(714) 454-27489901 Irvine Center Dr.Irvine, Ca.92618
We Care About Preserving Your Hard-Earned Equity! Premier Real Estate & Loan is the Premier Full Service Discount Real Estate Company. We offer superior service while providing a significant cost savings for our valued clients. Our Full Services for Sellers Includes: Services for HomeOwners/Sellers 1. Virtual Tour It's like having an open house everyday. Realtor's across the world can view your home in detail! 2. Highest Price Possible for your home! Here's an example of my work. I got $255,000 more for my clients than thier next door neighbor's realtor got for them. These two homes are exactly a like and sold within 6 months of each other. Click here for Proof! 3. Premium Zillow and Trulia adverstising of your home. I pay for premium pop up ads so your house stands out from the rest. 4. MLS listings. Top realtors in the area are enlisted to market your home. Trust me as so many other satisfied clients have. 5. Print Ads Display and publish classified ads in local and national papers. Full color Ads in Home Magazines. 6. Premier Real Estate Sign in front of your house symbolizing your MLS/Realtor association 7. Open House. Conducted until your home is sold. (if you wish) 8. Internet Marketing. Top ranked websites with imbedded SEO will present your home to online buyers and make it easy for them to find your home. 9. Digital Photography of your home uploaded to major websites for online exposure. 10. Online Tracking of your EscrowYou can track the progress of your escrow by logging on to my website with your own secure login. Click here for Sample File 11. Your Home's Own Personal Website I will create a website to showcase your home with it's own web addresss. It will feature lots of pictures, descriptions, community info, print-out flyers, virtual tours and more! 12. Upscale full color flyers I guarantee the premium quality of all my marketing pieces 13. Mass Mailings I mass email and regular mail - just listed and open house postcards. All For 4% Total Commission!Click here for MY FULL MARKETING PLAN & RATES! Seller Information Pricing a home If you're planning on selling a house, you'll have to decide what price you're going to ask for the home. This is one of the most important and difficult decisions you'll have to make. Buyers select by comparison shopping, so your home will have to have a fair market price in order for it to sell. A real estate professional can help you determine the market value of your home while still obtaining the top-dollar price for your piece of property. Making Your Home Look Its Best When you're selling your home you'll want to put forth the very best product. Buyers aren't coming for just a quick look but for a careful inspection. Keep the exterior neat by painting the trim, clipping the hedges, mowing, edging, and weeding the lawn and you may even want to plant a few flowers. Inside you'll want to lighten up the darker corners, perhaps add some fresh paint and put the clutter away to give the rooms an open feeling. Make sure there are no "stale" odors in the home. This can be especially important for remote areas such as a basement or attic. On the day of your open house, you may want to consider baking some cookies or bring in some fragrant fresh flowers. This will add a cheery and pleasant scent to your home. These little things just may help you sell your home a bit more quickly.The Offer When you have a home for sale, eventually a prospective buyer will "make an offer." As the seller, you basically have three options: you can accept the offer, reject the offer or give a counter offer. A counter offer usually will encourage a buyer to continue their negotiations. You may also receive multiple offers. You may prefer to take slightly less for your property from someone who is willing to pay cash, versus someone who needs to sell their current home first. Contingencies, move-in dates, and financing are all things to consider when weighing an offer. If things seem a bit overwhelming, rely on your experienced real estate professional, who can go over the various points with you, and help you choose the best offer. Sell Fast: Do What No One Else Does selling in The Current Market (Jan. 1st, 2007) Here's a short note from a seller in Florida that could easily be any seller in North America in our current market place: "I have an investment property in Poinciana, Florida, that I have been trying to sell since February this year (2006). It is a brand new 4 bedroom, 2 baths, 2 half-baths condo and we did have it under contract for sale twice and both times, the deals fell through at the 11th hour. We now have it on the rental market and are still having a difficult time finding a qualified tenant. I am currently working with a property management company and am not pleased with the results to date. I am wondering if you have any investors that may be interested in purchasing the property at a discount or any creative ideas for selling/renting in the current market." If you're going to sell in this market there are really only a few -- but very important -- things you must do. Fix up the place. I'm dealing with sellers these days who think that if they just make the house look better than how they've been living in it, then maybe that will draw the buyers. This approach is not working in today's