Sellers Information 

In today’s real estate market, it is important to know your competition.  Your home will compete with other simular homes on the market.  Pricing your home, your motivation to sell and my understanding of current market conditions will all come together to effectively price your home to receive the maximum amount of exposure in the shortest amount of time.  In this competitve buyers market, your home needs to be seen in a variety of places in order to increase your chances for a successful sale. 

When marketing your home, I will develop a customized plan that reflects your home's unique characteristics and your needs.  In addition, I routinely take advantage of open houses and agent tours to view properties for sale in the Venice area. 

Real estate transactions involve one of the biggest financial investments most people experience in their lifetime.  Transactions today usually exceed $100,000. If you had a $100,000 income tax problem, would you attempt to deal with it without the help of a CPA?  If you had a $100,000 legal question, would you deal with it without the help of an attorney? 

Consider the true risks involved in trusting the sale of your most valued asset to a company that offers anything less than going beyond the expected to provide you with an outstanding full service real estate experience.

My Marketing Plan

In this competitive market  your  property needs to be seen in a variety of places in order to stand out.  And sometimes the right buyer is waiting out of state, or even in another country.  To ensure your property gets noticed and sells without any problems you need to evaluate your marketing plan and your market position.  It could mean the difference between no sale and the payoff you have been waiting for. 
 

My Seller Services:

• Discuss your home sale needs 
• Pricing your home correctly from the beggining and give you a net estimate of proceeds
• Present you with a competitive market analysis of your home providing details of what buyers are willing to pay for properties simular to yours in your local market
• National and local advertising
• Your home will be showcased on REALTOR.com®
• Online rapid response system, enabling me to respond to buyer inquiries within minutes
• Employ a eMarketing plan to ensure that your home appears where today's buyer is shopping
• Traditional services that include Yard signage, postcards, flyers, MLS Listings
• Home preparation recommendations
• Evaluate offers and negotiate counter offers
• Coordinate and supervise document preparations, inspections, appraisals, contingency removals
• Most importantly confirm the communication process, the biggest complaint most people have is lack of communication with their real estate professional

For most of us, our home is our biggest investment. When it's time to sell, get the value you deserve.  My full service program targets potential buyers and will help you achieve the best possible privce for your property.  I will conduct a multimedia advertising campaign, respond quickly to all inquiries, negotiate expertly on your behalf and assist in finalizing the details through Coldwell Bankers affliated mortgage, title, relocation, home warranty and closing services.

Call me today to find out what I do to get your home SOLD in today's market.

top

Showcased Enhanced Listings

When your property is listed with me, I will ensure that six or more photos of your home are placed on several award-winning real estate Web sites.  Why?   Research shows that home listings featuring six photos are viewed 299% more often than homes without multiple photos compared with non-showcase listings (listings without multiple photos). “Viewed in detail” means that consumers click through to the Listing Detail page for these listings.

In a survey of online homebuyers, it was determined that  87% of online homebuyers, found detailed property information very useful (survey conducted in 2008 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Homebuyers and Sellers).  To satisfy this consumer preference, all of my listings on REALTOR.com® are Showcase Enhanced Listings that include multiple photographs of your property, a virtual tour, a detailed written property description and my photograph with contact information.  In addition, with the online rapid response system in place, this ensures every potential buyer for your property receives a fast, professional response, making it possible to respond to potential buyers within minutes.

top

Showing Your Home

Showing your home is probably the most important part of the selling process.  Make a great first impression and keep your property looking its best by following these steps every day while your property is on the market for buyer showings, broker previews and open houses.  Look at your house again, as if for the first time, through the “buyer’s eyes” and help them to envision their new home.  Consider the following carefully as you prepare your home for viewing: 

