I chose to work for the real estate company I would trust to sell my home: Schweppe Burgdorff ERA In a seller's market, the only person who benefits from an exclusive agency listing is the agent. Insist on a multiple listing to get the very best market exposure for your home. If you live in Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Verona or Montclair, call Jennifer Ley at (973) 233-6138 for a complimentary market analysis of your home. Recommended books on real estate: 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask Ten Steps to Home Ownership Other Resources: Wells Fargo -- Online Financial Services

When you consider that your home is one of your largest investments, it becomes apparent that choosing the right real estate agent to manage its sale may be one of the most important financial decisions you make. Most people think all real estate agents are the same; that a sign in front of the house and an ad in the newspaper sells their home. This couldn't be further from the truth in today's real estate market. The amount of money you net from selling your home depends on much more than a cleverly written ad and a Sunday Open House, on more than an internet virtual tour or whether you pay a few percentage points more or less in commission. A professional real estate agent is going to help you position your home within the current market -- a market they are in touch with on a daily basis -- so they know its every shift and pulse. What a buyer is willing to pay for your home depends on much more than current market trends -- it depends on whether buyers perceive your home to be a good value. A properly positioned home creates excitement and desire in the current pool of buyers, so a professional real esate agent is going to make sure that your home is exposed to the largest possible group of buyers, which means making sure real estate agents from companies other than their own, as well as their own agents, have an opportunity to view your home so they can show it to their customers. And long before your home is open for sale, they're going to help you with valuable marketing ideas -- small changes you can make to your existing home that can net you thousands of extra dollars while making the actual "home showing" process a lot more civilized for you and your family. A professional realtor's job is far from done when the first offer comes in. Is it the best offer? Has the home had enough exposure? Does the bidding process need to be orchestrated so that several interested buyers can have a fair chance to bid for your home? Are the bidders all equally pre-qualified -- likely to get a mortgage and close the sale? When real estate transactions fall apart it is most often after an offer has been accepted and a contract signed. It takes a competent and knowledgeable realtor to help you negotiate contingencies that may arise as your buyer moves through the home inspection process, and most importantly, to make sure that cool heads prevail -- as buying and selling a home can be intensely stressful. Working with a knowledgeable, professional realtor who is part of a team of experienced real estate professionals can make a world of difference. How do I know? I've watched houses stay unsold in a great seller's market -- positioned and shown so poorly it's no wonder they languish for weeks without a buyer, when homes we've listed a few blocks away are selling in one weekend with multiple bids far over the asking price. I've tried to get my own buyers into homes only to encounter unanswered messages, phone numbers that lead to fax machines and missplaced requests for appointments. I've seen my clients turn away from a home with great "bones" that for want of a bit of minor up front owner elbow grease would have had them opening their checkbooks. It's no wonder so many home owners are shopping around when it comes to choosing a realtor. Too few realtors are proving to their clients that they earn their commission. Let me show you how I will. Jennifer Ley