market. One of the ways to overcome this push-back is to simply visit some houses that are in the same market area and type of home that you own. How do they look compared to yours? On top of that -- how does your house look compared to the new construction in your price range? Make the house look, "Wow," in this market or you'll lose buyers right when they walk into the front door. Price it below market. Don't mess around on this second point or you could lose more money as each month floats by without a sale. If the fish are biting at 20 feet, no expensive bait is going to bring those catfish up to 10 feet. The same is true about your house. If your competitors are selling at $30,000 or $50,000 less than yours, the hot tub, new kitchen and bath are obviously not attracting your "fish." Get with it, lower your bait, and sell now so you can take advantage of the lower prices when it comes time for your own purchase. Market the deal as much as the house. If you will consider closing costs, don't just say you will, put a dollar mark on it. Offering $5,000, $10,000 or more right up front in your marketing will draw some of the cash-poor buyers to your doorstep. Bonuses and higher commissions. Well, it's not just the buyers who are cash-poor these days -- some agents are looking for a little more income themselves. Offer more than your competitor's commission offer. If the competition is listed at 2.5 percent -- pop it up to 3; or go from 3 to 3.5 percent. Another strategy is to offer the same on commission, but throw in a bonus of $2,500, $5,000 or more, to the selling agent. In some offices agents must split the commission with their brokers, while bonuses pass through without any split involved at all. Offer other non-real estate incentives to the buyer. Vacations, automobiles, jet skis, media centers, shopping sprees -- could be what the buyer wants when it comes to moving into their new home. Check with your loan officer to make sure you can put together a program that will allow such incentives or you can construct them outside of the sales contract in a separate agreement between the buyer and the seller. In essence, make your house a one-of-a-kind deal that the buyer would be crazy to turn down. The Listing Agent - Marketing Your Home to Other Agents The Multiple Listing Service Even before the sign is up and the brochures are ready, your agent should list your property with the local MLS (Multiple Listing Service). The MLS is a database of all the homes listed by local real estate agents who are members of the service, which is practically all of the local agents. Important information about your property is listed here, from general data such as square footage and number of rooms, to such details as whether you have central air conditioning or hard wood flooring. There should also be a photo, and a short verbal description of what makes your house "special." Agents search the database for homes that fit the price range and needs of their clients. They pay special attention to homes that have been recently placed on the market, which is one reason you get a lot of attention when your house is first listed. Many agents will want to preview the home before they show it to their clients. The main point about having your house listed in the MLS is that you expand your sales force by the number of local MLS members. Instead of having just one agent working for you, now you may have hundreds or more, depending on the size of your community. The listing agent’s main job to make sure that the other MLS members know about your house. This is accomplished through listing your house in the Multiple Listing Service, broker previews and advertising targeted toward other agents, not homebuyers. The Listing Agent - Marketing Your Home to Homebuyers The Purpose of Advertising in General Every home seller likes to be assured that their listing agent or the real estate company will run ads featuring their home. Newspaper ads could be large display ads with lots of listings or small classified ads featuring just your property. Ads may also appear in local real estate magazines and your listing will also show up on the Internet. Of course the agents and companies will run ads featuring your house, but not for the reasons you expect. You see, the main job of advertising is not to sell your house directly. Advertising creates phone calls and some of those callers become clients of the agents answering the calls. This builds up a pool of homebuyers looking for property in general, all represented by selling agents. Multiply this by all the agents and companies who also advertise homes, and there is a large pool of homebuyers in the market at any given time – all of whom are represented by selling agents. The agents representing those homebuyers know about your home because it is listed in the Multiple Listing Service, has been on office and broker preview, and because your agent may have also sent flyers to all the local real estate offices. The agents match up their clients with available homes, one of which may be yours. Then they show the homes to their clients, who eventually make an offer on one. That is how your house gets sold. Ads create a pool of clients, one of which buys your home. Ads do not usually sell your house directly. The Listing Agent - Preliminary Marketing of Your Home