by Paula Swayne | Apr 11, 2012 | Listings, Marketing
There are about as many ways to market a property or an agent as there are properties to market. When a seller interviews their potential agent, they should be certain that the agent is keeping in mind what is best for the seller…not the agent. There are many marketing tools that, on the surface appear to be great, but upon reflection maybe not so much. There will be agents who disagree…these items are simply my take.•”I already have a buyer for your house, so you won’t have to do any preparations to put it on the market”….aka “hip pocket listing”. Don’t be fooled. The only purpose for a hip pocket listing is so the agent or the brokerage can get both a listing and selling commission. The best thing for a seller is to have their property exposed to as many buyers as possible. If it is priced well, it will sell quickly at a maximum price.•”Let’s put up a “Coming Soon” rider”. The wow factor for any listing is the first few days it comes on the market. It should hit the market with signage, advertising, MLS entry, etc all at once. When a Coming Soon sign is placed on a property, after a while passers by don’t notice it anymore. They don’t see when the rider comes down and it actually is available. It is already shop worn and it hasn’t even hit the market yet. The only person to gets an advantage on this is the listing agent who has their name on the sign for a longer period of time.•”Let’s offer the selling agent a...
by Paula Swayne | Feb 22, 2010 | Listings, Realtor, Sellers
You have decided to sell your home and are looking for that perfect Realtor that will create the perfect storm of a high price, a quick sale and a smooth escrow. Many agents will tout their ability to do exactly this combination. However, the perfect listing Realtor does not act alone. A truly successful sales experience is a team…the combination of the efforts of the Realtor AND the homeowner. A united effort goes a long way to have a mutually positive experience.The smart seller should select their Realtor with one main thought in mind…do you trust your Realtor? If you do, then this means you have done your homework, understand the qualifications of your Realtor and are convinced that this is the Realtor for you. Once this task has been accomplished, the rest is a breeze. You, as the seller, will TRUST that the Realtor is telling you what you need to do to your property to receive the best price. You will TRUST your Realtor that you are being told the right price for your home and you will TRUST your Realtor when you are advised regarding the offer and negotiations necessary for a successful sale. Mutually, the Realtor needs to trust the seller. The Realtor must TRUST that the seller has made all necessary disclosures. The Realtor must TRUST that the seller will work in a timely manner to accomplish the needed tasks.So, when you are searching for that perfect Realtor, make sure it is someone you TRUST and someone you can work with. After that, it really can be a positive...