How long is the listing agreement?
Statistics show that homes in top condition and priced properly go Under Contract in under 30 days near their Original List Price. This occurs at all price points and our goal for you is to get you into that group. The research also tells us that if an offer is not received within two weeks OR ten showings, the buyer pool has rejected the Original List Price. Our listing strategy is designed to answer the question as to what it will take to attract an offer on your property within 90 days.
WE ARE CONSIDERING ANOTHER COMPANY BESIDES KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY. IS THERE REALLY ANY DIFFERENCE?
Our office has been ranked by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as the highest sales volume single office in the Atlanta marketplace for several years running. We believe the adage that “Success breeds Success” and our ever increasing market share bears that out.
Even so, not all Keller Williams Realty agents are equally effective. We are highly competitive on behalf of our clients which means we are striving to be the best of the best. After reviewing our marketing plan, I am sure you will feel confident that we can sell your home for top dollar.
SEEMS LIKE X,Y,Z COMPANY HAS A BETTER MARKET PRESENCE…
A real estate company’s “presence” or image definitely factors into the perception by the consumer. But to what end… Traditional brokerages spend large sums on advertising; some even spend massive amounts on print advertising. But if you pay close attention, it is mostly company-centric rather than property-centric. Today’s buyers shop online if they are actually looking for a place to buy now.
Keller Williams Realty runs under an agent-centric model and gives me the freedom to custom design our marketing plans for the properties we list. The company takes less money from the agents so the agents are able to redirect more advertising dollars towards the clients. The result is more individualized advertising that is “property-centric” versus “broker-centric”. We believe that is better for the client.
After 22 years on the inside, I know numbers can be manipulated to favor the company doing the advertising. What matters most to me is an individual agent’s batting average because that shows how many of their clients “win”. Meaning: of all the listings an agent takes, what percentage of those properties actually sell and how close was the agent on pricing? To me, that is the true reflection of effectiveness. It also shows when agents have a pattern of over-pricing listings.
On the issue of whether a company brand actually improves a seller’s prospects of selling, I cannot find any evidence that it does in today’s environment. NO online search tools use broker name as a search criteria.
CAN’T WE SAVE THE COMMISSIONS BY SELLING IT OURSELVES?
That is a great question. Maybe? It’s always possible but I would say that everything has to go right for you to win doing it yourself. This is a complicated process and the longer I do this, the more I see that can go sideways. Plus I almost always want full market exposure, syndicated to both Atlanta MLS services and hundreds of online websites, to make sure our clients are getting the best price for their house. For many that is needed for peace of mind. Statistically only 2-3% of all For Sale By Owners end up selling themselves while 97% end up being listed and sold by real estate agents.
I HEAR THAT ANOTHER AGENT IS REALLY WELL CONNECTED.
Connections pay off in many ways but they will not usually cause a buyer to overpay or buy something this large they do not want. The best way to motivate the buyer pool is to create spectacular marketing, price your house fairly and mobilize a large buyer pool. Buyers will “jump” when they feel like someone else is going to take something they want – we are all like that when we are truly shopping.
CAN WE LIST IT HIGHER AND COME DOWN LATER IF IT DOESN’T SELL?
It is very common to want to leave room for negotiating. The problem is that the penalty for shooting too high on price is severe because most buyers won’t even bother looking at properties that are priced out of the market. So, the real question is how much can you push it without it backfiring? Current data shows the best houses still sell for 98% of List price within the first 30 days. Multiple offers are not the norm anymore but a certain percentage of listed properties are selling over Original List Price. We are successfully creating “seller markets” around our listings and we can do that for you too.
CAN WE THINK ABOUT IT OR “SLEEP ON IT?”
With such a big decision this is very common because it involves a huge asset of yours. Yet, it is a decision that must be made based upon what you want. One option is that you sign the listing agreement when we meet “contingent on your final go ahead” within 24 hours. You then will have 24 hours to feel comfortable and sleep on it. In the meantime, we will contact our stager and pencil you in for the first available time slot. That way we can hit the ground running! Then when you call, you simply tell us yes or no. If you say no, we will shred the listing agreement and cancel the stager. You have no further obligation. When you “say yes”, we confirm the staging appointment, plan out the preparation stages and begin drafting the marketing collaterals.
IS IT BETTER TO USE A FRIEND IN THE BUSINESS?
In today’s market almost everyone knows one or two people that are in the business of real estate. The question to ask yourself is are you selling the house to do a favor to your friend OR are you truly looking for an trusted advisor who will help you get top dollar for your home? We have remained 100% focused on real estate and have been in the top rankings . Please take the time to review our plan of action to sell your home and you will immediately see what separates us from most agents.
ANOTHER AGENT SAID THAT THEY CAN GET ME MORE MONEY, WHY SHOULD I USE YOU?
Sigh… Real estate agents say a lot of things. It’s hard to know whether they are saying they can get some number to “buy” the listing or if they really believe it. My goal is to get your property priced at the upper end of the “probability” range. For our higher priced properties, I have a seasoned appraiser do a confidential pre-listing appraisal to get an objective set of eyes on the value. If the appraisal math does not check with a homeowners expectations, we know we have a challenge on our hands. The buyers and their appraiser are going to have to agree with the value or the property languish on the market.
Shooting for miracles is risky and almost always backfires into longer days on market and a lower ultimate sale price. Over-priced homes get stigmatized and the reality is that they actually end up selling other homes. Zillow is also publishing your days on market online for everyone to see. What most people don’t understand is that an agent who will list your property above market assumes showing feedback will do the talking and you will eventually lower the price. Meanwhile, that agent can pick up some buyer leads so that they can make money even if your house does not sell. We do not believe that puts your best interests first.
The statistics show that if the Original List Price does not work and the price has to be reduced, sellers in those instances were penalized an extra 16.6% off the Original List price when the sale closed and they were on the market almost 6 months longer. If an agent is not strong enough to level with you on pricing, how effective will they be defending your equity? Our team prides itself on being truthful and straightforward with you as the client no matter how uncomfortable it may be. That is what we feel you deserve.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO SELL HOMES?
We excel at capturing a home’s unique selling features and then crafting a compelling story that will appeal to the best buyer for that property. Everything we do is based on this goal because we are confident homeowners get the best price from their best buyer – the one who values what that property has that others do not. It’s competitive out there and I love out-maneuvering the competition for our Sellers!
I even had to demo this golf simulator during the final walk through with the buyer since it was a part of the story we told. Thankfully , I hit the green.
WILL YOU CUT YOUR COMMISSION?
While everything is negotiable, I am firm on the value I bring to the table. If you have questions here as to how the process works and the various risks, I am happy to explore that with you. Most of the time, my clients walk away from closing table shaking their heads over how complicated this process is and feeling like we got away with a great sales price.
I also feel like if an agent isn’t strong enough to defend and articulate their own worth and value, how strong can they possibly be defending you and the value of your home during negotiations.