A professional Realtor® (real estate agent) can help you understand every step of the selling and purchasing process in Southern California.

The selling process generally begins with determining a reasonable asking price. Your real estate agent or REALTOR® can provide up-to-date information on what is happening in the marketplace, including the prices, financing, terms, and conditions of competing properties. These are key factors in getting your property sold at the right price, quickly and with minimum hassle.

The next step is developing a marketing plan. Often, your agent can recommend repairs or cosmetic improvements that will significantly enhance the property's salability. Marketing includes exposing your property to other real estate agents and to the public. In many markets across the country, more than 50% of real estate sales are cooperative sales; that is, a real estate agent other than yours brings in the buyer. Your agent acts as the marketing coordinator, distributing information about your property to other agents through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) or other cooperative marketing networks, agent open houses, and similar channels. The REALTOR® Code of Ethics requires REALTORS® to utilize these cooperative relationships when they benefit their clients.

Advertising is part of marketing. The choice of media and the frequency of advertising depend greatly on the property and the specific market. For example, in some areas, newspaper advertising generates phone calls to the real estate office but statistically has minimal effectiveness in selling a specific property. Overexposure of a property in any media may give buyers the impression that the property is distressed or that the seller is desperate. Your real estate agent will know when, where, and how to advertise your property. There is a common misconception that advertising sells real estate. National Association of REALTORS® studies show that 82% of real estate sales result from agent contacts through previous clients, referrals, friends, family, and personal relationships.

All real estate licensees are different. Only real estate licensees who are members of the National Association of REALTORS® are properly called REALTORS®. They proudly display the REALTOR® logo on their business cards and other marketing and sales materials. REALTORS® are committed to treating all parties in a transaction honestly. REALTORS® subscribe to a strict Code of Ethics and are expected to maintain a higher level of knowledge about the process of buying and selling real estate. An independent survey reports that 84% of homebuyers would use the same REALTOR® again.

Real estate transactions involve one of the largest financial investments most people make in their lifetime. Transactions today often exceed $100,000. If you had a $100,000 income tax issue, would you attempt to resolve it without the help of a CPA? If you had a $100,000 legal matter, would you handle it without the assistance of an attorney? Considering the relatively small cost compared to the potential risk, it would be unwise to enter into a real estate transaction without the professional assistance of a REALTOR®.