Let's face it, most people have only a vague idea about what real estate brokers do to earn those "large" commissions.

Sellers often consider selling their own property without the services of an agent. Most people think they "save money" if they can. The Real Estate Industry has created a system for marketing real property that has evolved over time. The advertising and marketing are visible and tangible and some people think advertising and showing properties is what makes transactions happen. They don't realize what agents do to negotiate and complete a win, win sale where both seller and buyer are satisfied. The transaction cost is quite reasonable considering all the elements that make the real estate marketing system work when coupled with the individual efforts of agents.

We would like to take you through the sales process from the agents point of reference. We will be following an agent as she lists and sells a home for sale.

The agents first step is to do her homework and use her market knowledge to guide the seller in establishing the asking price. She searches the records of past sales of similar properties. Most of them she has seen and can compare not only in price but the overall appeal and often intangible factors that contributed to their sales. She may confer with other agents in her office. Homeowners may not be aware how often agents check and recheck their suggested price. They want the seller to get the highest price possible without causing the property to be dismissed by the public and the other agents as being "overpriced".

She meets with the homeowners and explains how she arrived at the recommended price. This is not an exact science but the more experience an agent has, the more likely she is to predict the maximum sale price.