My Sellers Plan

I was talking to a friend I used to work with. We were catching up he was telling me what is going on in England. They mentioned when they sold their home the agent never really asked many questions. Their agent talked about price and how they wanted to get to our goal, but never really spelled everything out. They asked me do I do that for my clients. I paused and thought back past transactions was I more reactive or proactive? Did I go thru the motions at some point and step on the gas later? I realized I never handed my sellers a sheet saying this is what I  plan to do for you seller.  However, subconsciously I did plan. Here is what I often want the ability to answer after the first meeting. 

 

My Goal for My Seller: To help my client meet or exceed their real estate goals 

At First meeting: Pricing about the home is important, but I also will want to know a few other details at the first meeting 

Why are you selling? 

What features in the home spoke to you when you first looked at the home as a buyer? 

What changes did you make to the home? 

Do you have a home to move into when this home sells? 

What other services do you need to make your life easier during the process? 

You might be wondering why ask so much at the first meeting?

Well, real estate is personal in many cases.  Knowing why your seller is selling is in some ways more important than price.  If My Seller has no real motivation to sell then the seller might have an unrealistic view of the value of their home.    Knowing the seller why they are selling is important and remember I said real estate is personal.  

What did you love about a home?

We often want to create distance between buyer and seller, However, we also want a buyer to feel connected to a home. Speaking about what a seller liked about a home when they were walking thru is a great way to build a connection. 

What did you change? and why did you make the change?

I like when my sellers answer this question so I can later express to a buyer past work a seller has done improving the home so hopefully, they see value in the home if they were questioning the price. 

What is The Seller Exit Strategy?

Every seller needs to have a plan where they plan to go when a home sells. We are no longer in a market where it’s an easy task to find a home to move to. It is so important I know if my seller can close quickly or needs time to find a new place. Leaseback is not always an option. If I know my seller doesn’t have a place to go, planning ahead of time only makes my job easier. I can be transparent to agents and prospective buyers so the best possible crafted offer is created.

Why would I ask if a seller has any other service they need?

I want to make my seller’s life easier and I want to make a buyer’s life easier. If I have a seller who is selling their home and has plans to relocate to Florida. I will be the agent who asks do you have an agent to help you find a home in Florida?  Do you have a moving company or storage company sorted? These are the details I think about.  

You and I have already begun the discussion on price, and what you are planning to do when this home sells.  There is work that still needs to be done prior.  They can be a host of services 

Decluttering Services 

Repair things in the home 

Painting 

staging services 

Broad Spectrum Viewpoint

Not all homeowners have the time on their hands.   Services are available to make a homeowner’s life easier and they can choose which ones serve them best.  Yes, there is a cost associated with these services. However, all of them provide value and help a seller reach their goal. A staged home sells on average 17% higher than a home not staged. When I walk through a home I take into account additional factors.

• Does a Tenant Live there? 
• Does a Homeowner live there? 
• What is the personal lifestyle that calls the space home?

 The work to the home is done, and now it’s time to get the home to market.  Before it goes to market I will look at the market data to make sure the price is correct, and at the same time if I haven’t brought it up at the first meeting I will bring it up how do you want me to sell the home? Do you want open houses? Do you want to use Virtual technology to sell your home like zoom property tours, Facebook live, or simple facetime tours?  Remember your buyer might not live in Massachusetts and might not be able to attend in person your open house.  Are you just doing showings on open house days or will you honor showings before that? Do you want open houses to all to occur before reviewing offers? 

Quality of Showings vs Quantity 

Every home is unique and the people who live in the home are also unique and that requires developing a custom plan for each seller that meets their needs.

• How are showings will be held that offer the best return and keep everyone comfortable in the process? 
• Will Open House be traditional or mixed in technology like Facebook live, zoom, and facetime

Every home has a total custom plan that meets its goals but also remembers the homeowner must feel comfortable in the process.

Visual Media 

Every home is unique and deserves a custom marketing plan that highlights the home in the best light. Brilliant photography, videography, detailed floor plans are available along with drone shooting. A custom marketing plan is not just crafted by me at Gibson Sotheby’s, but the seller impact is very important to me and goes into the planning when marketing your home. 

Part of what people expect with Sotheby’s is marketing plans are tailored to that property, Sotheby’s is known for being unique, and when I work on your marketing it’s going to be unique with elements of traditional that fit with the home. 

Global Marketing Platform 

Sotheby’s International is in 74 countries and territories and has 1,000 offices worldwide with 25,000 associates. Your property is not just marketed to agents in Boston Metro Area but it is marketed to agents all over the world using the Global Marketing Platform which includes email marketing and social media.  Sotheby’s International has 37 Million visitors annually. 900,000 engaged social media followers.  This is just the first layer offered to all clients.  It also goes to Gibson Sotheby’s local channels and that includes their marketing and social media. 

One of the most amazing things I love about Sotheby’s is a property in New England that can have a person in Australia looking at the home or a buyer in California could be saying oh my god that’s the home I want to live in.  Your property is not just limited to the Sotheby’s family either. Your amazing home could be in publications like New Year Times, Country Living, and  Apple TV to name a few. 

Accurate Pricing 

Selling your home there are many aspects we can’t control, but what we can control is price. I will give your price when we first meet or a range in pricing but I will want to relook at the market very close to you going to market-making sure you’re getting the best price.  It was never about just getting a listing. It was about you and making sure you get the best. 

Transaction Management 

Attention to detail. I will look over the offer and if multiple offers do a summary that will point out the positives and negatives about each offer. The highest price is nice, but not always the best offer.  Anticipate potential problems and ideas on how to solve them or avoid them is very important.  I really dislike dealing with problems that could have been avoided, and in most of my transactions, the issues I face are minor because I reach out to the team which often means the attorney for the seller saying is this going to be an issue later? If a seller tells me don’t worry about it that is fine, but I would rather bring up a detail early on than have a client say why didn’t you bring this up? I am not perfect and will never claim to be, but I do claim to really try to do the best for the client and if I can make everyone else who works for your life easier as well then that is the best.  

Conclusion 

If you are a seller who has put selling your home on the backburner now is the time to get on the market. Buyer demand is high and interest rates are still low and will not remain low much longer. If you want to command the highest price I will always try to get you the best, but timing is key. Contact me today and let’s get your home on market and do it on your terms that makes you feel comfortable.