The "Real" Role of a Listing Agent When you bought your home, you probably used the services of a real estate agent. You found that agent through a referral from a friend or family member, or through some sort of advertising or marketing. The agent helped you in many ways and eventually you found the house of your dreams, made an offer, closed the deal, and moved in. For whatever reason, now it is time to sell your home and you need a real estate agent again. Many home sellers, especially those selling their first home, tend to think all agents are similar to the one that helped them buy their home. Although real estate agents can (and do) work with both buyers and sellers, most tend to concentrate more on one than the other. They specialize. When you bought your home, you probably worked with a "selling agent" – an agent that works mostly with buyers. Because of the nature of real estate advertising and marketing, the public’s main image of the real estate profession is that of the selling agent. As a result, many homeowners expect their listing agent to do the same things that a selling agent does – find someone to buy their home. After all, they do the things you would expect if they were searching for buyers. A sign goes up in the front yard. Ads are placed in the local newspaper and real estate magazines. Your agent holds an open house on the weekend. Your house is proudly displayed on the Internet. But this is only "surface" marketing. More important activity occurs behind the scenes. After the "for sale" sign goes up and flyers are printed, your agent’s main job is to market your home to other agents, not to homebuyers. Open Houses Don't Work Industry statistics reveal that Traditional Open Houses are not very effective at selling homes. In fact, less than 1% of homes are sold as a result of a traditional open house. They're a huge waste of your time and effort, and they're a shameful waste of your client's time and effort as well. Despite this, thousands of agents waste an average of $150-$300 (and 3-4 hours of their time) every single week advertising traditional open houses. This is like throwing your hard earned money out an open window 99% of the time. In the vast majority of cases, traditional Open Houses don't benefit the seller. They don't benefit the buyer. They certainly don't benefit you. In fact, the only one who benefits is your local paper who keeps pocketing your wasted advertising dollars. As a result, I don't run traditional Open Houses (and neither should you.) Instead, I conduct a highly effective Tour of Homes. Just as the name suggests, your Tour of Homes makes it easier for buyers by giving them the opportunity to view several homes in one afternoon, and represents a great way for you to easily showcase several of your listings at once. Here's how it works. I advertise the tour as running during a set time period—for example between 1:00 and 3:15 on Sunday. I typically put six homes in a similar price range on the tour, and each home is "open" for a specified 10 minute period with an allotment of 15 minutes to get from one home to the other. (For example, house #1 on the tour might be open from 1:00-1:10 , house #2 from 1:25-1:35 etc.) Prospects are told they can meet us at any home on the tour at the specified time. There are multiple benefits of this approach. For your sellers, it means that the tour of their home only lasts 10-15 minutes, so they don't have to give up a whole afternoon of their weekend (and neither do you.) More importantly, it's a proven fact that the tour format attracts a larger number of motivated buyers than a traditional open house. We've also found that buyer prospects attending the tour are better qualified because they have chosen to view our client's home at this specific time. Net, net, a tour of homes tends to set up an auction-like atmosphere (multiple buyers all viewing the house at one time creates a fear of loss in those buyers who are interested in the home), which ends up benefiting my clients in terms of a faster sale and a higher price. Even if you're currently operating with a small listing inventory, you can still conduct, and benefit from, a full-fledged Tour of Homes. All you need is a reasonable inventory you can choose from, and there's no rule that says they have to be yours. Try this. Approach another agent (or two or three) in your office and ask if you can "borrow" their listings. Specifically, ask them if you can open house some of their listings this weekend. Why would you want to do that, they might ask? Well, you will explain, it will give you an opportunity to get face-to-face with some buyers, and in return for giving you this opportunity, you'll be giving their listings some bonus exposure. What you'll find is that other agents are usually more than happy to let you do this. Seller's Resources Overview of the Buying & Selling Process Preparing Your Home Through The Eyes Of A Buyer Repair & Cleaning Checklist Possible Work Orders What To Do While Your House Is Being Shown Answers to Frequently Asked Questions Overview of the Buying & Selling Process Buyer 1 Considers purchasing a home 2 Selects a real estate agent 3 Determines needs and wants 4 Discusses financial issues 5 Views & researches target homes 6 Makes an offer to buy Seller 1 Decides to sell property 2 Selects a real estate agent 