Via Mike Montague (sales representative : Sutton Group Incentive Realty Inc.):

11 Tips for Selling Your Home Faster

There is nothing new on this list that hasn't been emphasized in a number of earlier blog posts but good advice is always worthy of restating. Here are 11 tips to help you sell your home faster:

1. Curb appeal – Keep falling leaves and dead shrubs out of the yard! You don’t want a potential buyer’s first vision of your home to be negative (“look how much work it’s going to be to keep up this yard”).
2. Front door – At the very least, make sure it’s clean. You may want to replace or paint the front door as this is your potential buyer’s first up close look at the property. Make sure storm doors are clean and that all locks and door handles are tight and functioning. A loose or broken lock gives the wrong impression from the get-go.
3. Light – Make sure you home looks spacious and light. If you have darker areas in the house, buy additional lamps for those spaces. Put in full wattage bulbs (check the tag on the lamp neck for maximum allowable wattage) and make sure all bulbs in the house work. When the house is being shown, have ALL lights on, even closet lights and the one over the stove. Light and bright makes your home much more desirable.
4. Windows – Open drapes and blinds to let in as much natural light as possible. Take down all worn, torn or broken blinds or drapes. Bare windows look far better than windows with torn or dirty treatments. And make sure windows are clean. Clean windows let in more light, improve the view on the other side, and make the rest of the house feel cleaner.
5. De-personalize – You want buyers to see themselves and their family living in the house. It’s important to take down family photos, trophies, collectibles, anything that makes them see this as your home, not theirs.
6. Smell / fragrance / odor? – This will be the first thing prospects notice when they walk in. You certainly don’t want the house to smell musty or like last night’s dinner. Scrub well and you may want to consider lemon scented cleaning products and/or burn vanilla scented candles.
7. Clutter – No. None. Clean out, throw away and store everything that you can. Now’s the time to get rid of things you don’t want, but don’t replace them! Much better to have your home look open and spacious. You don’t want it to feel crowded or your buyer gets the impression that there won’t be enough space for their things. If you have a lot and can’t get rid of the excess, rent a storage building and take out more than you think you should. You may find you actually enjoy the extra space.
8. Bathrooms – Remove everything you use – yes, toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrushes and combs, razor, shampoo, bar soaps, make-up, everything out of the shower and off the vanities. The bathroom should be so clean it sparkles. Hang a new shower curtain – clear or white – and leave it open so the bathroom looks larger. Make sure all light bulbs are working and the highest wattage possible. No one likes a dingy or dirty bathroom.. It’s best to install new toilet seats (very inexpensive) and, if necessary, new faucets and shower-heads. Clean all grout. Great grout cleaners can be found at home improvement stores.
9. Kitchen – Remove everything from counter-tops to make the space look as large as possible. Scrub all appliances until they shine. Take everything off the refrigerator – notes, photos, magnets, everything. Make sure cabinets and doors are free from fingerprints. Dated hardware? You can really spruce up your cabinets by replacing the knobs. Check out Habitat for Humanity stores for great deals on cabinet hardware.
10. Bedrooms – Neat, clean, beds made, and eliminate clutter. Removing an extra nightstand or dresser may do wonders for increasing the visual space of the room.
11. Closets – In every room of the house, clean out closets by throwing out or passing on anything not still being used. Make closets look as large as possible by leaving at least 30% of the space vacant. If necessary, pack up and store what you don’t need now. When buyers open doors, you want them to see plenty of closet space in the home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can’t really blame Homer either…you see I sometimes will try to go it alone because I know the area somewhat. 

 

Via Marzena Melby Realtor - Twin Cities Minnesota Real Estate (Keller Williams Integrity Realty):

"I'm a Doctor Dammit..."- Something To Put a Smile On Your Face... by Twin Cities Homes for Sale

This satire makes a great point, but who is to be blamed for public's perception of our profession????!!!

Contact Marzena M. Melby, GRI, CDPE, Keller Williams Integrity Realty. Licensed REALTOR® in the state of Minnesota

 Visit my website to search homes for sale in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas.

Disclaimer: The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. Twin Cities Homes 4 Sale Blog does not guarantee, or is any way responsible for its accuracy, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on Twin Cities Homes 4 Sale Blog represent the opinions and ideas of the author. Twin Cities Homes 4 Sale Blog does not express the views of Keller Williams Realty, or its other partners or agents.

