Frequently Asked Questions | Peoria Homes For Sale

Q: Why should we list our home for sale with you?

A: You should hire us for the same reason many others have… they know that they can depend on us to get them the most money, in the shortest amount of time, with the fewest hassles. Our Hassle Free Listing Program offers benefits that the ordinary agent does not. Our program offers a cancel anytime policy, no up-front fees, and the right to sell your home yourself and pay us nothing. Additionally, our average time to sell a home is so much faster than the ordinary agent. Let’s examine one of our program benefits: we allow you to cancel the listing at any time. Most agents will not give the consumer this right. You might ask yourself why agents need to “lock you up” for six to nine months. Why would they be afraid to give you the right to cancel? Our philosophy is that we would rather strive to earn your business every day. We are confident that we can provide a superior level of service and care. If we don’t, we don’t deserve your business. It is that simple.

Q: I heard that there are limited service agents who charge less. Why shouldn’t I hire the cheapest agent?

A:Sellers don’t need an agent just to sell their house. They need an agent to sell their house for more money! If your property would sell for the same price no matter who sells it, it probably would be in your best interest to sell the home yourself. In that case, why pay any agent? The fact of the matter is, we can sell your home for more money. We have the track record we do because we are experts at pricing property (using a specific supply / demand analysis prior to even looking for “comps”) and experts at creating the greatest amount of exposure and interest in your property.

Even at contract presentation, we do not follow the pack. We do not permit other agents to pressure you into a rash decision. The contract will be presented to you by a member of our team. This specific action (especially when there are multiple offers) gets significantly more dollars for our sellers. It is very difficult for a seller not to transmit emotions and reactions to another agent. That can cost a seller money. Sadly, there are many agents who need the deal (sometimes more than you do). The weakest negotiator in any transaction is the one who has to have the deal. We are in the fortunate position of having enough clients that any one deal won’t make us or break us. Therefore the negotiations are really about getting you the most money for your home. Period! If the offer doesn’t make sense, you can count on us to tell you so.

Q: Why do your homes sell so fast? Do you price them too low?

A: Absolutely not. We make it our business to know the market, so we can ensure we get the highest possible price for our sellers. Our homes typically sell three times faster than the average agent because of the effective marketing we do. We accomplish this by first doing a supply/demand analysis in the immediate area for any home we consider marketing. All agents have access to the same market information. It is the evaluation of what that information means to the marketing of a home that matters. X-rays mean nothing until they are evaluated by a competent doctor. Similarly, knowing what the market is doing in any area affects both the marketing time and value. Factors like area, demand, condition, pricing, accessibility, and agent choice all affect a home’s time on market.

Q: How are you going to market my home?

A:The exposure your home gets while listed with us is second to none. Our signs throughout the area connect us with buyers in all price ranges and areas. Our advertising and signs reference our website, resulting in additional contact. Here, buyers can view our listings in addition to shopping the broader market. Our powerful Internet presence ensures maximum property exposure to buyers throughout the country. Additionally, we do mailings to all past and potential clients. Another important link is our marketing to the agent community. Remember there are over 350 real estate agents that we want make sure show our properties first to all of their buyers.

Q: If we list with you, will my home be on the Internet?

A: Absolutely! According to the NationalAssociation of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, over 90% of homebuyers use the Internet when searching for a home. Here are just some of the sites your home will be on… Realtor.com, Zillow.com, Google.com, Homescape.com, Yahoo.com, Trulia.com, KW.com, Craigslist.com, PeoriaRealEstateFinder.com, AdamMerrick.com and many more!

Q: If we list with you, will we be on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)?

A:Again, absolutely! Any agent who does not place your home on MLS is doing you a huge disservice. With over 350 agents in our Realtor association, it is important to tap in to that agent base of buyers. Also, if you are not on MLS you cannot appear on Realtor.com, the number one real estate website onthe Internet.

Q: Shouldn’t I pick an “area specialist” to sell my home?

A:There are agents who focus primarily on one geographic area or neighborhood. But buyers come from all over the area and country, not just from that small neighborhood. So an area specialist usually really means “listing agent” in that area. Many years ago the real estate business was successfully composed of many small “boutique” offices – where companies did specialize in a certain area or part of town. But computers, the Internet, and cell phones have changed that aspect of the real estate business. Now the important points in selecting an agent are experience, track record, and marketing skills.

Q: So what is a Realtor “team” or “group” anyway?

A:This is a very common question we get, and to better explain what a team is, let me give you a very brief history of the real estate industry… In the mid 1970’s, the real estate industry went through a major shift. Prior to that time, agents essentially worked “for” the brokerage, much like a traditional sales based company, like stockbrokers. The brokerages paid the vast majority of an agent’s expenses, and almost all advertising and promotion was to promote the brokerage, not the agent. In the mid 70’s the industry transformed into being agent-based as opposed to company-based. The costs for doing business were transferred from the company to the agents, and agents began to market and brand themselves as opposed to the company they were affiliated with. This shift caused many agents to become tremendously successful and have far more business than they could actually handle themselves, which is why the “team” concept was created. By assembling a team of Realtors working together under the same umbrella and with the same clients, an agent can provide a higher level of service and grow their business far beyond what they could just do by themselves. The Adam Merrick Team at Keller Williams Premier Realty is a Realtor “team” led by Adam Merrick, and we operate under Keller Williams. The Adam Merrick Team is basically “a brokerage within a brokerage”.

Q: Is There a Benefit to Hiring a Realtor Team as Opposed to an Independent Agent?

A: Absolutely! There are two HUGE reasons why hiring a team is the way to go…

 1. You are always working with a specialist

– There are many, many things that go into a real estate transaction for a buyer or a seller, and different people are better suited for different tasks. For example, an agent may be outstanding at helping you search for, select, and negotiate a home to buy, but they may not be very good at the important detailed follow-up that it takes to get a home from contract all the way to closing. We have absolutely fantastic people on our team, each with different skills and abilities, and we match each job duty to the person that is best fit to handle that position.

2. Someone is always available to help you –

Our administrative team members are in the office Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00, and we keep all of our files in the office. Your questions can be answered immediately, instead of having to wait for your average independent agent to call you back, and then wait for him/her to get back to his office. After hours and on weekends, you can always call your Adam Merrick Team member to get any information that you need.

Q: Once I have reviewed your Hassle Free Listing package, then what?

A: Contact our office by email or phone, and we will set up an appointment to have one of our listing specialists meet with you. We will tour the home, go over recent market activity in your area to educate you on values, and make recommendations for maximizing your profit and increasing your speed of sale.

Q: How long does it take to get my home on the market?

A:Once we have a signed listing agreement and a spare key, we can have your home on the market within 48 hours. However, it usually takes a day or two to make sure we have everything prepared to effectively “launch” your home to the market.