Selling Your Home - Reliance Network

Transcription

SELLING YOUR HOME
Introduction.......................................................................................................................................... 2
Easy as PIE .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Marketing Overview ............................................................................................................................ 6
Marketing Examples ............................................................................................................................ 7
Extra Service........................................................................................................................................ 9
Correctly Pricing Your Home............................................................................................................ 10
Proof of Success................................................................................................................................. 11
6 Reasons Homes Don’t Sell ............................................................................................................. 12
George Braun
Key to your real estate needs
314-974-4881
[email protected]
.GeoSells.com
www
Key To Your Real Estate Needs
George Braun
Page 1
Introduction
I provide service.
It is a combination of the service I provide and the efforts of the home owner that
sells a home.
This booklet contains a sampling of my services and creative approach to helping you
meet your real estate needs.
Selling your home can be a very emotional process. Part of my job is to be the
non-emotional watch-dog, who protects your interest, helps you achieve your goal of
selling your home for a fair price, in a time frame that meets your needs.
Selling a home is a team approach. I cannot do it alone. When we meet, I will
discuss your role in the process. You will play an essential part in the sale of your
home and I will do all I can to coach you along.
When you list with me, I will provide you with a reference booklet to help you
understand all the details involved with listing and selling your home.
I am a full-time, full-service, professional Realtor®, and I look forward to working
with you on the sale of your home.
George Braun
314-974-4881
George Braun
Page 2
Easy as PIE
Selling a home is not a simple process but it can be as easy as PIE.
Pricing
Setting the right price is essential.
Impression Your home needs to impress the potential buyer.
Exposure Maximize your exposure to the buying community.
PRICING
Pricing involves more than what you think the home is worth. A lot depends on
your competition on the market. What are other similar homes on the market
selling for at this point in time? It will be important to be familiar with your
competition. I’ll discuss pricing with you and provide you with current market
information to help you set your price.
IMPRESSION
You only get one chance to make a first impression! Your home needs to look
its best for the new owner. I will review what needs to be done to stage your
home for sale. How you live in a home and how you sell a home can be very
different.
EXPOSURE
It is essential your home receives maximum exposure to the buying
community. – I do custom mailings, newspaper ads, public and agent open
houses, and extensive web exposure on: www.GeoSells.com,
www.psphomes.com, www.prudential.com, www.realtor.com, and MORE
(See the following 2 pages for more detail.) I also utilize reverse prospecting in the
MLS. This will maximize your exposure and visibility to the largest pool of
potential buyers.
These are the three key elements in selling your home. When we meet, I will discuss
the details of these and other things we can do to sell your home.
You should also read the article “6 Reasons Homes Don’t Sell,” which I have
included at the end of this booklet.
George Braun
Page 3
In 2004, 77% of home buyers used the internet.
George Braun
Page 4
Prudential Select Properties will provide maximum internet exposure to
your home by posting the listing information on the following sites.
National Sites:
Prudential.com
Realtor.com
eRealty.com
HomeAdvisor.com
HomeStore.com
MSN.com
Yahoo.com
Excite.com
RealEstate.com
AOL.com
Netscape.com
RealEstateJournal.com
Compuserve.com
Digitalcity.com
iWon.com
Juno.com
NetZero.com
ChicagoSunTimes.com
GMAC: gmacrealestate.com
RE/MAX Real Estate: remax.com
Realty Executives: Realtyx.com
Local Real Estate Sites:
My personal site: GeoSells.com
Prudential Select Properties: PSPhomes.com
MARIS: Marisnet.com, maris.rapmls.com
St. Louis Post Dispatch: STLtoday.com
Coldwell Banker Gundaker: CBGundaker.com
Coldwell Banker Premier: ColdwellBankerPremier.com
Laura McCarthy: LauraMcCarthy.com
Keller Williams: kwstl.com, kwswstl.com
Prudential Alliance: PrudentialAlliance.com
Prudential Patterson: PruPat.com
RE/MAX Best Choice: BestChoiceHomes.com
RE/MAX Cornerstone: CornerstoneOfStLouis.com
RE/MAX Gold: STLGoldHomes.com
RE/MAX Midwest Group: saintlouisproperties.com
RE/MAX Properties West: remaxpropertieswest.com
RE/MAX Suburban: StLouisResidential.com
PLUS over 700 Prudential Select Properties Agent Sites
and any other local or national company that uses IDX
technology.