Via Leslie Ebersole, REALTOR® Chicago's Western Suburbs (Baird&Warner Fox Valley):

Sometimes you read something that just doesn't sound right, so you read it again and are even more astonished. J. Philip Faranda published a post Zillow Agent Reviews: A Request for Sanity in which he described his surprise about an email he received from Zillow about a consumer who wrote a negative review about Phil. Zillow wrote this to Phil

...we are extending you a “Free Pass” and will not publish this review on your Zillow profile. Please note that this is a one-time courtesy and that you will not receive a “free pass” for similar reviews submitted for you in the future.

But this wasn't a simple case of someone who had a bad transaction. The consumer complained that Phil didn't respond to his inquiry. They never had any contact and yet this consumer gets to submit a review?

I was very surprised at the tone...who is Zillow to give a "free pass" to a paying advertiser?

And then today a bigger surprise. On the Zillow Advice site Phil's post is now being discussed. A Zillow representative named Kristin Acker writes this:

"We connect a lot of buyers with agents, we think if we have unresponsive agents, then we shouldn't encourage buyers to contact them. The reason we went with the "Free Pass" described above, was a way to give agents a chance to start responding to consumers Zillow sends them. 

If you see a review on the live site for not responding, that agent has been reviewed TWICE for not responding (we reject the first one we see and send an e-mail to the agent). We believe consumers should be able to find out that this agent may not respond to you. 

Even I could argue the other side, but at the end of the day, we want buyers & sellers on Zillow to have a great experience and find a great  agent. That's one who responds to their inquiry."

Now I've gone from surprised to shocked. Zillow sells advertising space to agents and brokers. Zillow presents listings that brokers pay to syndicate to the site. Zillow does not "encourage" the use of one broker versus another, except by virtue of offering paid space on their site. And since when did "a great agent" get defined by how fast an inquiry is responded to?

I have supported Zillow as an option for clients to get information about houses and markets. I have never feared that Zillow could replace my expertise in pricing a home. Heck, I even put the Zillow mobile app as a choice on the tablets we give out to buyers during their home search. 

When agent reviews were first rolled out on the various aggregator sites, I remember many discussions here on ActiveRain about the possibilities for abuse by disgruntled consumers. We were assured by representatives from companies such as Zillow that there would be checks and balances in the system to make sure that agents were protected from irrational complainers.

But apparently that policy has changed at Zillow. 

Now Zillow sees itself as the gatekeeper to finding a great agent. Apparently that agent is:
- a member of a brokerage who pays to have listings syndicated to the site
- and/or pays for advertising space
- and manages to dodge any and all disgruntled consumers, even ones with whom no contact was made or services performed.

Just yesterday I was telling someone that I have never, and would never write a post criticizing a single firm like an aggregator or a lender. This situation, however, bothers me enough to break my policy. I refuse to sit back and watch Zillow, or anyone else, disingenuously claim their support for a better real estate industry while they attack the very firms and agents who pay for their existence.

No rational person will agree to this.

 

Zillow is a registered trademark of Zillow, Inc.

 

This post was written by Leslie Ebersole of Baird & Warner Real Estate.
Use or reproduction of the material published on this site is expressly prohibited
without the express written permission of the author.

 

My Website FoxValleyRealEstate.net

My Email leslie.ebersole@bairdwarner.com

My Mobile (630)945-7935

Via Leesa L. Finley -Wake Forest NC REALTOR® Wake Forest NC & Raleigh NC Real Estate (Circa Properties - Your Wake Forest NC Homes Specialist):

I was having a conversation the other day with another Realtor® about safety and I remembered this post I had written a while ago and dug it up for her to read and LIVE by!  Then, I got to thinking, it is definitely worth reposting so consider this a reblog of me!  ;)

Safety can NEVER be taken too seriously nor should it be overlooked just to make a buck!  So, whether you are a buyer, seller or a fellow Realtor® please take a peek at an older post of mine about Realtor® Safety - it may just save you one day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don't know why, but I still find it amazing when Potential Buyers get mad at me for not dropping everything at a moments notice and meeting them at a vacant house.  Mind you, complete strangers! 

By my nature, I am a friendly person, never met a stranger and can ALWAYS strike up a conversation. I love meeting new people and finding out what they are about, how they live their life, what they enjoy and what we have in common.  My career also dictates that I have this pre-determined outgoing nature - I mean, really?  How can one sell Real Estate if they don't like meeting new people.

