Frequently Asked Questions

Why should we list our home for sale with CHT?

You should hire us for the same reason hundreds of sellers have used us year in and year out. They know they can depend on us to get them top market value, in a shorter average market time, with the fewest hassles & the least amount of risk.  

Our No Risk Home Selling Program offers benefits that the ordinary agent does not. Our program offers flexible commissions to put more money in your pocket, a client reward program when both buying and selling that actually rebates cash back to you, a cancel anytime policy, and more marketing power than any other agent in Shreveport/Bossier. Not surprisingly, our listings sell for more money and in less time than the average agent. Ask yourself, "How much more money can CHT put in my pocket?"  

Every year, we help well over a hundred folks & families buy and sell. The average agent handles around five sales a year. When hiring anyone to perform a job for you, experience should weigh heavily in that decision. Who really wants to be the surgeon's first patient?  

Let's examine one of our program benefits; we allow you to cancel the listing at anytime. Most agents will not give the consumer this right. You might ask yourself why agents need to "lock you up" for six months. Why would they be afraid to give you the right to cancel? Our philosophy is that we would rather strive to earn your business every day. We are confident that we can provide a superior level of service and care. If we don't, we don't deserve your business. It’s that simple.

How do you sell so many homes?

Due to our extensive exposure & marketing campaigns, more buyers and sellers are familiar with us than any other agent in Shreveport/Bossier. Additionally, experience, industry knowledge, attention to detail, proven effective marketing programs, and our skilled team all add up to positive results. Every field has people who, through their drive and passion, manage to excel.

Are you too busy to sell my home?

No. While we sell a lot of homes, we sell them one at a time. The fact that we have a large staff means we have more time for our clients. Chris Hayes, our Team Leader, has more time for our clients because he has a lot of help behind the scenes. Compare this with the agent who is trying to do everything themselves.

Why do your homes sell so fast? Do you price them too low?

Absolutely not. We make it our business to know the market, so we can ensure we get the highest possible price for our sellers & their particular life situation. Our homes typically sell for more money and in significantly less time than the average agent because of the effective marketing we do. We accomplish this by first doing a supply/demand analysis in the immediate area for any home we consider marketing. All agents have access to the same market information. It is the evaluation & interpretation of what that information means to the marketing of a home that matters. X-rays mean nothing until they are evaluated by a competent doctor. Similarly, knowing what the market is doing in any area affects both the marketing time and value. Factors like area, demand, condition, pricing, accessibility and agent choice all affect a home's time on market.

Tell me about your marketing plan.

The exposure your home gets while listed with us is second to none. Our unique "Trade Up" program dramatically broadens the spectrum of buyers we can sell your home to and alleviates the problems of having to accept a contingent offer. Our signs throughout Shreveport/Bossier connect us with buyers in all price ranges and areas. Our ads and signs also reference our website, resulting in additional contacts. Here buyers can view our "featured homes" in addition to shopping the broader market. Our presence on the web insures maximum property exposure to buyers throughout the parishes through the 350+ websites we market to. Another important link is our marketing to the agent community. Remember, there are over 1,000+ agents that we want to think of us first when preparing to show properties to their buyers.

What is your "Guaranteed Sale Program"?

Once you are out of the first time buyer price range, everyone is faced with the dilemma of whether to buy first or sell first. Either way is tricky, because you could end up owning two homes or none at all. In addition, many sellers will not take a contingent offer. Our Guaranteed Sale Program solves this problem. We guarantee your home sold, in less than 59 days, or we’ll buy it ourselves. That way our clients can go out and shop for their next home without worrying about whether their current home will sell or not. We'll go over details on this exciting program during our listing presentation.

If we list with you, will my home be on the internet?

Absolutely! All of our yard signs, as well as our print, radio & social media ads prominently feature our website address. Our media promotion drives thousands of buyers to view homes on our website. According to the National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, over 90% of home buyers used the internet when starting their home search process.

If we list with you, will we be on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)?

Again, absolutely! Any agent who does not place your home on MLS is doing you a huge disservice. With over 1,000 agents in Shreveport/Bossier, it is important to tap in to that agent base of buyers.

Why should I use a team vs. a single agent?

