Do I Need to Hire a Real Estate Agent or Team to Sell My Home in 2023?

Why are homes selling so fast? Until recently, it was because of record-low interest rates, empowering buyers to get out of rentals, migration for work or to be closer to family. Sellers were taking advantage of an inflated market. It all comes down to demand. Before COVID, builders were already in a deficit. It’s the perfect storm - high demand meets slow production and you add that to the highly desirable economy in Houston or Texas for people to migrate creating the issue of low inventory that results in homes selling sometimes within hours of hitting the market. A common question that is asked is, “do we need to hire a real estate agent?”. Selling a home is a lot more than putting up a sign and lockbox. It’s not just about the marketing side, like professional photos and advertising. It’s the disclosure documents, title work, surveys, pre-inspections, or anticipation of issues. There is a lot of buyer demand and an appropriately prepared home for the market is likely to realize multiple offers. It’s the ability to evaluate the best offer to take since it’s not always about price. There is much to consider. The phases of the contract, inspection process, appraisal process, if there is a lender involved, there are a lot of factors to consider that may affect the sale. Navigating each element isn’t always straightforward. There is a contractual responsibility as a seller and if you aren’t familiar with those elements and more, a seller might think twice about being their own agent.

The Jacci Group made a major decision to join Compass the network in large part because of the benefits and programs that Compass offered to us and in turn, to our clients. One of those benefits is called Compass Concierge. With this program, Compass will front the cost of home improvements. Things like mulch and window washing, light remodels, painting, new a/c, or a  new roof,  it can be used for a whole host of things. This is an interest-free loan to the seller, it is repaid to compass at closing. Basically, it’s for sellers that might need a little bit of help getting those things done that will help to get the house sold or make their property profitable. Compass Concierge is a program that is used at the advice of their agent, we are the conduit between the seller and compass. No out-of-pocket cost to our sellers, it’s a huge benefit. Using Compass Concierge also goes hand-in-hand with staging, even in the fast-paced market that we are in, almost every listing has to have some sort of staging preparation

Have you ever been to a restaurant or boutique where you are there on opening night or you were invited to go before the grand opening; the VIP first-hand experience? Well, Compass does something similar, we have a compass coming soon function in our brokerage. This allows us, as listing agents, to premarket within our compass network. Compass is a nationwide brokerage, active in the major markets in the US. With the migration I spoke of earlier, people wanting to come to Houston, we work that network a lot. We network our properties to a host of agents all around the USA that might have buyers for those properties. This is a great way to test the price and to get early exposure, perhaps while we are mulching or having home repairs done. It allows us to do some early marketing and therefore when we go live we have a book of potential buyers right off the bat. Coming soon gives you exposure to agents and their buyers when they aren’t on the market yet. 

There are articles out there that talk about what you should be looking for in a real estate agent, and I think there are some good rules when selecting an agent that will be representing you, it’s personal, you want someone who understands your goals and objectives. It’s a personal relationship-based business, but market knowledge and expertise, access to programs and networks, are also important, whether you are a buyer or a seller. It’s everything from inspectors and repairmen and designers and stagers, to the whole team that is involved in the process of buying and selling. It’s important that your agent has a team and the knowledge to make sure everything happens smoothly. If you are a buyer you will want to make sure your agent is available to you, they need to be responsive and communicative. They need to have access to off-market properties. I have been operating here in The Woodlands for nearly 30 years so my relationships are old and deep and we definitely benefit from that.

When I go to meet a new prospect, I am proud to talk about The Jacci Group collectively. We are a group of powerhouse women, we have a unique (what I call) toolbox. Some of us have come to our real estate practice from other fields that are all relative. Collectively we have nearly 40 years of real estate experience in The Woodlands. Our marketing manager is a graduate of an elite art school, she handles all of our media, photography, marketing, and digital work. She's phenomenal and incredibly accomplished. We have Emily who has a background in corporate planning, she is as sharp and precise as the sharpest pencil you have. Susan comes with a lengthy sales and marketing background. Erin who has a design background, and I, with a background in financial services, collectively we have a unique toolbox. All of these backgrounds help to check all the boxes of what our clients need, and we do work together as a team, our clients benefit from each and every one of those talents. I’m very proud of the group that we have assembled. If I was a buyer or seller in this market those are the things that I would ask for, the things that I would want. I think it goes without saying, if you are interested in working with a high-quality group of real estate professionals, The Jacci Group is here to serve you.

We are anchored in The Woodlands but we serve the greater Houston area. From Lake Livingston to Galveston (nearly) and you find buyers that are looking in the Houston marketplace from as wide as Katy to Sugarland to Humble and Atascocita and Kingwood. So, we cover a fair amount of territory, and beyond that, the compass network is nationwide, there are teams that are servicing clients in major cities around the USA. We find that when we are working with a client, for example, they are selling here but buying in Boston. We are connecting them with Compass real estate teams in different cities to service them. That type of networking has become critical. We are here from end to end for our clients.

-Jacci Kilgore, President, The Jacci Group