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f Wail &Cate I Melanie S. Bishop

Choosing The

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vying or selling your home can
be stressful. You need an advo-
cate, a Realtor that will put your
mind at ease and help you throughout
the process. Recommendations from
friends and family for real estate agents
are important, but you also need to do
your homework. The right agents can
save you time, money and make the
experience wonderful — and nearly
stress-free.
"When choosing a real estate agent,
you need a capable person that has
the skills necessary to help you sell or
buy a home," says Melanie Bishop of
Max Broock Realtors in Bloomfield Hills.
"That professional person should help
you throughout the process from begin-
ning to end."
Bishop prides herself on always being
there for her clients throughout the
entire process from marketing the prop-
erty to negotiating the deal to closing
the sale. "Accessibility, trust and open
communication are very important,"
says Bishop.
If a home is priced right, it's a sellers'
market right now, she says. Inventory
is low and demand is high. Not only
are sellers getting multiple offers at list
price, they are getting offers over the
asking price as well. As a buyer, you
must have expert guidance when nego-
tiating a deal to get the best price and
as the seller, you want to make sure the
property is priced right.
Eric and Melissa K. of West Bloomfield
hired Melanie Bishop to help them sell
their home and says they were very satis-
fied with her knowledge of the market.
"The first and best thing Melanie did was
make sure my home was priced right,"
they said. "Not only was she always
available to show our home, but the
thing that really sold us on Melanie was
a strategy she outlined that included an
aggressive high-tech marketing program."

16 I Floor Space Magazine • November 2012

Real Estate Agent

Making your home
highly visible to potential
buyers around the world
is so important, and
agents should make use
of their networks both
online and off to find
your buyer.
"Even the little details
were important to her
such as how I should
keep the home free of
clutter when the home
Melanie S. Bisho
was being shown,"
Chuck said.
Bishop's marketing campaigns are
designed to make the phones ring. "You
definitely want to ask your real estate
agent how they plan to market your
home. A good agent is quick to offer up
a comprehensive plan," she says.
Experience is another factor in choos-
ing an agent. Bishop has more than
25 years of experience in buying and
selling homes.
Let's face it. Your home is the most
valuable thing you own, and you need
to trust your agent and have confidence
in his or her expertise. "When we asked
Bishop if she had referrals, the names
just kept coming," Chuck says.
So what else separates a good agent
from a great real estate agent? Market-
ing the home and pricing the home ap-
propriately are very important, but an
experienced agent will also know how
to close the deal.
"More goes into the sale of a home
than just price," Bishop says. "One
must be able to work with inspectors,
appraisals and banks. Other important
things that often go unnoticed include a
comparative real estate market analysis,
regularly searching the MLS database
for all homes currently for sale or sold
in a close radius of the neighborhood
and more."

It also matters what com-
pany the agent works for.
Bishop has been with Max
Broock Realtors, a firm with
an excellent track record. It
is one of Michigan's oldest
brokers, having opened its
doors in 1895. "Some may
say it's only the agent that
matters," Bishop says, "but
it certainly helps to have
the backing of a quality
company with an excellent
reputation that has the
latest and greatest marketing
techniques as well as an incredible sup-
port staff to get things done."
Bishop also stresses choosing an
agent that handles homes in your price
range and is familiar with the commu-
nity and the selling prices of homes in
that area. Your agent should be able to
easily answer questions on property val-
ues, taxes, schools or even restaurants
and retail stores in the area. Bishop has
a real grasp on the areas she represents
including lakefronts, Bloomfield Hills
and the surrounding areas.
The most important thing, says
Bishop, is to "choose an agent who
listens to your needs and communicates
with you on a regular basis."
Agents must give you their time,
explain complicated and confusing
situations, and know the answers or at
least be willing to find out the answers
to your questions. "Melanie Bishop
is bright, trustworthy, professionally
trained, and does it full time," says Neil
S. of Bloomfield Hills.
The bottom line? Choose a realtor
that will work the hardest for you, one
who is quick to offer answers and help if
you have questions, like Bishop. Contact
her at (248) 867-7800 or by email at
melaniesold@aol.com .

