There are many reasons to use a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) to sell your aging loved one’s home. Here are five of the top reasons:
- They are acutely aware of the unique needs seniors have when selling their homes
- An SRES agent has an understanding of state and federal laws
- They have a vast network of senior resources
- SRES agents specialize in unique financial situations
- An SRES agent understands these sales are often emotionally charged
1) They are acutely aware of the unique needs seniors have when selling their homes
Let’s get this out of the way immediately. Any good real estate agent can sell just about any home and help make sure it gets the best offers the market can bear. Now that this truth is out of the way, many real estate agents are not prepared for the issues that arise while selling a senior’s home.
Often these sales involve more prep work to get the house listing ready. Common reasons for this are years of household collections, which could be anything from heirlooms to items they just didn’t want to throw away. Years of this collecting creates work by itself, with deciding what to do with these items (sell, toss, put into storage). Once the collection is under control, it isn’t uncommon to find other underlying issues that may not have been apparent upon first look.
SRES agents know how to manage this process, start to finish, and give the home the listing it deserves.
2) An SRES agent understands state and federal laws
Knowledge of how state and federal laws impact, and can potentially benefit a senior when it’s time to sell their home is more than a nice-to-have. This kind of knowledge can help your aging loved ones avoid pitfalls and identify areas of benefit would not otherwise be uncovered.
An SRES agent who understands state and federal laws as they relate to seniors will be able to ensure that the home sale goes smoothly, with minimal pitfalls.
Understanding state and federal laws will also help SRES agents navigate creative financial options and solutions when unique situations present themselves.
3) They have a vast network of senior resources
What helps set a SRES agent apart from other real estate agents is their network of resources. SRES agents are going to have a lot of options for your agent loved ones to connect with.
In a blog article by homelight.com titled “Should You Hire an Agent Who Is a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES)?” they interviewed a top agent, Dana Browning where the article quotes “There are so many things that could go wrong in a transaction normally, and you add the element of things like downsizing, estate planning, and probate, etc, it’s important to have someone who knows the ins and outs of the process and has connections with other experts.”
Because of their resources, the sale of Mom’s home will have a better chance at the strongest listing possible.
4) SRES agents specialize in unique financial situations
The sale of an aging loved one’s home will often involve unique financial situations and circumstances that an SRES agent is perfectly trained for.
For example, if Mom needs to go to an assisted living facility more urgently than the family planned for, and the prep work to get the home list ready will take extra time, an SRES agent can help with a reverse mortgage, which would get her financial resources while the house is in the sales process.
The knowledge an SRES agent has about pensions, retirement accounts, investments and how they can be used to benefit the sale of the home, as well as the home-to-home transition, will undoubtedly make this process easier.
5) An SRES agent understands these sales are often very emotional
Selling Mom’s home is probably going to be an emotional one. From the memories, to the possible lifestyle change, to just simply downsizing, there are likely going to be some strong feelings about the sale.
SRES agents who seek this designation have likely done so to be in a position to better assist seniors and their families sell their homes. So the odds are, compassion is already in their skill set. The agents who seek this designation are trained to focus that compassion on helping seniors and their families get through the sales process and make it as pleasant as possible.
An SRES agent is going to understand that this sale is not just the sale of a home. It is a big part of your loved one’s legacy. And they know exactly how to help the entire family through this process.