Dear Esther – We are planning to move to a retirement home but before we do, we need to sell our home. Our contact at the retirement home highly recommended a program which lists real estate companies to sell our home. We’re disappointed that the realtor we had planned on working with is not on the list. Should we go with the program or go on our own when selling?
I understand your concern. You have planned for a time to move to a retirement village, waiting for them to call when a place opens up. In the meantime, you meet with an agent you’re comfortable with, who knows your home and the area, someone with a track record for selling in your community. Then, well into the process, you find out that their agenda does not allow you to use the agent you had planned.
I am familiar with the program you mentioned as it is something that pops up with folks planning to move to retirement homes. It is nationwide and promises to provide ‘senior relocation services experts to work directly with you to ensure the smoothest and quickest move to your new home.’ Consultants are offered to put you in touch with real estate agents, perform a home audit and suggest improvements, connect you with service providers and coordinate this with the retirement community, all at no cost to you.
The problem with this is that the program so vigorously pushed by the retirement community many times serves the community over you, their customer. They’re interested in your ability to purchase and move on which may not serve your interests in hiring the agent you are convinced knows your property and community.
A good real estate agent will do what the program claims to do – help you prepare your home to sell and then price and sell it for you. The best agent is the one who knows your home, your community and has experience selling in your area. I suggest you use the agent you know and trust, using the resources the agent has, which are many times better than what the national program offers because she has experience with your home, community and town.
If you have real estate questions, feel free to contact me – Esther Prosser, Stoltzfus Realtors, esther@stoltzfus.com, PO Box 20, Elverson, PA 19520 or 610.286.5117.
Disclaimer – Esther Prosser is a realtor with Stoltzfus Enterprises, LTD, which advertises with Journal Register Co. publications.
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