By DAVID HOUCK
Qualifying Broker
Atomic Realty LLC

Your life is busy – especially if you are preparing for a move. You may be able to handle everything but it will take your time.

Are you willing to take time from your move, your work, and your home life to do the following;

• 1) Hire or take high quality photos,
• 2) Hire someone to take quality 3D walk-through photos,
• 3) Learn to post on your chosen marketing venues,
• 4) Have signs and flyers produced and maintain your website marketing,
• 5) While you may know your home better than anyone, do you have the skills to write an enticing narrative that positively and accurately portrays your home?
• 6) Are you willing to publicly put your phone and email out on the web?
• 7) Are you willing to answer junk emails and get mass spam, robo calls and calls from those who may be up to “no good”?
• 8) Are you willing to answer calls, day and night? If you don’t, you may miss buyers.
• 9) Are you willing to show your house to brokers, representing buyers asking YOU to pay them commissions? It may seem like you are doing all the work and still paying a hefty commission.
• 10) Are you ready to schedule all your showings? Are you willing to come home from work, cancel that appointment, miss your child’s play day, to show your home?
• 11) Do you want to take the time to clean and prep your house to show to buyers who can’t afford your house?
• 12) Have you vetted the buyer’s financial ability?
• 13) Are you prepared to hold open houses walking strangers through your home?
• 14) Do you have safety procedures regarding others, who you may not know, being alone in your home with you or your family while you are showing it?
• 15) Are burglars, or worse, casing your home via your internet pictures, your showings, and your open houses? We suggest putting your valuables and family photos away prior to marketing.
• 16) While a simple “For Sale By Owner” (FSBO) purchase contract may be sufficient, do you know about or do you have time to learn what paperwork you will need to complete the transaction and protect yourself from liability?
• 17) Do you have the time and skills to manage the closing process? (Buyers, inspections, appraisers, lenders, title companies.)
• 18) Have you disclosed all material defects to your buyer? In New Mexico even FSBOs must disclose to limit seller liability.

Atomic Realty is biased, but we believe a good brokerage will manage all this and allow you the time to move forward and enjoy your life. I am the Qualifying Broker for Atomic Realty, with 40 years experience, a BS in math and physics and a doctorate in law. To reread this article and for more details on these issues and free selling and buying tips, visit AtomicRealty.net.