With resale inventory at record levels in Regional MLS, the successful listing agent must use all available marketing tools to attract buyers for his or her listings. This includes a complete, up-to-date, and accurate Comparative Market Analysis or CMA with any comparable new construction properly cited in the analysis.

It is not satisfactory to simply hide behind a "down" real estate market as an excuse as to why your seller isn't getting more viewings or offers on his house or condo. Activity on our public site shows those buyer prospects are out there "shopping."

What do these buyers "see?" They see new homes ready to move into and no hassles over early closing dates. They see strong incentives from developers with special pricing, offers to pay closing costs, HOA fees, and mortgage rate buydowns. If you are a listing agent, you need to attract these buyers for YOUR inventory and make sure it is competitive and ready to sell.

Your first step is to become familiar with the CMA modules on your MLS search engines such as MLXchange and Wyldfyre. If you need a little help, check your MLS for free advanced classes where they cover these modules. When these systems "pull in" comparable listed properties for a CMA, there is generally a line where you may add "outside" properties such as FSBOs and new construction for the "automatic" analysis.

Your second step is to search the newconsearch.com database for comparable properties with immediate occupancy. Developers have high inventory right now, so this should be easy to find. Generally speaking, developers respond much more quickly to market conditions than individual homeowners in a resale situation.

Next, call the sales office and pose as a buyers' agent to get the latest pricing and incentives. This is a GOOD thing. Even if you do not have a buyer on-the-spot, you may have several prospects later for the new community as a result of marketing your comparable listing! Remember, you will be advertising for buyers looking for similar properties.

Finally, choose the specific models most comparable to your resale and include square footage, features, and incentive pricing in your CMA. If time permits, take the seller over to the new community to actually see the competing models! Adjust your pricing as needed.