Issue Date: January 28, 2007

Red paint? Real Estate? Use a Professional

By Jody Zink
Licensed Realtor in Ohio & Michigan

When it comes to the following situation, I am horribly predictable.

I'll clip coupons from cereal boxes, Diet Pepsi cartons and sticky yogurt tops. I put them away for safe keeping intending to be a smart shopper. The likelihood of those coupons actually making their way to the U-scan is slim to nil. Finding the coupons 4 months after expiration is the more probable scenario. But when they actually do make it to the store with me, I feel good about saving and being smart.

Similarly, when it comes to selling your home, using a Realtor is sometimes clouded by thoughts of saving money by going it alone. On the surface, I can't blame sellers for wanting to skimp. After all, before I became a Realtor, I would have done the same thing. Consider my red paint example.

I wanted to change the color of one of the bedrooms inside my home. Only red would do. Forget that I wouldn't advise a seller to go red, perhaps something more neutral, but I digress. I toyed with having a professional do it, but decided....eh. I'd just do it myself. I mean....how hard can it be? Besides, painting is fun! I'll buy the paint, drag out the ladder and smear a few coats on the wall. Cake.

Not counting prep-time and searching for a makeshift tarp (old bed sheets), I applied 3 coats of paint in 5 hours.

My arm was sore and I'm pretty sure I had paint in my hair. I remembered that to save time and money, I dismissed the professionals advice to use primer before starting with any red. None of the paint looked even. I applied coat number four. It still looked like an amateur did it. I wound up with paint on the ceiling. After six coats and my entire Saturday cast to the wind, I gave up. If I could start over, I'd just pay a professional---or at the very least, use the aforementioned primer, like the expert suggested.

Two years later, my red paint splattered on the white ceiling reminds me of the value of professionals. What I thought was a simple project became an ordeal. The red room painting project cost me more in time and aggravation than it was worth.

In the same way, Realtors bring tremendous value to their sellers. Their job is to know their market and price your home accordingly. While there's no crystal ball, a well-prepared agent should tell you what price your home will command in current market conditions. As your employee, your Realtor is responsible for the marketing and negotiations of a very expensive product: your home. There are hundreds of details to coordinate and their job is to get you the highest possible price in the shortest period of time. And they're paid only when they get results.

Sellers often equate the value added by a Realtor to installing a sign and a few hours at a Sunday open house, but much more happens behind the scenes, and often seven days a week. Negotiation, coordinating title work, appointments and soliciting buyers. Writing ads and paying for them. Communicating with lenders, inspectors and other Realtors trying to sell your home. Designing professional brochures, fliers and websites. Other jobs may include, snow removal, landscaper, guidance counselor and psychologist. Oh, and locksmith.

Now I just need someone to manage my coupons.

Jody Zink is a licensed REALTOR in Ohio and Michigan with the Loss Realty Group. Her column appears every other week in the Toledo Free Press. She can be reached at jody@jodyzinkrealtor.com or 419-725-1881.