Local Realtors answer questions about trends and offer tips to homebuyers and sellers considering buying or selling a home in or around Cedar Park and Leander.

Shanan Shepherd is co-owner of Shepherd Nelson Realty, based in Leander. She specializes in the Leander, Cedar Park and Georgetown areas and focuses on new construction and resales. She is a certified negotiation expert, military relocation specialist and an Austin Platinum Top 50 Agent Finalist since 2015.

What is the first question you should ask your Realtor?
“How well do you know the area?” If you’re going to trust an agent to guide you through the process, you’re depending on their knowledge base. So it is important to know what that is.

What should you tell your Realtor when you first meet?
If you’re behind on your payments, tell your agent. It’s going to come out, and the agent can be proactive with your mortgage company to prevent foreclosure. But they can’t help you if they don’t know.

Are there advantages to selling by owner versus through a Realtor?
Many people think selling by owner can save you money, but I don’t think that is necessarily true. In the long run, it can cost you. I’ve seen plenty of situations where people ended up being sued because they don’t know the intricacies of what to watch for and what to prepare for. There are a lot of moving parts in a real estate transaction, and hiring a professional is always smart.

Should homeowners negotiate their home price with their Realtor?
To me, it’s a team effort. When we work with a seller, our job is to bring them market data and tell them, ‘This is what it looks like. This is our recommendation for how to price your house.’ As long as both sides are on board, it needs to be a discussion.

How accurate are online appraisals?
They’re all over the place. Some are high; some are low; and some are pretty close to accurate. But they’re based on logarithms that don’t take into account the unique features of a property. A home’s finishes, quality of construction and location all play into what your house is worth.

How long should a homeowner keep his or her home on the market before reconsidering selling?
If your home hasn’t sold within 60-90 days, then you need to re-evaluate a lot of things. Is your house overpriced? Ninety percent of the time that is the problem. Is it being marketed properly? ... You also should reconsider your Realtor because it is a team effort.

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