Home Selling

Selling a home is considered by many as one of the most stressful life events.

According to the National Association of Realtors, nearly two-thirds of the people surveyed who sold their own homes say they wouldn’t do it again themselves. Primary reasons included setting a price, marketing handicaps, liability concerns, and time constraints.

The best way to make the experience as positive, smooth and successful as possible, is to hire a skilled real estate broker who is with you every step of the way. When deciding upon a broker, consider two or three. All brokers are not the same! A professional Realtor® knows the market and has information on past sales, competing listings, the appropriate marketing venues, and will provide his/her background and references. Evaluate each candidate carefully on the basis of his/her experience, qualifications, enthusiasm, and personality. Be sure you choose someone who you trust and feel confident that he/she will do a good job on your behalf.

Here are the questions you should ask, and the things to consider when interviewing a broker:

How many home homes do you sell on average in a year?

Why should you care about how many homes one agent sold over another?

It matters because it is not unusual for some agents to sell only 1-4 homes a year. Some brokers do real estate as a side business and are not engaged in the industry full time. Low volume transactions make it difficult for agents to do full impact marketing on your home, as they cannot raise the money and time required to afford the advertising and special programs to give your home a high profile. Ask the agents you interview how many homes they have sold in the last year, and the year before that.

What are your marketing plans for my home?

Listing the property on the MLS and doing nothing else,

simply is not enough to get the highest value and the largest exposure to buyers. A great agent will market your home on the MLS, third-party sites and on signs, flyers, blogs and other media.

On average, how close is the selling price to the asking price for the homes you have sold?

If the sales price of a broker’s sold listings is repeatedly and significantly lower than the list price,

then the broker may either not know the market, or may quote the list price too high just to get the listing in hopes that the seller will eventually drop the price when no offers are forthcoming. Be as wary of value estimates that are too high as those that are too low. Be more concerned with how the brokers arrived at the value quote.

On average, how long does it take for your listings to sell?

Listings that sit on the market too long are either overpriced or have a major flaw that should have been addressed prior to listing.

In either case, a broker should anticipate and recognize what buyers are objecting to and change course as soon as possible. Statistics show that the longer homes are on the market, the lower the eventual sales price.

Do you have a reference list of clients I may contact?

Ask to see this list, and then proceed to spot check some of the names.

What other services will you provide to help sell my home?

A great agent will help you prepare your home for sale in a critical marketplace.

She will offer staging, cleaning and repair suggestions, as well as help you understand what buyers are looking for in today's market.

What happens if I am not happy with your performance? Can I cancel my contract?

Be wary of agents who lock you into a lengthy listing contract that they can get out of (by ceasing to effectively market your home) but of which you cannot.

Does the agent have an unconditional satisfaction guarantee? You will want an agent who is confident enough to provide a guarantee.

Here is how Sandy stands out:

Service Philosophy

Sandy treats every transaction as if it were her own,

and treats her clients like valued friends. Many brokers get clients through paid lead generation that continually churns out new prospective buyers and sellers. These transactions need to close quickly to get to the next one. An unhappy client is inconsequential, as the next prospect is already in the pipeline. Sandy’s business comes exclusively from repeat clients and referrals. Her continued success depends on making every client happy. She wouldn’t want it any other way, as her name is on every transaction and she takes a lot of pride in her work and reputation.

Home Staging

A home’s appearance is so critical that it would be unwise to ignore this factor when selling your home.

The look and “feel” of your home will generate a greater emotional response than any other factor. Prospective buyers react to what they see, hear, feel, and smell even though you may have priced your home to sell. Sandy is an Accredited Staging Professionals and has taken her training from the inventor of Home Staging, Barb Schwartz. Sandy’s eye for space, light and design benefit her home sellers in preparing their home for market. Because Sandy has learned first-hand that staged homes will sell faster and for more money than unstaged homes, Home Staging is a complimentary service Sandy provides to her seller clients. Vacant homes will receive complimentary vignette staging, and occupied homes will receive a complimentary staging consultation.

Photography

Studies have shown that 86% of all buyers begin their home shopping experience on the Internet.

It’s critical that your home has fabulous photos or the buyers won’t view your home in person. Sandy is trained in real estate photography and invests in excellent equipment to photograph your home in its best light and the right lens. She spends countless hours optimizing photos before they are approved for release and marketing. For special properties, Sandy invests in drone photography to show off the views behind the home, or a sizeable land parcel.

Communication

An honest and unbiased assessment of the home’s appeal to prospective buyers will go a long way in preparing to overcome any buyer objections,

or remediating possible obstacles to a sale in advance. An excellent communicator, Sandy helps sellers understand how to best position their home on the market. Sandy also provides regular reports to keep her sellers informed of her ongoing marketing efforts, showing activity and the status of the transaction. Sandy invests in a Home Feedback system that provides her sellers real-time feedback from showing agents and their buyers. Once received; these comments are automatically emailed to the home seller so they can see each and every comment directly from the source.

Ethics

Sandy has an outstanding reputation in the community that has earned her the respect of her colleague Realtors.

This, of course, has a positive effect on her clients and their home sales. As one of Sandy’s clients, you can expect nothing less than unbiased advice, honest guidance and open disclosures. Sandy represents her clients exclusively. Dual agency is permitted by Washington State law, and is routinely practiced by many brokers who like to collect commissions for both sides of a transaction. Sandy has never, and will never represent two opposing parties in the same transaction.

Negotiation Skills

Sandy’s feel for the market and each individual situation enables her to guide her seller clients through the negotiations phase of the transaction with finesse. Because she treats each transaction as if it were her own, her aim is to negotiate the best terms possible to save her clients money.

Availability

Real Estate is Sandy’s career and passion. She is a full-time broker who aims to be available for her clients when they are available.

Professional Designations

Sandy isn’t just a real estate agent; she is a Realtor®.

She isn’t just a broker; she is a Managing Broker. A real estate agent is anyone who is licensed to help people buy and sell residential property. Realtor® is a trademarked term that refers to a real estate agent who is an active member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). NAR requires that members hold a valid real estate license, be actively engaged in the real estate business, have no record of official sanctions involving unprofessional conduct and have no recent or pending bankruptcy. According to NAR, the Code “is what separates Realtors from non-member real estate agents.”

Realtors must attend a formal orientation and agree to abide by NAR’s Code of Ethics & Professional Standards.

As a Managing Broker, Sandy had to pass the Managing Broker’s Exam and maintain her Managing Broker’s License, and as such she is held to a higher standard. Managing brokers may manage and supervise Associate Brokers, and only Managing Brokers can act as Designated Brokers to run brokerage firms.