Sell Your Home

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="229785a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><B>Crystalpoint Realty, LLC</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><B>  </B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crystalpoint Realty, LLC"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Buyer Services"><U>Buyer Services</U></A>   |   <B>Sell Your Home</B>   |   <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Multiple Listing Service (MLS)"><U>Multiple Listing Service (MLS)</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="22ad2b03.jpg"> <div>   <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div>   <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   </FONT></div> <div>     <IMG SRC="1ac7fbd0.jpg" border=0 width="127" height="189" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Scott M. White</div> <div> Broker/Owner </div> <div> Phone: (678) 591-8200</div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Sell Your Home</I></div> <div> <I><B>Full Service Firm</B></I></div> <div> Our focus is on quality. We offer an excellent full service program at a reduced commission to all our clients - full service at discount rates, most likely the best program found anywhere!</div> <div> <B>We work as a Listing Agent:</B> </div> <div> -Preparing a detailed Comparative Market Analysis of your home </div> <div> -Developing extensive Marketing Plan to sell your property quickly, yielding you</div> <div> top dollar </div> <div> -Preparing a detailed "Net Sheet" outlining exactly what your proceeds will be </div> <div> from your sale </div> <div> -Working with Appraiser to ensure that your home appraises for full sale price </div> <div> -Working with you to help you find a New Home! </div> <div> Suggestions To Sell Your Property</div> <div> If you list with a Realtor and pay a 6%-7% commission, you must artificially increase the price of your home to defray your commission expense. With Crystalpoint you practically eliminate the "listing Realtor" commission helping you lower the asking price of your home making it available to more buyers and more competitive with other properties currently for sale.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="626" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 1477 WIDTH="622"><div> <B>First Impressions.</B> The exterior of your home is the first thing a prospective purchaser sees. Keep it neat and clean. Be certain lawns and shrubs are well-trimmed to give the house a well-maintained appearance. </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Clean Windows.</B> Sparkling windows with your best curtains, drapes or blinds continue the perception of a well-maintained home. </div> <div> <B>Redecoration?</B> If any part of your home needs redecoration badly, do so only if economically feasible. Remember you want to get back the money you put in.</div> <div> <B>Clean Basement.</B> Cluttered basements retain dampness and the smell of mildew and leads buyers to think of water problems even when none exists. If a water problem exists, do not attempt to cover up the water stains with paint. Paint will not stick, walls will peel and flake and buyers will assume you are hiding a problem worse than what may exist. </div> <div> <B>Keep Stairways Clear.</B> No need to have a potential buyer introduce you to his attorney and your insurance agent over a slip or fall. Objects on stairs and missing handrails are dangerous and demonstrate negligence. </div> <div> <B>Empty Closets.</B> Cluttered closets stuffed from top to bottom tell prospective buyers your home's closet space is inadequate, Move out of season items to the attic or storage room or better yet the trash. </div> <div> <B>Sparkling Bathrooms</B> are rated equal with kitchens as the most important areas to buyers. Do all you can. </div> <div> <B>Light.</B> Bright rooms appear larger. If a room is dark because of window size or lack of sun, turn lights on. At least post a sign to show how lights may be turned on, especially in the basement. Briefly stated, turn as many lights as you can. </div> <div> <B>Get Out Of The House.</B> When the buyer arrives, greet them politely & quickly. They are not relatives. We suggest you leave the house to the yard or at least stay in one room. Do not follow them – you will chase them away. Do not try to sell the property pointing out details. Inform the buyers if they have any questions you will be happy to answer them, then go away and wait for them to finish. </div> <div> <B>Pets.</B> Most people like dogs, a few are terrified. They distract attention from your home. When the buyers arrive put them outside. </div> <div> <B>Radio and Television</B> distract the buyers. Do not even use them as background noise. </div> <div> <B>If Using A Realtor</B> – Let The Salesperson Talk. Be polite, but do not strike up a conversation with the customer. You do not know what the agent may have told the customers about your home and anything you say may contradict it.</div> <div> <B>Never Apologize For Appearance</B>, it will only call attention to the condition of your home. </div> <div> <B>First Sell The House. </B>Do not try to sell the customer any furniture, rugs, appliances, terms, or possession if buyer is accompanied by a real estate agent. If something in your home is desired by the buyer the agent will let you know. Items included in the sale or are negotiable should be noted on your listing fact sheet or placed on your listing if you are employing the Realtor multiple listing book. The point here is, first sell the house. </div> <div> <B>Night Appointments.</B> Turn on the porch lights and driveway lights. There is no need to show your home after 8 PM.</div> <div> <B>Vanilla In The Oven.