Choosing a real estate agent to represent your property for sale is an important decision — one that should not be taken lightly. Experienced buyers and sellers often work with agents they have used before, having established a level of trust. However, for first-time sellers or sellers who are not local, the agent who sold you your house may or may not be the agent who will do the best job selling your property.

When deciding who to list with, you should consider the resources of the entire agency, not just the skills and personality of the individual broker. At Coldwell Banker Landmarks Real Estate we understand the extensive work and marketing investments that are often needed to sell properties on the Vineyard. And we’ve have been doing this work for over 18 years — in both buyers’ and sellers’ markets.

Selling on the Vineyard can often take longer than selling off-island, and depending on the type of property, your home may appeal to a limited number of buyers (see Sales & Trends for more information). By using a combination of local advertising, listing in the island real estate guides, and marketing through various print vehicles, Coldwell Banker Landmarks Real Estate invests heavily in promoting your property for sale. Additionally, we are committed to using the latest technology, including this Web site, virtual tours, outbound e-mail, e-newsletters, and targeted direct marketing, to ensure that Coldwell Banker Landmarks listings reach potential buyers as quickly as possible.

Coldwell Banker Landmarks Real Estate also participates in LINK, the island-wide multiple-listing service, and works closely with other island agencies to promote your home. Listing a property on the Vineyard varies from most other markets, (with the exception of some listings in New York City) in that you may list your home one of three ways: 1) Exclusive Listing, where you contract with just one agency, 2) Shared Listings, where two agencies both offer the home for sale, and 3) Tri-Listings, where three different agencies market your property simultaneously.

At Coldwell Banker Landmarks Real Estate, we have many years experience in working closely with sellers to ensure their homes are marketed properly and sell for the best price, and we look forward to the opportunity to work with you to help you through the selling process.

Exclusive Listings: When you list your home exclusively with one agency, that agency has the exclusive right and responsibility to promote your property to potential buyers. They are responsible for all details associated with the sale and making sure that the information presented in ads and promotions is up to date and accurate. An exclusive agent works closely with you, in a one-on-one environment, to suggest improvements, help establish the best price, and position your home in the marketplace — all important factors that help your house show better — and ultimately help it sell for the best price.

In addition to marketing your property to our own potential buyers, as your exclusive agency, Coldwell Banker Landmarks will hold Broker’s Open Houses, where we introduce your property to other island real estate agents, and we will work closely with other island brokers to match it with potential buyers. We coordinate all showings and are always present when your home is seen by a potential buyer to help with questions and point out special attributes of your home that a less knowledgeable broker may miss.

Although some may think shared or tri-listings are preferable, as there are more agencies marketing your property, less is often more in a listing situation. An agency that has the exclusive listing for your property will be more committed to the listing, willing to make a greater marketing investment, and will have all current and accurate information at hand. As a seller, you contact only one agency for updates on showings, ads, promotions, and other sales activity, simplifying the sales process for you.

We encourage you to contact us for a free market evaluation of your property, marketing ideas, and samples on how we would position your property to maximize its value.

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Shared Listings: When you list your home as a shared-listing, two agencies of your choice have rights to promote your property to potential buyers. Unlike exclusive listings, it is the owner’s responsibility to keep both agencies apprised of the many details associated with the sale and to ensure that information presented in both sets of ads and promotions is up to date and accurate. Two sets of ads, often with slightly different descriptions of your home, will often appear in the same print publications, expanding visibility but adding a component of confusion to potential buyers.

Both agencies will work with other island brokers and include your property in LINK (the island multiple listing service) if they are members. In a shared-listing showing, promotions and sales activity are provided to the seller separately by each agency. Agents will work to maintain a level of expertise about your property, but they may not have the same level of access to you, the owner, which may result in a slightly lower level of understanding of your home’s small, special details.

We encourage you to contact us for a free market evaluation of your property, marketing ideas, and samples on how we would position your property to maximize its value.

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Tri-Listings: When you list your home as a tri-listing, three agencies of your choice have rights to promote your property to potential buyers. Unlike exclusive listings, it is the owner’s responsibility to keep all three agencies apprised of the many details associated with the sale and to ensure that information presented in all sets of ads and promotions is up to date and accurate. In tri-listing situations, miscommunication is more likely to occur, and ads can often represent properties quite differently in the same print publications. Additionally, agencies who share a tri-listing may be less willing to commit a significant marketing budget to promote your property.

In a tri-listing, all three agencies will work with other island brokers and include your property in LINK (the island multiple listing service) if they are members. In a tri-listing showing, promotions and sales activity are provided to the seller separately by each agency. If you are considering a tri-listing, be sure to select your agencies carefully and plan to make yourself available to support questions from all three.

We encourage you to contact us for a free market evaluation of your property, marketing ideas, and samples on how we would position your property to maximize its value.

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