What may be one of my greatest assets could one day be my demise if I didn't adhere to my own personal "Code of Safety" and listen to my common sense.  There are simple rules that I self-administer and well, quite frankly, if a Buyer or Seller can not appreciate them and/or respect them then we simply weren't meant for each other.

1. I will NEVER respond to an email from a stranger and agree to meet them at a vacant home.
2. I will NEVER respond to a phone call from a stranger and agree to meet them at a vacant house.
3. I will NEVER host an Open House by myself.
4. I will NEVER work with any buyer until there has been rapport established and identity verified.
5. I will NEVER meet a COUPLE at a vacant home. 
   

If you call me/email me and I don't know you then be prepared to meet in a public place, answer questions, and verify your identity.  I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, an aunt, a friend to many and I love my security and MY LIFE. 

If a Buyer can not respect these wishes and rules of mine then perhaps they are better suited with another Realtor®.  Keep in mind, I don't do blind dates but please don't mistake that for bitchy.

Recent cases of Unpleasant Realities*:

• St. Louis, MO - A man posing as a home buyer waited until he got a 24 year old real estate agent in an unfinished aprt of the basement and then pulled out a handgun.  He handcuffed her and sexually assaulted her, at one point putting a knife to her throat.  Afterward, he robbed her and warned her not to scream for help before leaving her alone in the new home she thought he wanted to buy.
• Liberty Township, OH - A man wearing a ski mask showed up at a model home.  The on-site agent immediately asked the man to leave and closed the model home's door, but the agent later found the man standing inside the garage.  The man grabbed her, but she fought him off and he fled the scene.
• Cary, NC - A man registered in a neighborhood's model home, then asked to see homes in the community.  Once the agent had taken the man to another home in the development, the man pulled out a knife and attacked the agent.  She was bound and sexually assaulted. 
  

*cited from the 2009-2010 NC Real Estate Update Course

The incident in Cary NC, for those of you that don't know, was literally 10 minutes away from me.  While many may always have the feeling "that could never happen here" - THINK AGAIN!

I would be remiss if I didn't also mention an incident that happened to my West Coast Sister, Cristal Drake.  She was robbed at an Open House in July 2009.  I'll never forget how I felt when I read her post - she really is my kindred and I just can't imagine.  You can read about her unfortunate event at her blog post......  Be On The Lookout for These Open House Thieves! North Orange County Agents PLEASE READY!

I don't care if you are a SEASONED AGENT or NEW TO THE BUSINESS - NO SALE IS WORTH YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY!  End of story and there really is no discussion needed.  There are many tips that I could give as both an agent and a Broker-In-Charge.....

• ALWAYS have new clients meet you at your office or public place such as coffee shop, etc.
  
• When at all possible - have another agent go with you when working with new clients.
• If you get that icky feeling - ALWAYS go with your instincts!
• Have a code word set up between you and your office so that when you are out and about showing you can call your office and they will instantly know that you need help.
• ALWAYS leave an itinerary of where you are showing with either your BIC or another agent in the office.
• Keep you cell phone on you at ALL times!  Have 911 programmed into speed dial.
• There are many "tools" that are available for protection now available nationwide through the various Association of Realtors® offices - explore them and find one that you are comfortable with.

And for all of you buyers reading this right now.  Yes, you are what keeps me going in my career and without you I wouldn't be as successful as I am.  However, there are quite a few "YOU'S" out there and if you can't respect my wishes then how can I possibly respect yours?

 

                        

Whether you are buying or selling Real Estate in Wake Forest NC it just makes sense to use a Realtor® that knows the area!  I live here, work here and play here - I call Wake Forest NC home!  For more information regarding homes for sale in Wake Forest NC be sure to visit my websites:

• Leesa Finley- Homes for Sale in Wake Forest NC, Wake Forest NC schools, restaurants, shops, entertainment and MORE....
• Wake Forest NC House Chick- My company website with information for the entire Raleigh NC area including Cary, Apex, Garner, Franklinton, Youngsville, Holly Springs and MORE....

I AM your Wake Forest NC Real Estate Agent of Choice......

 

Don't forget to check out Discover Wake Forest NC for all the latest new listings in Wake Forest, Home Buyers and Home Sellers Tips and the most up to date calendar of events in Wake Forest NC!

 

 

 

 

 

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