3 Determines needs 4 Prepares home for marketing 5 Agent markets the home 6 Accepts, rejects or counters offer 7 Offer Accepted 8 Loan Application 9 Inspections 10 Title Search 11 Appraisal 12 Loan Approval 13 Closing Papers Signed 14 Documents Recorded 15 Funds Available To Seller 16Seller Moves Out 17Buyer Moves In Back to the Top Preparing your home through the eyes of a buyer The effort put into repairing and cleaning your property is likely to be returned in a fast sale at an attractive price. As buyers approach your property the first time, impressions are formed quickly. Paint house - this can do more for sales appeal than any other factor. Yard - Remove all toys, garbage, garden tools and other items from view. Mow lawn and keep edged. Close garage doors. Put colorful flowers in front of house. Often, while waiting to be let in, the first thing a buyer looks at closely is the front door. Put new paint on the front door. Buy a new door mat. Buyers take a close look at the basement of a home. They will look for bad wiring, leaky pipes and signs of decay. Clean out basement and dispose of everything you are not going to move. Ensure that there is plenty of lighting. Sweep or vacuum floor. Stack items neatly against walls. The kitchen is often the most important room in the house. Make it bright and attractive. Put a vase of fresh flowers on the table. Replace curtains or clean existing ones. Remove appliances from counters. Create a pleasant fragrance in the kitchen (i.e. vanilla, cinnamon). It is important that bathrooms are clean, bright and smell fresh. Install a new shower curtain and replace worn throw rugs. Polish all fixtures. Open windows. Hang bright, fresh towels. Remove stains from toilets and bathtubs. Use air freshener. Display colorful soaps. The living room Clean out the fireplace and place logs in it. Polish all woodwork. Put big furniture in storage so rooms are not cluttered or crowded. Back to the Top Repair & Cleaning Checklist Front Door: Newly painted Doorbell operating Door brass polished Hinges oiled Exterior of House: House recently painted Gutters recently cleaned Exterior lights operating Missing shingles replaced Moss removed from roof Windows: Window trims painted Windows operating freely Cracked windowpanes replaced Windows washed Driveway: Resurfaced Potholes patched Recently sealed Patios: Wood stained or painted Fencing secure Lawn: Lawn in good condition Grass mowed Edges trimmed Trees/Shrubs: Dead branches pruned Dead shrubs replaced Overgrown shrubs pruned Entry: Entry lights operating Floors cleaned Closet cleaned Closet light operating Living Room: Recently painted Cracks in ceiling/walls repaired Leaks repaired & watermarks covered Wallpaper secured Woodwork repainted Curtains/drapes/blinds cleaned Drapes/blinds opened Carpets cleaned Furniture positioned to show space Kitchen: Sink free of stains No dripping faucets Appliances in good working order Walls, cabinets free of stains Countertops cleared and cleaned Pantry neatly arranged Pantry hardware replaced Refrigerator defrosted Family Room: Cracks in ceiling/walls repaired Leaks repaired & watermarks covered Wallpaper secured Woodwork repainted Windows washed Curtains/drapes/blinds cleaned Windows operating freely Drapes/blinds opened Carpets cleaned Hobby supplies put away Bedrooms: Cracks in ceiling/walls repaired Leaks repaired & watermarks covered Wallpaper secured Woodwork repaired Windows washed Curtains/drapes/blinds cleaned Floor waxed/refinished Carpets cleaned Beds made Laundry put away Floor free from clutter Basement: Cracks in ceiling/walls repaired No evidence of water penetration Dampness removed Cold water pipes covered Dehumidifier installed Sump pump installed No musty odors Drains cleared Furnace cleaned Storage neatly arranged Excess storage removed Floor swept Light fixtures operating Handrail secure Stairway runner secure Dining Room: Cracks in ceiling/walls repaired Leaks repaired & watermarks covered Wallpaper secured Woodwork repaired Windows washed Drapes/blinds open to view Floor waxed/refinished Carpets cleaned Bathrooms: Sink stains removed Leaky faucets repaired Grouting stains removed All joints caulked Missing tiles replaced All fixtures operating Floors cleaned New shower curtain All supplies stored Guest towels Back to the Top Possible work orders The following is a list of some possible work orders. The work orders must be completed prior to closing and the seller is responsible for having them done. Check with your local authorities for specific requirements. The following conditions may require a work order: Broken windows. Debris in crawl space. Dry rot or deteriorated wood. Earth-wood contact. Overgrown shrubbery. Electrical not in working condition. Gutters and downspouts blocked or missing. A hot water tank without a 3/4" discharge line. Inadequate foundation ventilation. Inadequate attic ventilation. Less than four feet of waterproof material around tub enclosures (tile, formica, etc.). Less than 18" clearance between soil and floor joists under entire house. Peeling or missing paint. Plumbing not in working condition. Single oil or gas space heaters to heat entire house. Water damage inside home. You might have to: Paint the exterior and interior if in bad condition. Hook up to public water or sewer if available. Get county certification