To sell or not to sell: RE/MAX The Woodlands has home sellers and buyers in good hands

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- In keeping with maintaining the beauty of The Woodlands, homeowners are quite restricted on the signs that can be put out in their yard. Over the last couple of months, however, signs are popping up all over the place. What is going on? Real estate signs identifying the homes on the market within the community indicate the season for home sales has arrived.

“It’s a great time to be a homeowner and have a mortgage,” Brian Parker, director of RE/MAX The Woodlands and Spring, said. “Rates are still historically low, and there are benefits to owning a home including building equity and being able to write off the mortgage interest up to a certain amount.” Parker has been the director for The Woodlands and Spring RE/MAX office since January 2006.

The number of houses for sale usually picks up in the spring and summer. The season really doesn’t matter as much as you might think. According to RE/MAX, “In our area, any time of the year is a good time to sell your house. Some folks will tell you that the holidays are a bad time to sell, but everyone thinks about home and family during the holidays. If you don’t have that wonderful, inviting dining or family room, you are dreaming about it and making plans for the day when you can host your entire family.”

When thinking of selling a home, many people wonder whether working with a real estate agent is really necessary. After all, we have all heard stories of someone we know who did just that without an agent. You may want to think twice and gather some information before making that decision. For every story about a successful for sale by owner transaction, there seems to be a story in which things didn’t go so smoothly.

In fact, research has shown homeowners position themselves much more favorably by choosing a fantastic agent to partner with from the very beginning of the process. “According to the National Association of Realtors, for sale by owner, or FSBO’s, accounted for seven percent of home sales in 2017, and the typical FSBO home sold for $200,000 compared to $265,000 for agent-assisted home sales,” Parker said. “Many times, these homeowners end up using a realtor because it’s difficult for them to actively market the home and get the price that they are asking for their home. Good real estate agents are invaluable because of their experience and market knowledge. Great agents will provide good communication, information and resources that will save you time and save you money in the process.”

When taking a look around your home and property, a very long list of things that need to be done forms quickly in the minds of homeowners preparing their homes for a future sale. The tendency to go overboard with unnecessary items is a pitfall too many fall into. RE/MAX advises homeowners to clean up, declutter and then contact an agent. The expertise of a real estate agent will guide you in which repairs and improvements will be worthwhile and which will not. “Remember that everyone’s taste is different. You do not want to spend money on anything that might hurt the price or ability to sell your house,” Parker said. “Professional realtors know what will help and what will hurt.”

RE/MAX has plenty of agents to choose from with approximately 135 real estate agents, brokers, assistants and employees working at the three locations in the area. “We have many experienced agents who have worked in The Woodlands market for a number of years. According to the Houston Association of Realtors data, RE/MAX agents currently have approximately 29 percent of the active homes listed in the Woodlands.”

Nationally RE/MAX is known as a top real estate agency. Locally RE/MAX delivers the top-quality service which made the company so successful. The professionals here understand what a unique place The Woodlands is. The community amenities we have all come to love and enjoy continue to attract people to the area.

“The Woodlands community is a progressive and culturally diverse community, so residents have the opportunity to meet interesting people from all over the world,” Parker said. “The same goes for our agents, we have agents who were born in a number of different countries, so it’s an opportunity for our agents to share their experiences and help people with their transition into The Woodlands and the surrounding areas.”

When making the decision as to which agency to work with, you may want to consider what the agency in question does to give back to our community. Successful businesses know their role in not only providing services but also in turning around and assisting the very community supporting them.

RE/MAX knows the importance of giving. “We support the Children’s Miracle Network that is affiliated with the Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, the Texas Sentinels Foundation that builds homes for severely wounded veterans, and we do an annual Christmas gift card fundraiser to help support some of our active duty Army personnel in the Conroe area, the CASA Child Advocate center of Montgomery County, the Montgomery County Women’s Center, local school events, the local YMCA and other small community events,” Parker said.

Real estate is a vast and encompassing field. Laws, contracts, inspections and many other pieces come into play during a real estate transaction. It can be quite an overwhelming process and one of your biggest investments. If you are thinking of becoming a homeowner or selling your home, why not put yourself into the experienced hands of a RE/MAX agent?

To speak with a RE/MAX agent, stop by one of the three local offices.
- 6620 Woodlands Parkway (main office)
- 26203 Oak Ridge Drive (near the front of The Woodlands)
- 61 Carlton Woods Drive (near the entrance of the Carlton Woods subdivision)

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