Well, it's been a week since I promised some statistics I learned while at Re/Max Team Leadership Summit; Needless to say I've been busy.. what needs to be shared is I have been busy helping buyers locate the home of their dreams, and traffic has picked up on most of my listings!

If you are considering selling your home there are many opportunities in the marketplace when it comes to choosing an agent to help you facilitate the sale of your home, here are some key questions you need to ask yourself before moving forward:

Do you really need to sell right now?

Are you willing to be realistic about pricing according to the market?

Have you educated yourself on the current market conditions?

Do you know an agent you would hire, or can you ask someone you know for a referral? If not you need to know the following information...

• There are currently over 1.6 million Realtors licensed nationally that belong to NAR (National Association of Realtors); almost 700,000 have yet to sell a home this year!
• 2/3 of all licensed Realtors have been in business 5 years or less

These stats should help any seller decide that no matter who they choose to hire, they need to be very diligent when deciding to sell their homes; get a referral & ask hard questions, how many houses have they SOLD since the market became normal? That's right I said normal...

How long have they been licensed? are they a FULL-TIME agent? do they operate like a business with high standards in place?

Ashtonishing statistics that I feel my business is in line with:

• Re/Max agents have the most repeat & referral business, mine is currently 78%
• We make up 7% of NAR, but account for 16-18% of the sales and collect 20% of the commissions, why does that matter to you? Ask yourself this would you really want to list your home for sale with the other 94% of the Realtors currently licensed who hold smaller pieces of the market share?
• 52% of all TV real estate ads are Re/Max
• Re/Max has the #1 home search site built by a real estate brokerage/corporation, traveled by consumers, bringing leads to the agents' sellers; Realtor.com is the highest traveled but was built originally to capture leads which are 'sold back' to the listing agents.

Whatever you choose to do be sure that you investigate, ask tough questions, seriously consider the implications of hiring an agent who has been licensed under 5 years (they are struggling to understand our current market) and if it sounds like I may 'fit the bill' please call me to schedule an appointment for us to discuss your goals... I'd LOVE to help!

Yours to Count On,
Erika Madsen
Real Estate Consultant
Re/Max Power Realty
"Your Advisory Team" Founder/Manager
480-695-6572

p.s. if you or anyone you know is considering a move in the current real estate market- you deserve an agent who has a strong knowledge to help you succeed! Visit http://www.PhoenixAreaMls.com/ to learn more about Your Advisory Team & Our Performance GUARANTEES!!