if home is on septic or well. Remove unused oil tanks or fill with cement-slurry or polyurethane foam. Other items to remember: Inspectors will need access to the attic. Leased equipment cannot be included in the sale (i.e. hot water tank, alarm system, etc.). All assessments must be paid. Joint maintenance agreements will be required for common road easements for maintenance on home where property line is within 3' of structure. * Check with local authorities for specific requirements. Back to the Top While your house is being shown Before Your House Is Shown Tag or remove items not included in sale (i.e. water conditioner, chandeliers, plants, drapes). Open shades and curtains to let in light. Turn on enough lights so home is well-lit during showing. At night, turn on porch light and outdoor lighting. Tidy all the rooms. Neatness makes a room easier to view. Clean dirty dishes in the sink and put away any dishes on counter. Keep toys in the children's rooms. Put away items in the yard such as bicycles, gardening tools and skateboards. If fall or winter, light a fire in the fireplace. While Your House Is Being Shown When possible, leave while the property is shown. If not, remain in an area not being shown by the sales associate. Let the real estate expert show your house. Answer questions candidly when asked, but avoid questioning potential buyers. Refer inquiries about seeing your house to your Realtor to take advantage of the agent's professional skills in selling your home. Don't mention items you wish to dispose of unless asked. It is best to be away when your agent is holding an open house. Keep pets outdoors or in one area. Keep children quiet and in one area. Keep radio, stereo or TV on low volume. Keep money and other valuable items out of sight. Back to the Top Answers to frequently asked questions What is title insurance? Title insurance protects the named insured against loss because of defects, liens, encumbrances, adverse claims or other matters not shown or disclosed to the new owner that attach before date of policy. What is a wood-destroying organism inspection report? A wood-destroying organism inspection report is a written opinion by a qualified state licensed structural pest control inspector based upon what was visible and evident at the time of inspection. The inspection report does not in any way represent or guarantee the structure to be free from wood-destroying organisms or their damage, nor does it represent or guarantee that the total damage or infestation is limited to that disclosed in the report. Wood-destroying organisms include subterranean termites, dampwood termites, carpenter ants, wood boring beetles and wood decay fungus. What are the hazards of lead-based paint? All buyers and sellers are required by law to receive and read a pamphlet outlining the hazards of lead-based paint for homes built before 1978. Be sure to ask your real estate agent for a copy. What are closing costs? Closing costs are an accumulation of charges paid to different entities associated with the buying and selling of real estate. For sellers, they are usually about 9.5-10% of the total sales price of a property. Some of the closing costs you might encounter are: discount points, escrow fee, documentation fee, homeowners' association fees, pest/rot inspection, real estate commission and title insurance premium. What is the difference between "pre-qualified" and "pre-approved"? If a buyer is "pre-qualified" it has been determined, with a loan officer, what price the buyer can afford based on the down payment, debts and the amount the mortgage company will approve for the mortgage. Being "pre-qualified" is only a determination of probable credit. If "pre-approved", credit, employment and funds have been approved by the lender. What should a home inspection include? Every inspection should include, but not be limited to, an evaluation of the following: 1. Foundations 2. Roof 3. Heating and air conditioning systems 4. Ventilation 5. Common areas (for condominiums) 6. Septic tanks, wells or sewer lines* 7. Insulation 8. Plumbing and electrical systems 9. Ceiling, walls and floors 10. Doors 11. Hazardous materials concerns* * There may be an additional fee for this. What property details are usually included by Listing Services? Usually, properties listed will include the following details: Location Photograph Price Utilities Amenities Annual property tax Current financing (when assumable) Listing company What pages are generally included in the Purchase and Sales Agreement? Agency Disclosure Financing Addendum/Clause Earnest Money Receipt Inspection/Clause Conditions/Disclosures Addendum Contingency Addendum Outlining Special Conditions Lead-Base Paint Notification Property Disclosure Form (completed by Sellers) What is the difference between a REALTOR® & Real Estate Agent? REALTOR® identifies real estate professionals who are members of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribe to its strict Code of Ethics. Not every real estate agent is a REALTOR®. A REALTOR® may be an appraiser, property manager or involved in some other aspect of the real estate business. Back to the Top
Premier Real Estate & Loan is the Premier Full Service Discount Real Estate Company. We offer superior service while providing a significant cost savings for our valued clients.
