Marketing Your Home

Pricing Your Home & the MLS

Accurate pricing sells homes! Price your home too high and your home won’t sell. Drop your price and people wonder why your home isn’t selling and you look desperate. I am committed to making sure your home enters the market with the right price so you get MAXIMUM interest in your home from the start. This means more interest in your home from a larger number of buyers which could lead to multiple offers resulting in it selling faster and for more money! A Comparative Marketing Analysis laying out what homes comparable to yours have sold for and that are on the market combined with an in-home visit are essential to arrive at the best price.

Say ‘No’ to Zillow

Although many are addicted to Zillow/Trulia ‘Zestimate’ Instant Home Evaluator, this number is not to be relied upon by any means. First, I can promise that no one from either company is doing an in-home visit to assess updates, general condition or overall appeal before putting their price tag on it. Second, a Zestimate can be off by at least 20% off which is significant. Finally, I have seen a ‘Zestimate’ drop or rise drastically in a number of days.

The MLS

NEW listings get tons of hits in the first few days meaning your home will be at its peak potential for selling from the minute it hits the MLS. List it with bad photos or inaccurate information and interest goes down. Entering it with complete information, a great description and beautiful photos the FIRST time is essential to the success of selling your home. The first time a potential buyer sees your home will typically be online. Whether that is through my website, Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia or some other site, it all starts with the MLS. I am committed to MLS Listing Quality. Done properly, you will have the possibility of many more buyers competing for your property giving you more offers to choose from.

Setting the Stage

The difference between a staged home and an un-staged home can translate into thousands of dollars in the sale price. It’s a proven fact that staged homes often sell faster & for more money. Staging your home right is essential to having potential buyers want to see your home in person, and getting the price you want!

Clutter makes rooms seem smaller and overwhelming decorations can prevent a potential buyer from envisioning the home as their own. This is a time to truly accept that you’re moving forward. Colors and styles should be cohesive and flow easily throughout the home. Walls should be freshly painted with neutral colors and any stained furniture or carpeting removed.

I offer staging services to all of my clients. I will go through your home with you, room by room, and give you suggestions to help you prepare your home for sale and make adjustments inside & out. I also work with professional staging experts that you can hire to stage your home to perfection.

Professional Photos & Drone Photography*

Realtor.com reported almost 90% of buyers start their search online. That means your home’s first impression is through pictures. Low-quality photos or photos that do not compliment your home will turn off any potential buyers and result in less showings. When a buyer sees your home online, the photos should make them want to come and see your home in person. You want the photos to be professional, high quality / high resolution, clear and crisp and show off your home’s best qualities. I offer photography services to every client with knowledgeable and experienced photographers who know how to showcase your home in the most pleasing way to attract more buyers and get more showings.

Virtual Tours*

Virtual Tours are proven to bring buyers into your home and weed out potential looky-loos. Showings can be stressful and time consuming for your whole family. Using a virtual tour can save you time and money by giving potential buyers a preview of your home thereby weeding out buyers who would normally waste your time and efforts. Full motion virtual video tours create maximum interest to increase buyer curiosity drawing more showings by serious buyers.

Internet

Each property I list is syndicated to over 40 top real estate websites online including Zillow, Trulia, HomeSnap.com and on my local website. This means your listing will receive the maximum exposure online and will be visible to thousands of local buyers searching in your market.

Single Property Landing Pages

I offer our sellers Single Property Websites. This means your home gets its own web page so you can share it with your friends and on Social Media! This page is dedicated to showcasing your home’s best features and includes large high quality photos, school information, maps & directions, additional details and more. I also use this page to help market your home and get it out to the pubic so that potential buyers are dazzled with their first impression of your house!

Mobile

Last year mobile searchers exceeded desktop users. In today’s market more than 70% of home buyers will view your home from their mobile phone. I am committed to keeping up with today’s changing technology. When listing with me, your property will be available in a mobile-friendly format so that no matter whether a buyer is looking at it on a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or on a mobile phone, they will be viewing it in a friendly responsive format that will be pleasing to the eye and easy to use.

Text Messages*

Text Technology is fast becoming the best way to sell homes faster! Many agents are stuck in the old days of CRM’s and Email marketing, but I know better! Only 20% of emails get opened but 99% of text messages are opened and read! Your home should be easily accessible from a mobile phone for potential buyers driving by your home. I employ a text technology by adding a Sign Rider on your for sale sign offering more information by texting a phrase to a certain number. “EXAMPLE: Text SAM to 40691 and receive an instant text with more details on your home.” I then receive data on the inquiry including the phone number of the potential buyer so I can follow up with them and set up a showing.

Open Houses – Public and ‘Realtor Only’

Not every agent is willing to put forth the time and effort it takes to put on an open house. That’s where I am different. A successful Open House can attract attention from people searching nearby and create a buzz around your home often creating a potential bidding environment. I am trained on Open House tactics to increase interest and highlight your home’s best features while providing you with feedback on potential buyers. I also host ‘Realtor Only’ open houses to give agents with potentially interested buyers a chance to preview your property and get their clients excited about it, or weed out the hassle of unnecessary showings.

Negotiation & Offers

Having an experienced REALTOR® in your corner is especially important come negotiation time. This is more than just a financial arrangement; it’s an emotional one, as well. Selling your home can mean a job change, school changes for your children, and possibly leaving behind everything familiar to you and your family. People will be coming in and out of your home, sizing it up for themselves. As your agent, I will wear many hats, and you can be confident that I know the local area thoroughly and can answer all questions about your home, the community & the local real estate market. From fielding phone calls about your home, watching out for potential problems in offers & counter-offers to drafting complex paperwork, I will work hard to make your home selling process as stress-free as possible & get your home sold in the quickest possible time frame while protecting your best interests.

Closing Time

Once you’ve finally accepted an offer on your home, inspections will be done to satisfy both the buyer and their mortgage lender. Many sale agreements are incredibly complex and feature a number of qualifications and fine print. This can be confusing and may include additional requests and addendum’s. I am familiar with these documents and can help guide you through the process.

Packing & Moving

Depending on how far you’re moving, you may require the assistance of a professional mover. Large, bulky items like television sets and furniture are not generally accepted by companies like FedEx or UPS. Consider not only the cost to move, but other factors like time and proper equipment. Though professional movers may seem pricey at first, when you look at the time and money to get similar results, you may re-consider. Be sure to get moving estimates in writing and compare several companies. Ask for discounts and be sure to only use licensed, bonded movers. Also make a checklist so that you’re organized and efficient. Or ask me! I often have knowledge of many local companies that can make your move easier.