1.  “Don’t show my home unless I’m available.”

Real estate agents are busy. Therefore, if you want to maximize your home’s exposure, you’re gonna have to be flexible (i.e., as “hands off” as possible). I get it, though. You cringe at the thought of muddy shoes dragging across your beige carpet (or whatever else your concern may be). You naturally want to be present to keep an eye on things, but try to control that urge. Buyers get uncomfortable with sellers standing over them while they view a home — and that’s if you’re lucky enough to draw the buyer inside in the first place, considering all the hoops created by stipulating that other people’s schedules must align with yours.​

2. “But Zillow said…”

Stop listening to Zillow. Relying on Zillow to determine your home’s value is, at best, a crapshoot. Zillow itself even encourages buyers, sellers and homeowners to conduct other research such as “getting a comparative market analysis (CMA) from a real estate agent” and “getting an appraisal from a professional appraiser.” Sure, Zillow’s Zestimates® are quick, easy, and free… often it is not accurate The point? Just let a local real estate professional (who will actually see your home’s unique features in person) determine its fair market value.

3. “Oh, you sell real estate? You must make good money.”

Not really. According to NAR (National Association of REALTORS®), the median gross income of REALTORS® was $47,700 in 2013, and that’s before expenses like MLS fees, marketing, insurance and everything else. Also, keep in mind that commissions are split between the brokerages representing the buyer and seller. In other words, of that X% you paid your agent to sell your home, he or she saw only a tiny fraction of that.

4. “I’m planning to sell my home by owner. I just want to know how to do it.”

We all know that time is money, but so is knowledge. And especially Experience. It’s not always free, and it certainly can’t be passed from one brain to another through osmosis — especially not how to sell a home. So if you ask this question to an agent, don’t be offended if you don’t get the answer you were seeking. It’s not that agents want you to fail… it’s just that advising you how to sell a home isn’t easy. If you want to benefit from experience, be willing to pay for it (especially when it comes to real estate).

WHEN SELLING A HOME...KEEP THESE IN MIND