• Secure your valuables, including cash, jewlery, prescription medications, and all breakable or irreplaceable items.
• Plan to leave your property with your pets while your home is being shown.
• If potential buyers who are unaccompanied by a real estate agent ask to see your home, please refer them to me and I will pre-screen them before showing your property.  You don't want to let just anyone into your home.
• Curb appeal is important since many buyers search by themselves and then call agents about property they have only seen from the street. 
• Fresh paint on your house’s exterior and interior is one of the easiest and best improvements you can make to enhance that first impression. It makes your house look bright and clean. If you paint, use whites, creams, or neutral colors on the interior and exterior colors that will blend with the neighborhood. If you don’t paint everything, at least paint the places that need it most. 
• Pick up toys, shoes, make beds, put clothes away and get rid of clutter. Clutter doesn’t sell. Sometimes clutter can be described also as too much décor, too much furniture, too much stuff on the mantle, etc.  It will be difficult for the seller to imagine "their" stuff in your home.
• Tidy bathrooms and put out guest towels.
• Dress your tables with place settings, flowers and accessorize with a game or coffee table book.
• Open drapes or shades, turn on the lights to make your home look bright and cheerful.
• Keep the pet area clean and odor free. 
• Keep all pets out of the house when showing, especially dogs, since many people are afraid of dogs. 
• Pack up your personal photos and momentos to avoid distracting the buyer's focus and remove excess furniture to make the rooms look larger. 
• Don’t cook fish prior to showing your home. Not that you need an air freshener, but you don’t want that first impression to be a bad odor. 
• Keep yards and vegetation mowed and trimmed. 
• Open blinds and curtains so rooms are bright and inviting. 
• If your house is shown by an agent it is best that you are away. If you cannot leave, remain in a separate part of the house and allow your agent to work for you. Refrain from attempting to point out special features, or initiating idle chat. Do not follow them around. Buyers are uncomfortable in the presence of sellers and it could spoil their tour. Take the dog for a walk or go outside. Trust the skills of your agent to present your house for you. Prior to showing, discuss with your agent everything you would like to convey to the buyer. It is in your best interests. 
• Be flexible. Your house could be shown at any time. Agents do everything possible to arrive within a certain schedule, but sometimes this isn’t possible. So too, they may call at a moment’s notice which means your house should be ready for viewing at any given time. This eliminates the need for panic and will help reduce your stress level.

top

Is your home listing about to expire?

If your our home listing has recently expired or about to expire, you may be feeling discouraged, confused and frustrated.  You’re probably unhappy that your real estate agent failed to sell your home.  Sometimes, a fresh perspective may be in order.  You have the opportunity to change your game plan, break the status quo and start out with a clean slate. 

My Full Service Marketing System and Seller Services are guaranteed in writing; if you are not happy, for any reason, you can cancel our listing agreement at no charge to you.  Putting your home in front of more buyers, nationally, internationally and on the internet, will get your home sold faster and for more money; allowing you to move on with your life.

Focusing your home on buyer’s interest, we attract a large amount of potential buyers with the eMarketing Advantage Program and Online Rapid Response System, ensuring your listing will be seen by more buyers, that it will include the information they want and that I will be able to respond to their inquiries immediately.  We also offer our buyers a menu of services, helping them save money on financing, get home warranties on their new home purchase and title services.  These services expose my seller's homes to more pre-approved buyers who are ready and able to buy now.

Additionally, you will have the benefit my office's local professionals with decades of experience working together to assist in the sale of your home.  Your home will be visited by many of our agents, who will offer professional feedback, tips and opinions on maximizing your home's sales potential. 

My goal is your goal, to get your home SOLD a reasonable amount of time and for the most amount of money possible with the least amount of stress to you.

                                                                                                                                top

By Owner or Use A Realtor 

Some people are very successful at selling their home “by owner”.  They have knowledge of key marketing strategies, how to best show their home, and they possess a good understanding of contracts.  They are versed in negotiation tactics, but most of all, they are aware of the current market in their area and have priced their home appropriately.  They realize the majority of homes on the market today are sold through an agency and they are aware that potential buyers might expect them to sell for less than market value because they will not be paying an agency commission.

On the other hand, listing your home with a Realtor® means that upon the sale, you pay a commission to the agencies involved out of your proceeds.  This commission is negotiable.  The advantages, however, might just be the deciding factors to justify using a Realtor® to sell your home.
 

