SELLER FAQS

EJF Real Estate Services is a full-service brokerage company. In addition to our property management services, we can assist with the sale of any type of residential property. We sell single family homes, condominiums, and cooperative units. We also sell multi-family properties and can assist with commercial leasing and sales as well.

Unless otherwise agreed to, EJF will advertise your property in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and offer a commission to a buyer broker. The commission offered to a buyer broker would generally be half of the commission paid to EJF and would be paid to compensate the buyer’s agent for their services by bringing the buyer to the property and assisting with the transaction.

If you are not already under contract with EJF as an existing client, we promise to negotiate a competitive commission for selling your property. There is no set commission and the rate can depend on the property condition and location, as well as the state of the current market. Remember, just because a broker may be charging a lower commission, it does not mean that you will receive comparable service. Our agents are experienced, full-service agents who will work their hardest to sell your home at the best possible price.

Many buyers, particularly first-time buyers, have limited financial resources reserved for both a down payment and closing costs. Buyers with less funds available may request that a seller contribute either a percentage of the sale price (typically 3%) or a fixed dollar amount towards their closing expenses. This will help them retain more cash for planned home improvements or other large expenses they may have in connection with their home purchase. Seller subsidies are more commonly seen at the lower-end of the pricing spectrum.

Generally speaking, the Spring months are the best time of year to list your home. The number of buyers in the market combined with improving weather and blooming flowers tends to lead to frenzied market conditions. Also, buyers with school-aged children typically try to get situated in a new home well in advance of the start of the new school year in the Fall. This helps make Spring particularly busy in the single-family home market. However, the Fall and Winter months can also be excellent times to list, as inventory tends to be much lower. No matter the time of year, there are always serious buyers out there looking.

If your home is vacant, we highly recommend professional staging. A professional staging company will artfully decorate your home to give it the appearance of being occupied. This helps in a number of ways:

• Staged homes photograph significantly better than vacant homes, and attractive photos are critical when selling real estate in the internet era. An image of an empty room lacks visual appeal and can make the room appear smaller as opposed to a space with attractive and appropriately-sized furnishings. It’s important that your photos stand out when potential buyers are viewing online images, comparing yours to competing properties.
• Many buyers have difficulty visualizing how an empty space will look when furnished. The furnishings will give buyers a better sense of room size and how the rooms would look when occupied. Stagers can also make creative uses of empty space to add functionality to a room.
• A tastefully staged home will help buyers see your home as a beautiful place to live. Stagers will know how to decorate the space with trendy styles that will appeal to the largest pool of buyers. In essence, home staging helps sell a life-style as well as making the home appear more attractive.

The added expense of home staging should pay for itself, both in terms of increased sale price and fewer days on the market.