For Sellers

Selling your home has always been challenging, and the past few years have made it even harder.  To help earn the best possible price for your home in the timeframe that works with your needs, you need to choose a real estate professional with the local knowledge to price your home, the marketing tools to bring buyers to your door, and the business experience to negotiate the possible best deal.  You need an Executive.

Executives Versus Agents

A real estate Executive is more than an agent.  An Executive is a trusted source of local information, familiar with every block of every neighborhood, able to promote what’s special and unique about your property, and savvy enough to answer hard questions from sellers.  An Executive understands local market conditions to set a price that will be attractive to buyers, but still get you what you need format he sale.  Above all, an Executive is a professional, with years of experience negotiating deals and managing legal and regulatory red tape.  When you’re dealing with an Executive, you can relax and focus on the next stage in your real estate journey, knowing you’re in good hands.

Setting the Stage

An Executive will work with you to balance your financial desires and time constraints with the current market situation in your neighborhood and region.  Your Executive can also advise you about the viability of home repairs and additions, home staging, and other pre-sale improvements that could help you sell your property–or end up losing you money.

Marketing Your Home

Once you’ve settled on a price and prepped your home for showing, your Executive will market your home in a number of ways, including yard signs, print ads, Web marketing, and email campaigns.  When you work with an Executive, you can expect highly-targeted exposure that bears results.  Executives are expert networkers with years of experience finding buyers–not just browsers.

Sealing the Deal

By the time you receive an offer, you and your Executive will have established a negotiation strategy and financial baselines.  When negotiations begin, Executives can use their knowledge of the process to field counter-offers and work within your guidelines to ensure that you accept only the best possible deal.  Part of that deal includes limiting your legal liability, to avoid unexpected post-sale costs related to unknown issues with your home.  Your Executive will escort you through the entire buying process, until the final paper is signed, escrow is closed, and the check has cleared in your bank.

I’ve included some relevant blog posts and links for your review.  If you would like more information on how an Executive can help you sell your home, please contact me.

Other Links:

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After the Inspection: Protect Yourself with Estimates and a Home Warranty

Posted by Realty Executives

You found the perfect home, and your inspector has provided you with a list of necessary and optional fixes.  Now what do you do?

The first thing any homebuyer should do with an inspection report is get repair cost estimates from a professional contractor.  This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s frequently overlooked by novice buyers.  If you’re a first-time buyer or otherwise new to home maintenance, this is absolutely essential.  What seems like a small job might be connected to something far bigger.  Even if you’re and experienced handyman planning on doing the repairs yourself, check with a pro.  The more you know about the fair-market cost of repairs, the more leverage you’ll have on price.

Once you’ve received your estimates and settled on a price with the seller, ask your REALTOR® about a home warranty.  Home warranties are optional, but they are generally available at a very low cost, and the seller may offer to pick up initial premiums as a sign of good faith.  For a few hundred dollars per year, a home warranty can protect tens of thousands of dollars of appliances, wiring, plumbing, heating, and other systems.  Be sure to read your policy in detail, since every insurer’s specific coverage differs.

Posted in Area Info, For Buyers, For Sellers, Home Finance | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Do You Really Need an Agent?

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Realty Executives

It’s almost 2012.  Do you really still need a middleman in real estate?  You can find anything and contact anyone on the Internet.  What’s to stop you from finding a home online, going straight to the source, and saving yourself a few percent on the commission?

Nothing at all.  But before you decide to buy or sell a house without an agent, take this to heart:You’ll probably lose money on the deal.  A lot of it. Why?  For the same reason you don’t represent yourself in court, or fix your own transmission.  You’re not an expert.

There’s nothing shameful about that.  You should educate yourself as much as possible about your market (it’s your house, after all), but you don’t spend all day, every day working in the field.  You may have researched comparable homes in your area, but you don’t know what other buyers and sellers are thinking.  You don’t know what’s hot, what’s not, and what other opportunities might be steering prices up or down.

A real estate agent is a negotiator who knows the ins and outs of your market.  She knows what buttons to push, how to remain objective, and when to move on.  She’s also done this dozens of times before, and can guide you through legal and regulatory issues that could cost you tens of thousands of dollars.  If you’re dealing with a short sale, a foreclosure, a rental unit, or any other property with special guidelines attached, this guidance is critical.

You can certainly buy or sell your own home, but doing so will cost you time, money, and frustration you could save by handing the job to a pro–letting you focus on finding the perfect home.

 

Posted in Area Info, For Buyers, For Sellers, Lifestyle and Community | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Tips for Picking a Real Estate Partner

Tips for Picking a Real Estate Partner

As anyone who’s ever listed a house on the market can tell you, finding a real estate agent isn’t hard.  Finding the right one is.  With so many agents vying for your time and money, how can you pick the right one for your home and situation?  Here are a few tips to get you started.

Use a REALTOR® (not an agent).

A “REALTOR®” is a real estate professional who is a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.  In many cases, this code extends beyond what is legally required.  A REALTOR® brings the highest standards of professionalism and accountability to your purchase or sale, and there is absolutely no reason to settle for less.

Look for Knowledge

Generally speaking, your REALTOR® should always know more about a neighborhood than you.  A REALTOR® is a consultant who should be able to advise you about school quality, transportation options, and the cultural feel of a given area, and suggest other options you might not have considered.  If you’re doing all the legwork or you feel like you’re the expert, look elsewhere.

Find a Fit.

To help you buy or sell a property, a REALTOR® needs to understand and represent your needs and wants.  When evaluating potential partners, think about compatibility.  Is he or she experienced with the neighborhoods you find interesting?  With homes in your price range?  Will your REALTOR® be available to work with you on evenings or weekends if your schedule requires it?

Get recommendations.

Every REALTOR® should be more than happy to provide names and numbers of references.  Always ask for them, and be sure to follow up.  When you do, remember to consider similarities.  A happy purchaser of a $4 million mansion is a good start, but it may not be relevant to you if you’re looking to fix up a foreclosure.

by Cormac Foster

Posted in Area Info, For Buyers, For Sellers, Lifestyle and Community | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Three Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home

Buyers only get one first look at a property, and they don’t want to use their imagination. They assume the house they see is as good as it’s going to get. If you want your home to sell, step out of your comfort zone and think like a buyer. Here are three ways to help you turn your house into the home of someone else’s dreams. We’ve broken down each category into low-cost, “Basic” tips and tricks, and an “All-Out” blow-the-budget transformation. How far you take it is up to you.
Continue reading – Three Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home

Posted in For Sellers | Tagged , , | 1 Comment
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