Advantages of Selling By Owner 

• The seller pays no real estate commission. 
• Possibility of selling at below market value yet receiving higher proceeds than you would have gotten had you used an agent. 
• The seller controls all aspects of the sale (some believe this to be a disadvantage). 

• The Realtor® plans the marketing strategies. 
• The Realtor® can do a market analysis showing comparable home sales so that together you can determine the asking price. 
• The Realtor® places your home in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and REALTOR.com® so it can be seen and shown by millions of potential buyers other Realtors® from other agencies. This makes a huge difference in the number of prospective buyers that are able to actually see that your home is for sale. 
• Realtors® typically screen potential buyers to make sure they are qualified to obtain a mortgage, thereby not wasting your time showing your home to people who can not buy it. 
• Realtors® coordinates the showing of your home to potential buyers. 
• Realtors® present purchase offers from buyers, or submit counter-offers to buyers on your behalf. 
• Realtors® assist you with management of home inspections, surveys, appraisal and coordinates the closing with a title company or attorney.
• Many buyers use Realtors® to help them find a new home.

Getting the best price often requires the expert negotiating services of a skilled professional who is educated in the intricacies of the most complex real estate transactions.  Exposure to other Realtors is the key to success, as 80% of all homes sold nationwide are marketed through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

Understanding the Hidden Costs of Selling a Home

Since it’s my business to know as much as possible about real estate, I am familiar with the frustrations many homeowners encounter when they try to sell their home on their own.  There are many things you should know about trying to sell your
home without a professional Realtor.

• Potential buyers will offer less because you’re saving the commission by selling your property on your own. At best, you should think of saving only half of the commission.
• You will have substantial out-of-pocket costs that properties listed with a Realtor do not incur, such as advertising, marketing and legal services.
• You may undervalue your house and loose thousands of dollars in net proceeds.
• You may find yourself uncomfortable and inconvenienced with the burden of allowing strangers into your home.  
• Unless you are a seasoned negotiator, you may give away more at the bargaining table than you would have paid in commissions with an experienced sales associate.  In fact, research indicates that you will earn 16% less than owners of comparable houses who put the transaction into the hands of an experienced Realtor®.

After considering the hidden costs of not using a real estate professional, you may decide to enlist the help of a licensed Realtor.  As a real estate professional I take great pride in knowing all the properties that are for sale in the Venice Florida area.  I would appreciate the opportunity to preview your home and discuss how my services can help you get your home SOLD.

top

Passing The Home Inspection

Home inspections have become very popular in today’s real estate world.  Most buyers hire a professional home inspector to take a closer look at a home prior to closing, or even prior to writing a purchase contract.  The inspections cover a multitude of systems within your house.  It is wise to take care of some of the more important ones before placing your home on the market.

Such as: 

• Mold & Mildew – Mildew stains and odors will drive a buyer away. 
• Roofing – Deteriorated shingles or other roof coverings are hot-spots for buyers and inspectors. Repairs will be requested. 
• Cracks in walls or ceilings - These are red flags. Mortar and brick should be in good condition. And flashing should be watertight. 
• Structure and foundation – This could be a deal breaker. 
• Gutters and downspouts - They should allow water to run away from the house. 
• Plumbing problems – Leaks and clogs should be fixed. Inspectors will check water pressure by turning on numerous faucets and flushing toilets at the same time. Dishwashers and other appliances will be tested. 
• Heating and cooling – These should be in good working order, and efficient. 
• Electrical – The inspector will make certain your electrical system is working properly.

Remember, no home is perfect and the inspector will most likely find those imperfections.  Don’t be discouraged, and don’t feel that you must comply with unreasonable demands for repairs.  Your contract probably states that things should be in good working order at closing.  That doesn’t mean you have to replace a roof because of a leak.  It simply means that if you fix the leak, then the roof is in good working order.  The bottom line is to do everything possible to get your house in good condition prior to selling.