I can hear you saying it… “I know plenty of people who are real estate agents. I’m going to hire one of them.” Hold your horses there! When selling a house during divorce, there are plenty of complexities that an average agent isn’t aware of. Enter in… a divorce real estate agent! Can you hear my cape flapping in the wind?
The Biggest Pitfall In Divorce Real Estate
One of the biggest pitfalls is not having a neutral party. Sure, your buddy could sell the house, but will your soon to be ex find that agreeable throughout the entire process? Even the most amicable of divorces can be fraught with differing opinions. With your house being such a big piece of the pie, there most likely will be landmines.
This time is filled with emotion and thus unpredictability. As a professional, our goal is to see those landmines on the horizon and do all we can to avoid them. Often times, the average agent isn’t familiar with potential issues, and some just don’t have the desire to deal with them.
As a neutral party, my goal is for each of you to walk away with as much money as possible so you can have a fresh start. That’s it. I won’t be going out for drinks with one person, or gossiping to one friend who then tells the other person. That is the exact opposite of a neutral third party. An agent specializing in divorce will be there solely to get the house sold so you can both move on.
A divorce real estate professional understands the emotional intricacies of the situation and has a solid plan to navigate that. For instance, an average agent will balk at having to do two separate initial listing appointments. They are used to only doing one. In a divorce situation, individual appointments are necessary.
It’s Complicated!
If you’ve read my book, you know some of the myriad of ways a divorce becomes complicated… and quickly. These complexities must be understood by your real estate agent to be able to serve you best. One misunderstanding and that could cost you precious funds.
Selling a house is already a complex process with plenty of moving parts and individuals involved. Adding a legal process into the mix really complicates things. I feel like it is a math equation where one plus one doesn’t necessarily equal two. It’s more like a Richter scale where things jump by 10x with each number increase.
Ask around, do a google search for your state, even ask your lawyer if they know a realtor who specializes in divorce.
Questions to ask your divorce real estate agent before hiring them:
- Do you have a plan if my soon to be ex-spouse is sabotaging the process?
- Are you willing to be in close communication with other professionals such as my attorney or paralegal?
- Are you willing to testify in court if necessary?
- Can you handle an emotional charged situation?
- Do you understand how the proceeds of the sale may or may not be distributed?
- What is your policy on privacy? Keeping my information private from my soon to be ex? What about if a restraining order is in place?
These are a few good questions to ask your realtor to understand if they have the knowledge to guide you through this emotional and sometimes volatile time.
Shoot me an email if:
- you’re an agent in Colorado needing help
- you’re going through a divorce and needing to sell a house in Southern Colorado