Because times have changed. No one agent can be everywhere all the time. Let's suppose an agent has a relocation buyer in town. For three or four days they have to be with just that one buyer, a dream scenario for the agent, but not so for you. They are unavailable to show your home, they are unavailable to get feedback on showings, they are unavailable to negotiate contracts or inspection reports, and so on. Also, most agents are either great at people skills or great at paperwork. Rarely will they excel at both. Unfortunately, today's real estate marketplace demands that the agent possess all of these skills.  Under a Team scenario such as ours, we have specialists. We have a Buyer Specialist who only works with buyers. We have a full-time Listing Coordinator whose main job is to present your home in the very best light and to keep you informed of activity and feedback on showings. We have a full-time Transaction Coordinator to handle all the details of the transaction from contract to close. We have a professional photographer as well as a professional stager. Each is an expert at that specific job. Simply, we can and do provide a higher level of service to our clients than most agents can even conceive of providing. Would you rather have 1 player on your team or the power of a whole Team of professional specialists you'll have with Chris Hayes Team?

Shouldn’t I pick an "area specialist" to sell my home?

There are agents who focus primarily in one geographic area or neighborhood. But buyers come from all over Shreveport/Bossier and even other parts of the country - not just from that small neighborhood. So an area specialist usually really means "listing agent" in the area. Many years ago the real estate business was successfully composed of lots of small "boutique" offices - where companies did specialize in a certain area or part of town. But computers, the internet and smart phones have changed that aspect of the real estate business. Now the important points in selecting an agent are experience, track record, and marketing skills.

Once I have reviewed your No Risk Home Selling package, then what?

Contact our office by email or phone, and we will set up an appointment to meet with you. We will tour the home, go over recent market activity in your area to educate you on values, and make recommendations for maximizing your profit and increasing your speed of sale.

How long does it take to get my home on the market?

Once we have a signed listing agreement and a spare key, we can have your home on the market within 48 hours.

Can I save more money if I buy and sell through you?

Absolutely! If you are selling more than one house or plan to both sell and buy (new or resale) we gladly offer a program to make it a "win-win" for both you & us.

How do you set the price for my home?

We will meet with you to review a complete market analysis of your home, evaluate supply and demand for the area, examine property condition & most importantly - understand your particular real estate objectives. At that point, we can guide you to the correct range of pricing.

I'm out of town. Can you handle the transaction for me or will I need to come back to town?

We can take care of all the details from start to finish without you needing to come to town. We can send all documents via email for electronic signature, or we can fax them, or we can mail them. Whatever works best for you.

I need to sell my home right away. Will you buy it?

We offer, in addition to our traditional home selling service and Trade Up Program, a guarantee buyout program. If your property qualifies, we can purchase it and close it in less than 10 days. However, it is rarely in your best interest financially to select this path. We typically can obtain up to 20% more value for your home if we put it on the open market. So the guarantee buyout is really for people for whom time is more important than money. Just contact us and we will show you the best path for your particular circumstances.

My home needs some repairs. Do you know any service people that can help?

We have a number of service people whom we have used in the past and are happy to recommend to you.

I don't have any money to fix up my home. Can you still sell it in its current condition?

Absolutely! Just like any home, we will simply evaluate the condition issues, supply & demand in the neighborhood, and pricing relative to those factors.

How long is your listing agreement for?

For ease of paperwork, we typically use a six month period. But remember, unlike most agents, you are free to cancel anytime.

I am currently listed with another agent and want to cancel. Can you get me out of my listing agreement with them?

Unfortunately, if you signed a listing agreement with another agent, you are bound by that agreement. You certainly can approach the broker or agent to address your unresolved issues and some agents may let you out of your agreement early. However, our "cancel anytime" policy towards listings does not give us the authority to cancel other agent’s listings.

What if my plans change and I don't need to sell my house?

You may cancel your listing at anytime.

Will you be representing me or the buyer?

We always represent the seller on any home we have listed for sale, which means our objective is to get you the most amount of money and the best terms possible. The real question is whether we will be representing the buyer as well. In the event that we have a buyer for your home, it would fall in the category of "Dual Agency". In that scenario, unless you have instructed us in writing otherwise, our Team would represent both parties with different members of the Team.

Will my home be in the Real Estate Book?

Yes, we feature all of our listings in the Real Estate Book.