George Braun
Page 5
Marketing Overview
What every agent should offer:

Home Staging Consultation
Submit your home to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)
Conduct an Agent Open House
Nationally Recognized For Sale Sign in Your Yard
Public Open House
Advertising – Internet
Advertising – Mailings
Advertising – Print (Newspaper and Homes Magazine)
Promotion of Home Warranty (If applicable)
Feedback Calls to Showing Agents
On-Site Info Box
What I offer that a lot of agents do not:

All the above items plus…
Professionally taken pictures of your home.
Extensive Internet exposure.
Floor plan drawings of your home. (These help your home stand out from the other.)
Automated project plans. (These ensure we manage all dates and drive to a successful closing.)
Create custom In-Depth Feature Sheet Packages.
Custom mailings. (Not your standard “Just Listed” cards.)
Search the Multiple Listing Service for potential buyers. (Reverse prospecting)
And when my marketing results in a purchase offer, I will:
Work with you and negotiate the agreement.
Follow-up on the contract to ensure a successful close.
Monitor the progress of inspections, the buyer’s loan and other contingencies
as called for in the contract.
Assist you in handling details required for completion of the transaction.
Communicate with you on a regular basis so that you can stay informed and as
worry-free as possible.
I will be focused on my job so you can stay focused on yours.
George Braun
Page 6
Marketing Examples
Front
Here are just a few examples of what I can provide.
Front
Custom color postcards mailed to your subdivision and/or nearby homes. Actual size is 4.25” x 5.5”
8 ½ x 11 Color Flyers w/ professional pictures
George Braun
Page 7
I create a floor plan of your home to help buyers remember and to help your home stand out.
Back
Front
Business Cards for you and I to hand out.
I can show you additional marketing samples when we meet.
George Braun
Page 8
Extra Service
Not every agent provides this.
Actual Size 8 ½ x 11
Above is a copy of the index page from a booklet I create for my sellers.
It serves as a resource guide for you and contains essential information.
It comes in a 3 ring binder with pockets and provides a way for you to organize information and
papers associated with your listing.
George Braun
Page 9
Correctly Pricing Your Home
If your house enters the market overpriced you will loose some of the initial listing
momentum and may loose buyers. When you overprice your home, buyers will be
writing contracts on correctly priced properties.
In the sample below, the property was initially overpriced and not marketed. Also
note the pictures. This is the same house.
Overpriced
3871 Indian Ridge Lane
Listed at $ 550,000
Price reduced to $ 525,000
Price reduced to $ 499,000
Not Sold
Correctly Priced
Expired after 159 days on market
3871 Indian Ridge Lane
Listed at $ 499,000
SOLD
on 06/20/03
on 07/25/03
on 08/14/03
on 04/7/04
Sold in 6 days for $ 485,000 97 % of Original List Price
You may have invested a lot of time and money into your home. When setting the
price for your home, you will need to try to step back from the emotional investment
and look closely at what the market will bear. Going on the market overpriced with
thought of lowering the price later if it doesn’t sell, can be costly and you could end
up getting even less for your home. – Some agents may try to buy your business by
agreeing to list your home for an inflated price. I will not.
When I got this expired listing I had professional pictures taken.
Which photo does the better job of presenting the home?
George Braun
Page 10
Proof of Success
These comments represent a few sellers who have taken the time to provide feedback
on my services.
Phone numbers are provided with permission. Feel free to call these references.
