A Professional Can Balance all the Details
There are many things to juggle when
marketing a home. These include:
Preparing your Home for Sale
The typical buyer looks at several homes before deciding upon the perfect
place. The "first impression" is critical. Your Realtor® can
provide you with some tips that you may not have considered and that may make a
big difference in, not only that first impression, but ultimately the price you
receive for your home.
  Digital
Photography
Keeping up with technology is a must in today's market. Buyers have come to
expect quality brochures, virtual tours, outstanding advertisements and great
internet exposure. Digital photography has become somewhat of a necessity and so
I carry my camera with me at all times.
 Custom
Color Brochures
After a full day of looking at homes, a
buyer will appreciate having something to refer back to that is attractive,
colorful, has captured all the home's best features and includes pertinent
information about the community. A good Realtor will create brochures, flyers
and/or other creative marketing materials be displayed in your home,
inviting the Buyer to "Take One."
 Virtual
Tours
This relatively new development in real estate marketing is one factor that
separates those who are keeping with the times from those who are not. In
today's market, where competition is fierce…it's a no-brainer. Buyers love to
see great photos; not just wordy descriptions. Photos expanded into virtual
tours are even more attractive and this added touch lets the buyer (and buyer's
agent) know that this is a property worth seeing! If shown two similar homes on
the internet, one featuring a virtual tour and extra photos and the other not,
which of these homes would appear more interesting and "important" to you?
Multiple Listing Service
 Your
ticket to the 'Worldwide Web" is purchased here. When you list your home with a
Realtor® you hire one person, but you also gain
several others who actively work to sell your home. Our local Multiple Listing
Service/Realtor Association has over 3,400 members and growing…How many of them
may be working with a buyer looking for a home like yours? And that's just the
beginning! Your listing will also be automatically uploaded to Realtor.com®
the national network. Talk about exposure!
The Internet
According to the National Association of Realtors®(NAR),
over one-third of all home buyers begin by checking the internet. That is why I
have spent, and continue to spend, much time and energy on the creation and
enhancement of a custom, user-friendly website for our real estate area with
real time MLS
searches,
online portfolios for your favorite listings/a>, and
daily
email updates on new listings that match your search criteria. My intent is
to keep this site fresh, enjoyable and up-to-date so that I may proudly promote
it locally, nationally and even internationally, through traditional advertising
and word of mouth, and by linking real estate powerhouses like "Realtor.com®" and
to internet search engines.
Sign and Brochure Box
A yard sign and brochure box are instant identifiers for drive-by shoppers and
others. The bright Sellstate sign stands out and lets buyers know the seller
is dealing with a reputable company.
Key Safe
Allowing your home to be accessible for showings by other agents provides you
with greater opportunity for selling your home. Serious buyers are more apt to
call for a private showing than they are to wait for the possibility of an Open
House. The Supra electronic key safe, leased by Realtors®,
provides security and makes private showings possible.
 Newspaper,
Magazine and Cable TV advertising
As your Realtor®, I will use my established
accounts and desktop publishing skills to deal with these advertising needs.
Additional marketing through networking
In addition to getting the word out to other real estate agents via the MLS, an
efficient Realtor may distribute e-postcards to other agents and/or host 'Broker
Opens" (where real estate agents preview your home for prospective buyers).
Also, after being in business a while, Realtors begin to network with each other
and may be aware that "Realtor so-and-so" has a buyer looking for a home such as
yours.
Open House
Statistically speaking, the "Open House" is not as effective a method of selling
your home as the MLS or other media. This is because the MLS and other media are
widely visible 24 hours a day, versus driving by a property and happening upon
an "Open House." But on days when buyers are out driving around looking for Open
Houses, they are certainly worth the time and effort. There are several tips for
making the most of this marketing opportunity.
Status Reports
Finally, status reports keep you
informed of daily activity regarding the sale of your home. Included are such
things as: scheduled showings, feedback on showings, inspection report
information and other important dates and tasks to remember as we prepare for
closing. A new feature is being added to my website whereby, once your home
information and virtual tour is uploaded to the "My Listings" page of "Home
Searches", you will have access to your personal status report on-line, by
logging in with your password. If your computer is down, you can always receive
this information by phone or fax.
 Successful
marketing will lead to great offers, followed by careful negotiations and
meticulous closing preparations. Only after all parties have left the closing
table with cash or keys in hand, and hopefully a big smile on their face…, only
then can the juggler put away the last few pins. The applause? Well, that comes
in the form of referrals to family, friends and acquaintances and perhaps even a
request for an encore performance somewhere down the road! |