Christian Real Estate Professionals

I Live in Realityville :: Do You?

I love listings!  Listings are so enjoyable to me--I enjoy the market analysis, the staging and prep, the constant marketing challenge, 'romancing' the Realtors®, creating ads, showing homes and seeing the look on sellers' faces when an Offer is received and ultimately Closing occurs so that they can move on to the next chapter in their lives.  Everything about listing a home is fun for me with the exception of pricing a home.  Pricing is serious business and can make or break everything else that you've put into selling your home.  

Yes, I've been guilty of allowing sellers to overprice.  This market has taught me more about overpricing than I ever wanted to learn!   I say, "No more!"  And yes, pricing IS ultimately the seller's decision--I am in charge of the process, they are in charge of pricing.  I may advise, cajole, beg, plead but, THEY price their property!

What is seller's reality?  If your home is listed in MLS with an agent who is marketing your property thoroughly, is updated and staged well (including being decluttered), and has been on the market over 60 days with few buyers coming through and absolutely NO Offers, then the market has spoken, reality has reared its ugly head.  What did the market say to you?  You're OVERpriced!  

Times have changed since your neighbor or friend sold their home for a hefty profit.  Times have changed since your neighbor or friend sold their home in a couple of DAYS with multiple Offers.  Times have changed since your neighbor sold his home with few upgrades in his home--buyers just wanted to find a home quickly in that particular school zone--OR before another one got away!  Now, the supply is incredibly high, the demand low and buyers can afford (no pun intended) to take their time to locate the BEST deal. 

However, times have also changed in YOUR favor--nearly 90% of buyers are shopping for a home online and if your home is marketed well there, then your home IS being seen by prospective buyers.  Your home is shown inside and out, upstairs and down--all over the internet.  Buyers are savvy these days and can easily cost-compare homes online and if yours appears to be overpriced, they move/click on.  Why wouldn't they?  Would YOU overpay for a home when you can get a better price on a similar new home?

Fussing at your agent for lack of showings or not doing his/her job (remember, we are the experts--this IS our business), isn't going to get the job done.  Yelling that the neighbor's agent had one more open house than you have had, isn't going to get the job done. Screaming for a newspaper ad which doesn't sell homes any longer, isn't going to change the reality.  Complaining that the last showing agent hasn't provided feedback within the hour--or even within the week isn't going to get the job done; if their buyer liked the home, you WILL get an Offer!

Herein lies the reality - your price needs to be adjusted.  Period.  Plain and simply, the sooner you make the adjustment, the sooner your burden of carrying the costs of the home and keeping your home in showing condition will come to an end and the sooner the next chapter in your life will begin.  

Sorry sellers, this is simply Realityville...welcome to MY world!

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

Disclosure of material contained within.

Slow Markets and Charlotte Homes - Bring the Two Together - Close the Sale

Today’s slow real estate market can be a difficult time to sell Charlotte homes.  However, the fact remains that homes are still being bought and sold every day.   Buyers are out there; your mission is to attract them to your home.

Here are a few tips for getting Charlotte homes sold in a slow real estate market: 

Prepararation - Your home needs to stand out from the rest, including sparkle and shine:

    •    Make minor repairs:  Patch holes, fix faucets and replace cracked tiles.
    •    Clean thoroughly inside and out:  Including cobwebs, dirty carpets, worn rugs and getting rid of any smelly odors.
    •    Check your curb appeal:  Mow the lawn, plant flowers, trim bushes, etc.
    •    Remove clutter and de-personalize:  If it isn’t essential, pack it up or get rid of it, keeping in mind that eventually, when your home sells, you’re going to have to pack it up anyway!
    •    Straighten your cabinets and closets:  Buyers will open them; make sure they’re nice and neat.

Staging -  Hire a professional home stager or if money is tight, read informational home staging articles on doing it yourself. Here are a few quick tips:

    •    Carefully choose your window coverings, or eliminate them.
    •    Tie new bathroom towels with ribbons or cording for a polished bathroom look.
    •    Use colors to bring out the appeal in the room.
    •    Don’t forget the plants.

Good Marketing Techniques - A strong marketing campaign is a must.  A few techniques you want to be sure you or your agent includes in your marketing campaign are:

   •    Take photographs with good lighting that show off the positive aspects of your home.  If you or your agent aren’t ‘into’ photography, hire a professional--well worth the money you will spend to showcase your home online.

    •    Create a virtual tour that showcases both the inside and outside of your home.
    •    Display the photos and virtual tour on as many real estate websites as possible. 

Selling Charlotte homes isn’t a quick or easy endeavor, especially now.  Aggressive marketers are the winners.  Taking the time to clean and stage your home, as well as create a far-reaching marketing campaign, can get that for SOLD sign displayed much quicker.

If you’d like to sell your home, let me create a strong, far-reaching marketing campaign to get your home SOLD.   Give me a call email me today.

