If you've been thinking about selling your home, you've probably started to look into real estate services. Perhaps you've seen some real estate agents advertising themselves as "full service real estate agents." What does this mean, and what services does a full-service agent really offer? Take a look.

Listing Services

All real estate agents offer listing services. It's really the bread-and-butter of what they do. Full-service agents are no exception — they simply offer additional services on top of the listing. What does listing really mean? Well, your agent will write up a description of the home and enter that description into the MLS, or multiple listing service. This is the database that all other real estate agents can access to find the home and recommend it to buyers.

Photo Services

If you only hire a real estate agent to provide your listing, they may request that you provide your own photos. This would mean either taking them yourself or hiring a professional photographer. If you hire a full-service real estate agent, though, they will typically take on the task of photographing the home, too. They tend to have enough training with a camera to take good shots, and they can also do some basic editing to ensure your home is presented favorably, yet honestly.

Advertising and Marketing

Simply putting your home in the listings is not always enough to find a buyer. A full-service real estate agent will also market the home. This means everything from posting it on social media to telling other agents about it during meetings and the like. Your agent will also organize events, such as open houses, to draw in potential buyers and make others aware of the home's availability.

Negotiating

Finally, when you do get an offer on the home, a full-service real estate agent will handle the negotiations. They will talk to you about whether you should accept the offer, ask for more, or reject the offer, but they're the one who will actually communicate with the buyer's agent about the price and contract. This takes a lot of pressure off of you, and it also helps you get a better offer since real estate agents are trained in the art of negotiations.

Hiring a full-service real estate agent is often the best way to go about selling your home. There is so much less stress on your part, and you don't have to hire a bunch of individual professionals.