Friday, December 20, 2013

Where Do Palo Alto Buyers Come From Part 2

Selling a home in Palo Alto
Yesterday I spoke about the internet being the major source of buyers when selling a house in Palo Alto. Today I want to discuss real estate agents.

Palo Alto real estate agents are the second largest source of providing a buyer for the home you are selling in Palo Alto. When I first became a Palo Alto real estate agent 19 years ago agents were the number one source. While Palo Alto agents are no longer the keeper of all information, they are still an important resource when you sell your Palo Alto home.

Buyers look to their agents for advice and to keep up with what is going on in the market. Palo Alto buyers with specific requirements will often ask their agent to preview a home first and let them know if it meets their needs.


The Palo Alto real estate agent you choose to help you sell your home in Palo Alto should have a marketing plan for agents as well as for buyers. This can include a variety of methods:

1. MLS listings with private remarks for agents. These remarks should highlight some features that may not be allowed on the public remark section like showing instructions, where the lock box is located, if there is a trick to opening the door. This seems minor but if an agent can not get in your home will not be shown.

2. Broker open house tour with a giveaway or food: You want as many agents as possible to see your home for sale, even if they do not think they have a client for it. If you entice an Palo Alto real estate agent to see your home they may find it actually works for one of their clients, even if they did not think it would.

3. Email blasts: Even though the home you are selling in Palo Alto is on MLS having your agent send email blasts to other agents may help get someone's attention who has a client that may want your home.


The most important thing a Palo Alto real estate agent can do to help you sell your home is be nice to other agents. You want an agent with a reputation of being fair and honest with other agents. There are some real estate agents who are known to cross ethical boundaries that other agents do not like to work with. In this competitive market buyers do not want to waste their time making offers on homes where their offer will not get a fair shot, so the agents are reluctant to present an offer. Things like the listing agent representing a buyer or even multiple buyers or the listing agent's buyer assistant consistently winning in multiple offers will turn other agents away from presenting offers and you may lose out on the best offer.

So while the internet is a vital tool in selling your home in Palo Alto, real estate agents have not gone the way of the Dodo bird and are invaluable in this endeavor.

If you have any questions about selling a home in Palo Alto please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer
CaBRE 01191194
650-619-9285

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