Most home sellers only think of linking up with an agent just before they want to sell their home.

It's therefore often not appreciated just how much can be done for you if you engage with the agent as early as possible.

Staging, or presenting, the home correctly for sale is essential to achieve the best possible return. Your agent can give you great tips on what changes will resonate with potential buyers well in advance of when you plan to list. Clearly the more time you give yourself to effect these improvements makes the whole process far less frenetic and much easier to manage than a last minute rush.

Busy agents are working all the time with the best buyer's agents in the area. Knowing about your home in detail at an early stage in the selling process enables the best possible matching of suitably qualified buyers' requirements to the features of your home. In some cases this can even result in firm offers being made even before formal home marketing has commenced.

Early engagement also means that your agent can constantly relate your individual situation to various trends in the marketplace, including inventory and pricing. This facilitates establishment of the optimum moment to put your home on the market for the very best return.

Most home sellers will be looking to buy another home, so a very early agent link-up is extremely effective in ensuring the smoothest possible transition between properties. The best agents also have strong national networks of other top producing colleagues, so early engagement can be very effective in this respect, even if you're moving out of the area.

The year has only just started, but it is absolutely not too early to begin dialog with an agent, irrespective of if you haven't decided exactly when you will be listing. Please don't hesitate to contact us at The Hyland Group at 928-445-2100 for an informal discussion of how we can help you to achieve your 2019 real estate goals.