Good advice is not always what you want to hear

I recently hired Kari Shank to sell a house included in an estate. When interviewing agents, key facts regarding the house were: • Desire for a quick sale • A sales price that would not negatively impact others in the neighborhood and/ or leave money on the table • Property to be sold as is with all known issues disclosed After interviewing three agents, I received 3 very different proposed prices. Kari’s was much lower, including significant analysis to back up her suggested sale price. I called the other agents to discuss the proposed price, which included more general canned analysis. Kari’s included in-depth research into the total number of days on the market for other houses in the neighborhood (numbers not available to consumers), price changes, differences in upgrades, ages, conditions, etc. The reality was that the sale price I had thought based on what I could find would take many months. In fact, after talking to Kari about increases in both mortgage rates and inventory, we revised her proposed sale price down a few thousand more. Three days after the house went up for sale, a cash offer was presented for the house sold 2.5 weeks later! I'd have liked to sell the house for more, but that’s not the market we are in. I could have held out for more, at the cost of $ 1,900/month in expenses. Other comparable houses in the neighborhood have been on the market for 200-270 days; others have had to invest money to sell. That reduces the effective amount cleared on the sale in the long run. And the stress? Is there really a dollar amount you can place on this? When hiring a real estate agent, you want someone who knows the market, listens to you, provides fact-based advice, and presents a proposal that incorporates all of this. There may be information you don’t want to hear, but their job is to make sure you get all the information to make a good decision. Kari will do this professionally and with kindness. You want her on your team!