2260 Windsor Dr., Florissant (100% of list price.)
“You were the best agent we have ever worked with. – You always stayed on top of things. (You
called me every day, kept me well informed, were on the phone making plans immediately when
things fell through.) Your marketing strategies were most effective & impressive. You always went
the extra mile for us & we appreciate it. The time you spent with us & the amount of effort you put
into every aspect of what you did made us feel as though we were your only clients (which we
know we weren’t, but that’s just how good you are!)” - Jennifer & Roy Anderson 636-821-1162
2713 Sibley, St. Charles (101.5% of list price.)
“George Braun is exceptional. His commitment, professionalism, and attention to details are
outstanding. He is very patient and answers all questions. I know that he truly has my interest at
heart. Within 24 hours of my house going on the market, George brought me three contracts to
review. I have already told just about everyone I know that if they ever need an agent or anything
related to real estate, George is the man to talk to.
I have an agent for life.” - Mary Estes (Contact me for phone number.)
3871 Indian Ridge Lane, Defiance (97% of list price.)
“I don't know if you've spoken to George lately or not but I have to thank you for recommending
him to me. He did so much 'pre-marketing' as he calls it, he sold my house in 2 days! I never would
have taken this chance without you and Richard having such high regard for George. Thanks again.
He was so easy to work with and was very dedicated to finding a buyer.”
– Peggy Barlos 636-537-8383
832 N. Rock Hill Road, Rock Hill (100 % of list price.)
"You went above and beyond our expectations. You kept us informed and always had our best
interest in mind. What was especially helpful was your meeting inspectors, repairman and the like,
which made it extremely convenient for us." - Laura and Steve Savis 314-983-9611
George Braun
Page 11
6 Reasons Homes Don’t Sell
Information Taken From an Article Written By Jay MacDonald
Here are the six most-common reasons why homes don't sell and what you can do about it.
1. Your home is overpriced.
Optimistic home sellers love to parrot the old adage, "There's a buyer for every home." But they often
leave off the qualifier: "at the buyer's price."
The fact is, buyers -- not sellers -- ultimately determine the market value of a home. You can ask for the
moon and set your listing price well above comparable properties in your neighborhood, but at some
point it will be up to you, the seller, to accept what the buyer thinks your home is worth.
Overpricing is the most common reason homes don't sell. When you ask an unrealistic price, it sets
in motion a process that often works against you. Here's why:
Most real estate agents, and hence most qualified buyers, will see your new listing within 30 days. If it is
overpriced by as little as 5 percent, it will be duly noted and interest in your property will wane, especially
if you show no intention of coming off your asking price. You likely already priced out buyers who might
have qualified for financing at a more reasonable price. Even if you manage to find a buyer at your
inflated asking price, the property may not appraise at that figure and the financing will fall apart.
Your real estate agent may have approved or even suggested the inflated asking price to secure your
listing (more on this in No. 4). Conversely, other Realtors often use overpriced properties like yours to
help sell their own listings ("Here's what they are asking. Now would you like to take a second look at
that first house I showed you?")
"If you have a house that really should be priced at $200,000 and you've got it listed at $260,000, you
are trying to compete against homes that really are worth close to $300,000 and all of a sudden your
home really is not competing well," says Jeri Fisher of Jeri Fisher Real Estate in Missoula, Mont. "You want
to compete with what is available out there among homes similar to yours."
If your home remains on the market for too long, agents and buyers may begin to wonder if there are
other, perhaps more serious reasons why it isn't selling.
"It becomes shopworn, the same as a jacket hanging in the store week after week," says Fisher. "People
are aware that it has been on the market a long time and agents stop showing it."
2. Your home doesn't "show" well.
Your home is competing against shiny new houses in those pristine subdivisions out in the suburbs with
their attractive prices, incentives and community amenities.
Face it: Even the best old house needs a little makeover if it hopes to attract a qualified buyer.
