FAQ

Seller Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does Goddin Real Estate in Chapel Hill service the entire North Carolina Research Triangle real estate market area?

The three points of the Research Triangle real estate market area are Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh, North Carolina. Goddin Real Estate services all three of these cities as well as all of the communities located within Orange County, Chatham County, Durham County and Wake County, NC.

Whether its single-family-residential real estate in Chapel Hill, 40 acres of land in Chatham County, multi-family apartments in Durham or a commercial building in Raleigh, Goddin Real Estate is active in all facets of the real estate business within the Triangle real estate market area.

2. What is the importance of your years of experience in providing professional real estate advice and guidance in  North Carolina?

Goddin Real Estate has over 20 years experience in the Triangle real estate market. Real estate sales are complex transactions that most people only do several times in their lives. Our experience and commitment to keeping up with new advances in real estate mean we can guide you through the complexities of the sale and help make sure the result is a successful closing.

Finding an interested buyer is only part of the process. Making sure that negotiations and the numerous details are handled correctly is also a vital part of any real estate transaction. Heading off potential trouble spots and effectively dealing with problems that arise can save you thousands of dollars, lots of time and reduce the stress involved in any real estate sale.

3. What benefits do I receive by listing my property with Goddin Real Estate?

By listing your property for sale with Goddin Real Estate you receive two very important benefits: (1) Tremendous exposure to both home buyers and real estate agents that your property receives; (2) The marketing expertise and professional advice and guidance that Goddin Real Estate provides in order to maximize the potential of that exposure.

4. How will home buyers and real estate agents find out that my property is for sale?

Your property will be featured on the Goddin Real Estate website and placed with the Triangle Multiple Listing Service, which will make the property available on hundreds of websites featuring property searches such as Realtor.com, Immobel.com and most Triangle area company and agent websites.

5. How will your marketing expertise benefit the sale of my property?

Goddin Real Estate will assist in the three P’s to help sell your property: Pricing, Preparation and Presentation. We will evaluate your property in order to determine its fair market value in today’s marketplace, advise you on steps you can take to improve the value and marketability and present your property at its best.

6. Why is it important to market my property to real estate agents as well as potential buyers?

The Multiple Listing Service is a powerful tool in selling your property. By effectively presenting your property on the MLS and offering a commission to other real estate agents who secure a buyer for it, you are opening up the potential marketplace for your property to the many buyers who rely on their buyer’s agent to find them the right property. You are also giving those agents the incentive to show and sell your property.

7. How much does it cost to list my property with Goddin Real Estate?

Goddin Real Estate has several different listing programs for sellers to choose from, ranging from a traditional contingency based commission program (we are paid solely upon a successful closing of a sale) to a fee based program where the seller pays up front and, in return, receives substantial savings over the amount of a contingency based commission. More information on these programs can be found on our Seller Listing Fees page.

8. What other expenses will I have in selling my property through Goddin Real Estate?

Buyer’s agents are typically paid out of the sellers proceeds of the sale, even though they work for the buyer. Listed properties in this area generally offer a commission to buyer’s agents in the 2.4 - 3.0% range. This is necessary part of effectively using the MLS to its greatest advantage.

9. Your listing fees are less than traditional real estate brokerages but higher than some discount firms that offer to list my house for $500 or less. Can you explain why you charge what you do?

Traditional real estate companies operate with high overhead - layers of management, expensive advertising (which does a good job of promoting the brokerage but very little to sell your property) and franchise fees. These companies also operate within a business model in which the "good" customers (those who actually close) over pay for services in order to make up for non-serious customers who consume time and resources but never actually buy or sell anything.

By eliminating the overhead that does not help sell your property, and by structuring our fees and programs to eliminate time and resources spent on non-serious customers, we are able to offer much better service at more reasonable prices to our good customers.

Deep discounters generally are one of two types:

The first approach is an invitation to liability for both the broker and property seller. It is also a turn off to many buyer’s agents who know that they will end up doing much of the work typically expected of a listing agent, as well as their own job.

The second approach can lead to the agent playing games in order to ensure that they sell the property rather than have another agent (who may get the seller a better deal) capture that side of the commission. Many loss leader agents do little more than the data entry ones, despite the wonderful promises of service.

Goddin Real Estate has structured its fees to ensure we can offer a level of service that effectively promotes your property and provides you with the proper guidance and advice you need in order to make intelligent, informed decisions.

10. I am interested. What is the next step?

Goddin Real Estate offers free initial consultation to determine if it makes sense for us to work together on the sale of your property.

During this initial consultation we will look at your property and answer any questions you might have about the process. If you decide you are ready to move forward, we will complete the necessary paper work and start down the path toward a successful sale of your property.

Give us a call at 919-968-2100 or contact us by email to schedule an appointment.