websites as well. In total, our listings appear on 15+ websites to ensure the best possible exposure. Your agent should also place your home on social media, even further increasing your exposure.
Your listing needs to have great pictures, as this is what draws the person to your property. With many listings on the market these days you need yours to stand out.
When a home needs some general maintenance, de-cluttering and maybe a rearrangement of furniture, your agent should be willing to gently discuss this with you.
When pricing your home, your agent should provide you with comparables for your home. Comparables are the prices that other similar homes have sold for – in other words, a good estimate of what a buyer is willing to pay for your home. Not basing your selling price on comparables results in longer time on market.
With this done, your place should be ready to list. In turn though, your agent will need assistance from you to sell your property.
Have your property looking tip top for showings. Make sure it is clean and de-cluttered.
Leave your home during showings (and take pets too please). People looking for a place feel intimidated when you are there and they cannot look at your home as closely as they may like.
After showings take place, you should expect your agent to follow up with the prospective buyers or the showing agent to get feedback and provide this to you. This helps you to make adjustments as necessary to improve future showings.
Remember that in Puerto Vallarta many of our buyers are here on a short vacation. If they ask to see your place, on what may seem to be short notice, please try to oblige. Quite often they only have a day or two to look at properties and if you aren’t able to show, then you lose a potential opportunity.
Provide feedback and ask questions of your agent. Ensure that you are watching to see that your property is being advertised and shown to its potential. We are working together to sell your property so we need to act as a team.
Now relax, enjoy Puerto Vallarta and let your agent work their magic and sell your place!
Warren Brander is an expert real estate agent with Warren Brander Realty Group in Puerto Vallarta. If you are thinking about buying or selling an investment property in Puerto Vallarta or the Banderas Bay area, contact him at (c) +52.1.322.200.2253, toll free +1 855 276 2901 or email: warren@wbrealtygrouppv.com.
You can also check out our website for a great selection of Puerto Vallarta Condos and Homes for sale at https://www.warrenbrander.com
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