George Braun
Page 12
The good news is most of the work will be cosmetic and relatively inexpensive: a new coat of paint, a few
attractive window boxes, a thorough cleaning of floors and carpets. Voila! The place may look good
enough to reconsider.
A good real estate agent can advise you on where your time and money are best spent.
"Price and condition are two things that the seller can do something about," says Fisher. "I always give
people my 'honey do' list. I think paint is probably a seller's best friend because it makes things smell
fresh and look fresh. If it's time to paint, it's time to paint. It's the best return on investment."
3. You're in a bad location.
Nothing has a greater impact on your home's value than its location. Your humble abode might be worth
a king's ransom were it located in Palm Beach, Aspen or San Francisco. It might even jump thousands in
value just two streets over in the next (and far superior) school district.
"If you're in one of the higher-ranked schools around here, you're going to add $50,000 to $100,000 to
the price of the same house," according to Lenn Harley, a broker with Homefinders.com Inc. in Maryland
and Virginia.
The point is, location rules in real estate.
If your home's location is less than desirable, your options are somewhat limited. A good real estate
agent will do his best to help you accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative of your
circumstances, say by using foliage to screen off offensive adjoining properties or dampen traffic noise.
The best way to compensate for a poor location is to reduce your asking price or offer attractive
incentives such as seller financing or a lease option with rent credit.
4. You have an ineffective listing agent.
Yep, they exist: Real estate agents, who mislead, misfire and misbehave.
Their bad advice can cost you plenty in time, money and the sheer hassle of keeping the place showready 24/7.
An ineffective agent will allow you to overprice your home ("Here's what I can get for you if you list with
me!"), not market it properly (see No. 6), fail to screen for qualified buyers, be unresponsive to interest
from other agents (if they sell their own listing, they don't have to split the commission) and keep you
totally in the dark throughout the process.
What's more, if your agent is abrasive, arrogant or otherwise difficult to work with, other agents may not
want the hassle of showing any of their listings to prospective buyers.
George Braun
Page 13
5. You are battling competition or market conditions.
We've all heard the terms "buyer's market" and "seller's market." In real estate, market conditions are
affected by any number of external forces, some of them predictable (the weather, sort of), some of
them unpredictable (the local economy, interest rates, public optimism or pessimism).
In a "hot" or seller's market, homes go fast. Inventory (homes on the market) may be low, meaning less
competition for you. Chances are better that you will get your asking price in a hot market; in fact, it is
not uncommon to even be offered more than your listing price.
But in a "flat," "cold" or buyer's market, sales slow to a trickle, inventories grow and buyers can find
bargains, especially when they know the seller is motivated (i.e., paying on two mortgages).
If you're trying to sell in a flat market, you're not only competing against all that vacant new
construction, but against rentals as well. In this case, be prepared to settle for less than top dollar, or
wait to sell until the pendulum swings once again in your favor.
6. You have ineffective marketing.
Gone are the days when an agent could simply place your listing with the local multiple listing service,
hold a halfhearted open house and wait for another agent to bring forth a buyer.
Today's top performers launch a multilevel marketing plan that includes listing tours for area agents,
newspaper and even TV ads, weekend open houses, listing fliers and placements in local real estate
publications.
Computers and the Internet also have changed the face of real estate. According to the National
Association of Realtors, today more than one-third of all home buyers use the Internet for house hunting.
The best real estate agents are computer-savvy. They have your listing in color on their laptops to show
clients and communicate frequently via e-mail, a particular boon when working with out-of-town buyers.
Suffice it to say that if your real estate agent isn't listing your home online through the company Web site
as well as with the local MLS, you may not be getting the exposure necessary to find a buyer.
"There are those who just put the listing in the multiple and pray it will sell and those that put a lot of
effort into marketing their listings," says Fisher. "Unfortunately, with this weird system of compensation
we have, they all get paid the same, whether they know nothing or have many years of experience."
George Braun
Page 14