Vancouver Wa Real Estate - Elite Realty NW

There is a dangerous trend happening in the real estate industry right now. Inexperienced real estate agents (or unscrupulous agents) are out preying on unsuspecting home owners as we speak. They will tell the owner anything just to get a contract to list your home. Rather than telling you the truth about the value of your home, they will give you an inflated value in an effort to secure your business. "Price Seduction" has been practiced since the first real estate agent was licensed but it is especially dangerous right now in our buyer's market.

A buyer's market causes both buyers and sellers to be hypersensitive to price.

Sellers are sensitive because they remember the recent past when their home was worth much more. They may also be sensitive because their move will be expensive and they could have already made plans based on what their price seducing agent told them.

Buyers are sensitive to pricing because the media has convinced them that owners are having to "give" their homes away in order to sell them. There are a lot of deals on the market so the buyers are very worried about overpaying for anything in this market.

Along comes Mr. "Snake in the Grass" real estate agent and tells a family that, with extensive marketing and a lot of hard work, he can get them $30,000 more than the market value (and $32,000 more than the honest agent told them.) Of course any seller wants to get the most he can. Right?

This can be devastating for sellers who absolutely need to move and this can (and usually does) net much less than if the home were priced right from the start. Why is that?

In a declining market, such as we are in now, home values slowly drop over a period of time. Homes that are priced right at the market value will slowly become overpriced as the market slips out from under them. Homes that start out way over the market value are doomed before they even get listed. The gap between the homes that are selling and the overpriced home grows larger by the day. The only solution will be a price reduction. But those owners usually don't reduce enough and they just start the slippery slope all over again. Generally, by the time they correctly price the home for a sale they are much lower than if they had priced it right at the beginning. AND they have paid a few extra months of mortgage and insurance payments!

Avoid Price Seduction by interviewing agents and selecting one based on his performance in the area. Make your agent demonstrate how they determined the recommended listing price for your home. Will it be the most expensive home in the neighborhood? If so, then you may want to find another agent because this one is probably trying the Old "Lie and Reduce" method of getting listings. They will lie to you to get the listing and then call you every week trying to convince you to reduce the price! A buyer's market is a real estate market that is comprised of price wars. As a seller , your primary objective should be to sell your home first! Second place will get less money, third will get less than that, fourth... Hire the honest real estate agent and get it sold quickly and for more money.

When you choose us to handle your Vancouver Washington real estate needs, you choose a team of realtors® who care about you and your family. Buying or selling a home is always more enjoyable when you work with professionals who will listen to your needs and who will work together with you to achieve your objective. We are very familiar with all types a real estate in Clark Countyand we specialize in Vancouver, Ridgefield and Battle Ground. We are also very experienced with new home and custom home construction having assisted several local builders in selling new neighborhoods in the Vancouver Washington area.  Additionally, we have helped numerous families build their own dream homes. We are dedicated to helping you make intelligent, informed decisions and to providing you with exceptional service. Go to www.ernw.org for more information.