How much is your home worth?

Selling a property involves more than just installing a yard sign, hanging a keybox, placing ads, holding open houses, listing on the MLS..... and praying for a buyer. Every step must be carefully planned and executed - from pricing, staging and marketing to interpreting feedback, negotiating and following up details on through to the closing.

Pricing

I will research recent sales of comparable properties and prepare, for you, a comprehensive market anaylsis (CMA). This method is used (by realtors and bank appraisers) to determine the fair market value of a property. Also, I will provide you with information on your competition - similar properties that are currently available for sale. You, as a seller, will set the price of your home - but ultimately the buyer determines the value. Part of my job is to supply you with the facts of record about:

1. What has sold recently
2. What was on the market and removed without selling
3. What is for sale now

Some items that do not affect value: Your original cost to purchase, amount of money spent on repairs/improvements, cost to rebuild today, personal attachment.

One of two things will happen when your house goes on the market:

Your property will help sell someone else's property
or
Someone else's property will help sell your property

Asking price will determine your success


Staging

The appearance and presentation of your home is EXTREMELY important. Remember that although people can be different in personality, they tend to be the same when it comes to expectations at someone else's expense. In other words, a prospective buyer would probably like to see a perfect home from top to bottom, inside and out, when it comes to your home. Try to do as many of the following items as possible to improve the likelihood of your home sale in an expedient way.


On the outside

1) Sweep front walkway.
2) Remove newspapers, bikes and toys.
3) Park extra cars away from the property.
4) Trim back the shrubs.
5) Apply fresh, clean paint throughout.
6) Clean windows and window coverings throughout.
7) Keep plumbing and all appliances in working order.
8) Maintain all sealant (window, tub, shower, sink, etc.) in good condition.
9) Make sure roof and gutters are clean and in good condition.
10) Mow the lawn frequently and plant flowers.
11) Keep pet areas clean.


On the inside

1) The kitchen and bathroom should shine.
2) Quick once-over with the vacuum; carpets should be clean.
3) Place fresh flowers in the main rooms.
4) Put dishes away, unless setting a formal display for decoration.
5) Make all beds and put all clothes away.
6) Open drapes and turn on lights for a brighter feel.
7) Straighten closets.
8) Put toys away.
9) Turn off television.
10) Play soft music on the radio/stereo.
11) Keep pets out of the way and pet areas clean and odor-free.
12) Secure jewelry, cash, prescription medication and other valuables.
13) Enhance the spaciousness of each room.


Marketing

Yard Sign - With your permission, I will install a Prudential CT Realty yard sign. This will ensure that observant potential buyers who pass by your home will know that your property is available for sale. More sign info

Electronic Keybox - allows realtors to show your home to potential buyers throughout the day. You are not required to be home and unlock the door for anyone who wants to see your property. A computer chip in the Keybox records all realtors who have used it to access your home, as well as the date and time they were there.

Print & Photo Ads - I will advertise your home for sale in newspapers and real estate magazines. Although most calls are for info on the property advertised, callers usually want to know about other properties that are similar.(the person that buys your property may have originally called in on another one).Prudential CT Realty advertises in over 100 publications weekly. More advertising info

Multiple Listing Service - Detailed information about your property will be immediately entered onto the CMLS so as to expose it to one of the most important market segments - the realtor community (there are thousands of us throughout Fairfield County). Remember, realtors have buyers waiting. We are working with buyers who have seen what is currently on the market and are waiting for something new to be listed. More Multiple Listing Service info

Direct Mail - I will send a mailing to the homes in your area to inform your neighbors about your property for sale - one of them may know (or be)the buyer of your property. More Direct mail info

Relocation & Referral Services - Prudential Relocation is contracted with more than 900 major corporations and institutions throughout North America to provide relocation services for thousands of employees and their families. Prudential Real Estate member companies generate more than 100,000 referrals created by more than 42,000 sales reps in over 5,000 markets. Chances are, if you are moving to another part of the country, you could use some information on your new hometown. I will gladly refer you to a professional sales executive in that town. It is comforting to know that a company as familiar as Prudential will be waiting to assist you with your relocation needs. More Relocation info

Info Binder & Handouts - I will provide a binder with information about the property and it's community for review by potential buyers. I will also have handouts available with the documents required to accompany all offers.

Value Range Marketing(VRM) - Only with Prudential, can you use the VRM program to your advantage by attracting the interest of more potential buyers - some of whom would never consider a property if priced the conventional way. A VRM property is marketed using the phrase "Seller will entertain offers in the range of $x to $y". Using this pricing strategy, the seller can expect to receive more offers since the lower end of the range usually encourages potential buyers to place offers on a property that (if advertised at a higher, fixed price) they otherwise may not consider. The seller can accept, counter or reject any offer presented. Example: A Norwalk house was listed and advertised for $425,000 in late 2003 and received no offers. The sellers chose to work with myself & Prudential CT Realty and use the VRM program; we advertised the property in the $399,000 - $458,876 range. Within 2 weeks, there were multiple offers and the house went on to sell for $444,000. More VRM info

HOMEefficient home services - Another free service offered by Prudential, the HOMEefficient division is available to assist customers/clients with utilities(electricity,water,oil/gas,phone,cable) connect and/or disconnect, moving and storage services, recommendations of licensed and experienced vendors to provide home repairs and services, change of address and more. More HOMEefficient info

24/7 Service - A free service by Prudential, your property information will be emailed directly to potential buyers - with thier permission. Thousands of potential buyers (in Norwalk alone) are currently registered with Prudential to receive daily market updates (new and back-on-market listings, price changes) 24/7 registration

Internet - Millions of internet-savvy consumers can now search for homes without ever leaving their living rooms. This opens up a whole new universe of potential buyers for your home. All over North America, real estate listing information is being made available on-line. Homebuyers love it - it saves them precious time and helps them focus on what they want. When they choose to take a look at your home, they are apt to be looking to buy, and not just looking to look. In addition to advertisements in the Prudential national and local websites(Prudential.com/Prudentialct.com), I will list your property's information and interior/exterior photos on the following sites: YAHOO.com, Realtor.com, Homes.com, Homeadvisor.com, NYTimes.com, Infospace.com, Homegain.com as well as competitor's sites (coldwellbanker.com, raveis.com, williampitt.com, weichert.com, century21.com, etc.) In addition, my personal site: FindingMyHome.com (powered by homes.com) will advertise your property as a "featured property" with several alternating photos format with a detailed property description. Will this help sell your home more quickly? The more buyers who are exposed to your home, the greater the chances of it selling in your desired time frame.

Website for your property - Used in all types of advertising: newspaper, magazine,direct mail, toll-free telephone # and internet. This informative website is for the exclusive purpose of allowing potential buyers to learn more about your property whenever they want to - 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week. It includes: property details, slideshow & virtual tour, school info, mortgage payment calculators, area map and more.

Updates/Feedback

You deserve to know what people are saying about your property. I will report to you weekly: updates of property showings with feedback/comments given by those who have seen your home. We will review monthly: Activity of comparable properties - what has sold recently/what is new to the market. I will keep you informed with market updates.

Negotiating

I will present all offers to you immediately. I will make suggestions regarding the best course of action, but the decisions are yours to make. I will negotiate the best possible price and terms for you.

Follow-up until closing

I will follow up on the details to make sure that everything is in order and we can all expect a smooth closing.


CONGRATULATIONS ON THE SALE OF YOUR HOME!

Good luck in your new home. Now you can focus on more important things in your life.