My Thoughts on Choosing a Realtor and Having them Represent You the Right Way!

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I am writing this blog in reference to the many calls and emails that I receive on a daily bases about picking a Realtor.  This is the information that I tell people to look for in a real estate agent.  Not everyone may agree, but not all real estate agents are the same.  These are the main points that I have learned over the years that will help you to identify the correct agent.

 

Make sure the Realtor that you choose to sell your home will do the following things:

  1. List the property on MLS and have professional photos.  Buyers look online first and your property should have professional photos – this is the first sign of a professional real estate agent that understands today’s market.  Having your home professionally staged will make these photos shine over the competition.
  2. Price the property correctly.  Get to know your competition.  Supply and demand within a neighborhood play an important role in pricing.  Have your agent show you open houses in the area.  Sometimes a seller believes their home is worth a certain number, but that can be far from the truth.  Your agent should be Brutally Honest with you…even if it is not what you want to hear. 
  3. Have a professional sign in the front yard.  The sign should have a direct number to your real estate agent, not a general information number.  Potential buyers are calling because they are interested, you want them speaking directly to your agent.  There should also be a full size brochure box with color photos.  Again, potential buyers are grabbing this information because they are interested.  The real estate agent should keep this box fully stocked.  Exposure creates interest!
  4. Have the property present on the internet.  Social media is very important.  Most agents have access to several real estate websites to promote their listings.  Make sure that you have a web savvy agent.
  5. Print advertising.   Yes…people still read from magazines and the newspaper…crazy right! 😉  Encourage your real estate agent to promote your property in local newspapers or magazines in full color.
  6. Realtor availability.  They should be available day, night, and weekends.  Do not expect a return call instantly, but at least within 24 hours.  One of the biggest frustrations that I hear about is when an agent calls another to make an offer and that agent doesn’t return the call until the next day or after the weekend.  This could make a potential buyer move on to another property that they like.  You want a real estate agent that will network and work cooperatively with other agents.  Seasoned agents tend to know other agents in the area and have good working relationships with them.
  7. Points of interest . Have a printed out Points of Interest brochure available for potential buyers to take with them at your home.  This is the only way that you can tell them about all of the upgrades and great features that your home has to offer.  One of the main conversations that I have with the homeowner when I come to do a consultation is everything that is great about their home and what upgrades that they have done to it.  No one knows the home better than you.  And Remember, from my previous Blog Should I Stage My Vacant Home, one of the most important things is what that potential buyer remembers from your home above all others.  Having this Points of Interest to look back at later with help them remember your homes wonderful features!
  8. Realtor sells full-time.  It isn’t that newer agents aren’t capable, it is just a factor in making an informed decision.  Many “experienced” agents may not be the best choice either, especially if they haven’t kept up with technology. You deserve an agent that is committed and knowledgeable.

Final Thought…  An Educated, Committed Realtor + Professional Staging = SOLD!

Should I Stage My Vacant Home?

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Before

Before

After

After

Have you ever looked online at vacant homes?

What do you remember about that home?

Did it spark a feeling? Did you know which room you were looking at?  Were you intrigued to continue on and look at every picture.  Or,  did you simply pass up that listing to look at the next home that was furnished and had character!  This is Exactly why you need to stage a vacant home.

Vacant homes can all look the same, they are void of style and personality.  They are, simply, a house with no character. You see all of the negatives;  lighting,  space,  dated wood,  confusing rooms… the list goes on. Vacant homes can amplify negative thoughts and features.

You wonder, “What room Am I looking at”?  A staged home defines the space and rooms showing all of their potential.  Buyers buy on feelings and emotion.  Home Staging creates an emotion that helps the buyers envision their first home, a temporary place they want to call home,  or maybe even, their dream home.

I have been in the staging business for over ten years.  There are times when an agent asks for an emergency staging before an open house.  I ask for all of the photos of that vacant home.  (Now remember, I have been in thousands of homes at this point)  I look at the pictures, then call the agent, confused!  I ask myself , “How many living spaces?  Dining spaces?  Is that the same room, or a different room?“.  Now,  if I am an experienced stager and  I can’t tell the rooms apart, how can a new potential home buyer!?  They Can’t!!  So they skip Right Over that MLS listing, and move on to another, with pictures of a more well defined, uncluttered, updated, freshly furnished home.

THAT should be Your home.

A VERY Important thing for you to Know…  You have Three chances to sell your home:

  1. The online listing.
  2. When they are at the home.
  3. THE MOST Important!  What they can remember of Your Home above anyone else’s!!!

Final Thought…

Will a vacant home leave the buyer with a lasting, positive impression?   Definitely NOT.

But a home, simply staged beautiful enough to be in a magazine, WILL!

The National Association of REALTORS 2015 Profile on Home Staging found that 81 percent of buyers find it is easier to visualize a property as a future home when it’s staged.

Kari

This is how Kariel became Kariel…

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Today many people are fascinated by home staging. I think it’s because it is a transformation of old to new or cluttered to simple. I have loved doing transformations since I was a small child. Whether I was decorating my Barbie townhouse or my daughters’ townhouses (I think I loved it more than they did) or my childhood room. I just loved making it look pretty.

I started staging 11 years ago. I had a friend tell me about people staging homes in San Francisco, CA. I told a coworker, who happened to also be a realtor, about staging and she suggested I stage one of her home listings. Within a few days I staged my very first home.  It sold right away. It had been on the market for 6 months prior to me staging it. Immediately after this home sold the buyers asked me to stage their home.  From that lead I staged my first million dollar plus home. I remembered often thinking “if I could stage one home a month.”

I eventually was staging one home a week. My business began to grow quickly. After a short period of time I had 35 homes to stage in one week. I asked myself “how did I get here?” I was nervous, anxious, and excited that I had made it this far. I had many great opportunities from many great people that believed in me and what I did. I now stage about 1,000 homes a year. My business continues to grow and I am working on expanding into other markets.  I will talk more about that in some of my future blog posts as my plans come to fruition.

I hired people that could help me with my quickly expanding business. I wanted to build a team that could visualize my vision. Everyone I work with believes in what we do. I have three incredible designers. They do a fabulous job helping me execute the vision that I have for Kariel Staging. My movers have as much passion as I do about this business. We all feel good when a house looks great. When we walk out the door we get to feel amazing about writing a story for a family buying their first home or someone buying their dream home. I’m excited for you to meet my team and get an inside look of who we are and what we do.

I’m excited for my new blog. I want to share with you what my team and I do every day. I continue to be thrilled that we get to stage Barbie Dream homes every day.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I look forward to posting many more of them.

Kari

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