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

Disclosure of material contained within.

You've listed your property. You've spent your evenings after work and weekends with people traipsing through your home.  You've done everything you can possibly think of and your Charlotte NC real estate is still sitting on the market while others around you are selling.  Why isn't your home selling?

You've cleaned your home—you think.  Let's examine a few areas that many people tend to overlook:

   ·          Have you de-cluttered?  Make your home look as spacious as you possibly can.  Collectibles and family items               are simply not appealing to buyers--you don't want to distract them and you DO want them to be able to envision             their own belongings in your home.   Too many of your 'things' make them feel as though they are intruding.

·         Have you stuffed all of your “stuff” in cabinets thinking no one will be bold enough to open cabinets and look inside?  In fact, most buyers DO open drawers and cabinets, and will definitely look in your closets.  So, don't stash all your stuff in the closets.  Besides being untidy, it is likely that overstuffed closets will fall out in an avalanche when an unsuspecting buyer happens to take a peek.  My recommendation:  You're getting ready to move anyway, why not pack it away NOW?

·         Are the dirty dishes stacked up, clothes in the laundry baskets, or used towels all over the bathroom?   Just because you have to live in your Charlotte NC real estate until you sell it doesn't mean it looks good to your buyers.   The 'lived in' look only makes your home look comfortable when friends and family visit, not prospective buyers.

·         Does your loving pet adore your visitors?   Even the most well-behaved dog or cat may be a distraction.  Not everybody is a pet lover, and even if they are, they don't want to have to deal with your pets while viewing a home.   Keep your dogs and cats in their crates when buyers come to see your Charlotte NC real estate listing or better yet, if you're able to do so, take them with you during the showing.

·         Is the lawn mower sitting on the patio, the pool skimmer lying on the lawn; are the kid's bikes piled up in the driveway?   The inside of your home isn't the only place that shouldn't look 'lived in' when you are showing your home to the public.  Again, pack it up or tuck it away neatly.

Little things do mean a lot.  Don't let those little nail holes, stray wires from a removed fixture, or coffee stains on the carpet go unheeded.   Your buyer is not going to want to fix those things when they move in, especially not in this economy when a good number of home buyers are looking for pristine, move-in-ready homes for sale in Charlotte NC.  And, it makes potential buyers think that if minor repairs haven't been taken care of, most likely, major repairs have been let go also.  Take the time to do minor home fix ups and make your house look as inviting as possible.

If you'd like more tips like this, subscribe to my blog!  Want to view other listings in your own neighborhood?  Visit Charlotte NC Real Estate - Click on Advanced Search and complete the neighborhood section with your neighborhood, then 'search.'  You'll now have a list of all of the homes in your neighborhood that are listed in MLS and will be able to compare them online.

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

Disclosure of material contained within.

How Does Your Charlotte NC Home for Sale Compare?

Any time supply is higher than demand, businesses start looking for a way to set themselves apart from the competition.  If you have a Charlotte NC home for sale, you’re probably doing the same thing.  What is the competition like, though?  Are you looking for similar houses, similar neighborhoods – or is the competition nationwide?  By paying attention to homes that are selling nationwide, you can find out a lot about what buyers want, especially since Charlotte NC attracts buyers from all across the nation.

If your Charlotte NC home for sale is in a place similar to other areas from which relocation clients may be exiting, you just might have a much better chance at selling, especially if you market those positive attributes.  Here are just a few of the things you may have in common with those coming from other markets:

• Small Town, City or Metropolis:  Whether a place is small or not is relative. For instance, someone who lives in a town with less than 3,000 people would think Charlotte NC is a huge city.   The population of various cities is quite different.  If your home is in a population area similar to what the relocation client is seeking, this could be a great selling point.  Advertise your city's assets in your marketing.
  
  

• Robust, needed industries:  High-tech industries, energy services and health care are just a few sectors that haven’t been hit nearly as hard by the recession. The demand for trained workers in these industries is higher in areas with these industrial sectors than in others. Because your home is located in an area with lower than average unemployment, brag about it!
  
  
  

• Low crime rates:  If you aren’t quite sure what the crime rate is around your home, check! Low crime rates are an excellent selling point; one that you could be missing out on.  **Remember that you cannot declare that your home is in an area with ‘lower crime than ___’ but, you can direct your buyers to check out the crime rates from the local police or sheriff’s departments.
  
  
  
  
  

• Education:  Education has always been important to a significant number of buyers. We have several universities and you live in a highly educated community!  It may not seem like an important factor to you, but it can very well be imperative to your buyer.  Share in your marketing materials the colleges in the area, the educational demographics of your area...

From population demographics to the number of recreational activities available, everything goes into making your Charlotte NC home for sale attractive to buyers.  What makes your area special?

Need help identifying your home’s selling points?  That’s my job!  Phone me or email me for more information on marketing your Charlotte NC home.

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

Disclosure of material contained within.