Our Full Services for Sellers Includes:
Seller Information
Pricing a home
If you're planning on selling a house, you'll have to decide what price you're going to ask for the home. This is one of the most important and difficult decisions you'll have to make. Buyers select by comparison shopping, so your home will have to have a fair market price in order for it to sell. A real estate professional can help you determine the market value of your home while still obtaining the top-dollar price for your piece of property.
Making Your Home Look Its Best When you're selling your home you'll want to put forth the very best product. Buyers aren't coming for just a quick look but for a careful inspection. Keep the exterior neat by painting the trim, clipping the hedges, mowing, edging, and weeding the lawn and you may even want to plant a few flowers.
Inside you'll want to lighten up the darker corners, perhaps add some fresh paint and put the clutter away to give the rooms an open feeling. Make sure there are no "stale" odors in the home. This can be especially important for remote areas such as a basement or attic. On the day of your open house, you may want to consider baking some cookies or bring in some fragrant fresh flowers. This will add a cheery and pleasant scent to your home. These little things just may help you sell your home a bit more quickly.
The Offer When you have a home for sale, eventually a prospective buyer will "make an offer." As the seller, you basically have three options: you can accept the offer, reject the offer or give a counter offer. A counter offer usually will encourage a buyer to continue their negotiations. You may also receive multiple offers. You may prefer to take slightly less for your property from someone who is willing to pay cash, versus someone who needs to sell their current home first. Contingencies, move-in dates, and financing are all things to consider when weighing an offer. If things seem a bit overwhelming, rely on your experienced real estate professional, who can go over the various points with you, and help you choose the best offer. Sell Fast: Do What No One Else Does selling in The Current Market (Jan. 1st, 2007)
Sell Fast: Do What No One Else Does
Here's a short note from a seller in Florida that could easily be any seller in North America in our current market place:
"I have an investment property in Poinciana, Florida, that I have been trying to sell since February this year (2006). It is a brand new 4 bedroom, 2 baths, 2 half-baths condo and we did have it under contract for sale twice and both times, the deals fell through at the 11th hour. We now have it on the rental market and are still having a difficult time finding a qualified tenant. I am currently working with a property management company and am not pleased with the results to date. I am wondering if you have any investors that may be interested in purchasing the property at a discount or any creative ideas for selling/renting in the current market."
If you're going to sell in this market there are really only a few -- but very important -- things you must do.
One of the ways to overcome this push-back is to simply visit some houses that are in the same market area and type of home that you own. How do they look compared to yours? On top of that -- how does your house look compared to the new construction in your price range? Make the house look, "Wow," in this market or you'll lose buyers right when they walk into the front door.
In essence, make your house a one-of-a-kind deal that the buyer would be crazy to turn down.
The Listing Agent - Marketing Your Home to Other Agents
The Multiple Listing Service
Even before the sign is up and the brochures are ready, your agent should list your property with the local MLS (Multiple Listing Service). The MLS is a database of all the homes listed by local real estate agents who are members of the service, which is practically all of the local agents.
Important information about your property is listed here, from general data such as square footage and number of rooms, to such details as whether you have central air conditioning or hard wood flooring. There should also be a photo, and a short verbal description of what makes your house "special."
Agents search the database for homes that fit the price range and needs of their clients. They pay special attention to homes that have been recently placed on the market, which is one reason you get a lot of attention when your house is first listed. Many agents will want to preview the home before they show it to their clients.
The main point about having your house listed in the MLS is that you expand your sales force by the number of local MLS members. Instead of having just one agent working for you, now you may have hundreds or more, depending on the size of your community.
The listing agent’s main job to make sure that the other MLS members know about your house. This is accomplished through listing your house in the Multiple Listing Service, broker previews and advertising targeted toward other agents, not homebuyers.
The Listing Agent - Marketing Your Home to Homebuyers
The Purpose of Advertising in General
Every home seller likes to be assured that their listing agent or the real estate company will run ads featuring their home. Newspaper ads could be large display ads with lots of listings or small classified ads featuring just your property. Ads may also appear in local real estate magazines and your listing will also show up on the Internet.
Of course the agents and companies will run ads featuring your house, but not for the reasons you expect.
You see, the main job of advertising is not to sell your house directly. Advertising creates phone calls and some of those callers become clients of the agents answering the calls. This builds up a pool of homebuyers looking for property in general, all represented by selling agents. Multiply this by all the agents and companies who also advertise homes, and there is a large pool of homebuyers in the market at any given time – all of whom are represented by selling agents.
The agents representing those homebuyers know about your home because it is listed in the Multiple Listing Service, has been on office and broker preview, and because your agent may have also sent flyers to all the local real estate offices.
The agents match up their clients with available homes, one of which may be yours. Then they show the homes to their clients, who eventually make an offer on one. That is how your house gets sold. Ads create a pool of clients, one of which buys your home. Ads do not usually sell your house directly.
The Listing Agent - Preliminary Marketing of Your Home
The "Real" Role of a Listing Agent
When you bought your home, you probably used the services of a real estate agent. You found that agent through a referral from a friend or family member, or through some sort of advertising or marketing. The agent helped you in many ways and eventually you found the house of your dreams, made an offer, closed the deal, and moved in.
For whatever reason, now it is time to sell your home and you need a real estate agent again. Many home sellers, especially those selling their first home, tend to think all agents are similar to the one that helped them buy their home.
Although real estate agents can (and do) work with both buyers and sellers, most tend to concentrate more on one than the other. They specialize. When you bought your home, you probably worked with a "selling agent" – an agent that works mostly with buyers. Because of the nature of real estate advertising and marketing, the public’s main image of the real estate profession is that of the selling agent.
As a result, many homeowners expect their listing agent to do the same things that a selling agent does – find someone to buy their home. After all, they do the things you would expect if they were searching for buyers. A sign goes up in the front yard. Ads are placed in the local newspaper and real estate magazines. Your agent holds an open house on the weekend. Your house is proudly displayed on the Internet.
But this is only "surface" marketing. More important activity occurs behind the scenes. After the "for sale" sign goes up and flyers are printed, your agent’s main job is to market your home to other agents, not to homebuyers.
Industry statistics reveal that Traditional Open Houses are not very effective at selling homes. In fact, less than 1% of homes are sold as a result of a traditional open house. They're a huge waste of your time and effort, and they're a shameful waste of your client's time and effort as well.
Despite this, thousands of agents waste an average of $150-$300 (and 3-4 hours of their time) every single week advertising traditional open houses. This is like throwing your hard earned money out an open window 99% of the time. In the vast majority of cases, traditional Open Houses don't benefit the seller. They don't benefit the buyer. They certainly don't benefit you. In fact, the only one who benefits is your local paper who keeps pocketing your wasted advertising dollars.
As a result, I don't run traditional Open Houses (and neither should you.)
Instead, I conduct a highly effective Tour of Homes. Just as the name suggests, your Tour of Homes makes it easier for buyers by giving them the opportunity to view several homes in one afternoon, and represents a great way for you to easily showcase several of your listings at once.
Here's how it works. I advertise the tour as running during a set time period—for example between 1:00 and 3:15 on Sunday. I typically put six homes in a similar price range on the tour, and each home is "open" for a specified 10 minute period with an allotment of 15 minutes to get from one home to the other. (For example, house #1 on the tour might be open from 1:00-1:10 , house #2 from 1:25-1:35 etc.) Prospects are told they can meet us at any home on the tour at the specified time.
There are multiple benefits of this approach. For your sellers, it means that the tour of their home only lasts 10-15 minutes, so they don't have to give up a whole afternoon of their weekend (and neither do you.) More importantly, it's a proven fact that the tour format attracts a larger number of motivated buyers than a traditional open house. We've also found that buyer prospects attending the tour are better qualified because they have chosen to view our client's home at this specific time. Net, net, a tour of homes tends to set up an auction-like atmosphere (multiple buyers all viewing the house at one time creates a fear of loss in those buyers who are interested in the home), which ends up benefiting my clients in terms of a faster sale and a higher price.
Even if you're currently operating with a small listing inventory, you can still conduct, and benefit from, a full-fledged Tour of Homes. All you need is a reasonable inventory you can choose from, and there's no rule that says they have to be yours.
Try this. Approach another agent (or two or three) in your office and ask if you can "borrow" their listings. Specifically, ask them if you can open house some of their listings this weekend.
Why would you want to do that, they might ask? Well, you will explain, it will give you an opportunity to get face-to-face with some buyers, and in return for giving you this opportunity, you'll be giving their listings some bonus exposure.
What you'll find is that other agents are usually more than happy to let you do this.
The effort put into repairing and cleaning your property is likely to be returned in a fast sale at an attractive price.
Often, while waiting to be let in, the first thing a buyer looks at closely is the front door.
The kitchen is often the most important room in the house. Make it bright and attractive.
It is important that bathrooms are clean, bright and smell fresh.
The living room
The following is a list of some possible work orders. The work orders must be completed prior to closing and the seller is responsible for having them done. Check with your local authorities for specific requirements.
The following conditions may require a work order:
You might have to:
Other items to remember:
* Check with local authorities for specific requirements.
Before Your House Is Shown
While Your House Is Being Shown
What is title insurance? Title insurance protects the named insured against loss because of defects, liens, encumbrances, adverse claims or other matters not shown or disclosed to the new owner that attach before date of policy.
What is a wood-destroying organism inspection report? A wood-destroying organism inspection report is a written opinion by a qualified state licensed structural pest control inspector based upon what was visible and evident at the time of inspection. The inspection report does not in any way represent or guarantee the structure to be free from wood-destroying organisms or their damage, nor does it represent or guarantee that the total damage or infestation is limited to that disclosed in the report. Wood-destroying organisms include subterranean termites, dampwood termites, carpenter ants, wood boring beetles and wood decay fungus.
What are the hazards of lead-based paint? All buyers and sellers are required by law to receive and read a pamphlet outlining the hazards of lead-based paint for homes built before 1978. Be sure to ask your real estate agent for a copy.
What are closing costs? Closing costs are an accumulation of charges paid to different entities associated with the buying and selling of real estate. For sellers, they are usually about 9.5-10% of the total sales price of a property. Some of the closing costs you might encounter are: discount points, escrow fee, documentation fee, homeowners' association fees, pest/rot inspection, real estate commission and title insurance premium.
What is the difference between "pre-qualified" and "pre-approved"? If a buyer is "pre-qualified" it has been determined, with a loan officer, what price the buyer can afford based on the down payment, debts and the amount the mortgage company will approve for the mortgage. Being "pre-qualified" is only a determination of probable credit. If "pre-approved", credit, employment and funds have been approved by the lender.
What should a home inspection include? Every inspection should include, but not be limited to, an evaluation of the following:
* There may be an additional fee for this.
What property details are usually included by Listing Services? Usually, properties listed will include the following details:
What pages are generally included in the Purchase and Sales Agreement?
What is the difference between a REALTOR® & Real Estate Agent? REALTOR® identifies real estate professionals who are members of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribe to its strict Code of Ethics. Not every real estate agent is a REALTOR®. A REALTOR® may be an appraiser, property manager or involved in some other aspect of the real estate business.