</B> Some suggest pouring vanilla extract on a cookie sheet and warming the oven to produce the homey sweet smell of cookies. We suggest you keep all smells neutral or non-existent. You may be a lousy cook! </div> <div> Why Your Home Will NOT Sell</div> <div> <B>CONDITION:</B> </div> <div> -Your home smells of cat or dog urine odor – anywhere. </div> <div> -Kitchens and bathrooms have not been updated since the 1970's. </div> <div> -Environmental problems (e.g.; highway, railroad tracks, cemetery, etc.) </div> <div> <B>PRICE:</B> </div> <div> You price it higher than the Realtor advised and say, "bring me an offer". </div> <div> When listing you choose the Realtor that presents the highest opinion of</div> <div> value because the high price makes you feel good. </div> <div> You receive more than one offer from different buyers on separate</div> <div> occasions producing nearly the identical price yet refuse to reevaluate your</div> <div> price. You have no strategy or "game plan" if no offers are presented. </div> <div> <B>SHOWINGS:</B> </div> <div> -You demand your listing agent be present while other Realtors show the</div> <div> home. </div> <div> -You demand that in lieu of a lock box the key to your home must be</div> <div> obtained</div> <div> from your listing Realtor's office. </div> <div> -You keep your barking dog in the house. You tell Realtors, "he won't bite". </div> <div> -You insist on following the Realtor and customer around the home when</div> <div> home is being shown. </div> <div> -You "pre" negotiate with the Realtors that come to show your home by</div> <div> engaging in conversations about your home.</div> <div> <B>NEGOTIATING:</B> </div> <div> -You berate your listing Realtor thinking it is good business to "ride herd on</div> <div> the help" guaranteeing when an offer is presented your listing agent will be</div> <div> glad to see you lose. </div> <div> -You approach the negotiating process with a "win -lose" attitude for all</div> <div> parties. </div> <div> -You tag the buyers and their Realtor as the "bad guys". </div> <div> -You do not share your selling strategy or future personal plans in regards to</div> <div> the sale of the home with your listing agent. </div> <div> -While negotiating you stand on "principal", losing sight of your goal – to sell</div> <div> the house. </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="622"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="622" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> What Sells A Home</div> <div> Information is the Key</div> <div> In the early 1960's, realizing the difficulty in selling their own listings, brokers created the multiple listing service (MLS). Today brokers still pool the information and split the 6% commission paid by the homeowner with any other broker that produces a buyer.</div> <div> Since the MLS is not accessible to the public, advertising the home is the only way to share this information with buyers. This "marketing" expense on behalf of the seller, apparently justifies the listing.</div> <div> Promoting the home would not be necessary if the buyers could freely obtain the information themselves. The Internet is breaking down the information monopoly of MLS. The growing popularity of posting homes on real estate web sites diminishes the revenue of real estate agents. The January 15, 1999 edition of The Wall Street Journal reports most of the large, low profit brokers are now increasing their commission rate from 6% to 7% or adding "transaction" or "global marketing fees".</div> <div> What Does Your Listing Agent Do for The 3%?</div> <div> Sellers paying a 5%, 6% or 7% commission to have their home "merchandised" by a "listing agent" have been sold a bill of goods. Advertising is a "fig" or "gimmie" used to secure your signature on the listing contract. Only 1 out of 9 homes are sold as a result of advertising. The listing agent has little chance of producing a buyer as she competes with 700 - 1000 other local agents. I</div> <div> "Advertising does not sell houses -</div> <div> Real Estate Professionals do"</div> <div> At best, the listing agent serves as a sort of "property manager" while the home is listed in MLS.</div> <div> Sellers Want to Believe The Hype</div> <div> Sellers, who have bought into the listing agent's rap about promotion, conclude more advertising means more buyers. The seller interviews many firms searching for an aggressive agent ("With All the Marketing Power of Number 1!") to magically deliver a buyer willing to pay more than market value for the home. The home owner expects the listing agent to "sell" the home, i.e., trick the buyer and buyer's agent the property has more value than actually exists. In the real world this rarely happens.</div> <div> I don't know why I bought this house?!</div> <div> Must have been that fast talking Realtor® salesperson!</div> <div> Agents and Buyers - Who is "selling" who?</div> <div> Buyers flock to brokers because brokers have thousands of homes for sale conveniently packaged in one multiple listing book (MLS). In addition, inspecting these properties via the comfort of the agent's car is free! It is easy for a buyer to call a broker on any day of the week to set an appointment to inspect available properties. Once contact is made, it is not uncommon for agents to show 50 - 100 homes before the buyer finally selects a home.</div> <div> Real estate salespeople do not "sell" homes with the same approach salesman clad in plaid sell cars, appliances or long distance service. Instead, realty agents perform a service of gathering and disseminating information. Buying a home is not an impulsive decision. Buyers with common sense never spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase a home as a result of the sales tactics of a real estate agent - with the exception of fraud.</div> <div> Buyers tell the agent where they want to look and what they want to buy. Real estate agents are merely facilitators providing the information and moving the transaction forward. When the buyer finds a home he likes the buyer's agent works in cahoots with the "listing agent" to negotiate the sale and share the 6% commission paid by the seller.</div> <div> Buyers Come and Go</div> <div> Buyers have little loyalty to agents. Unlike sellers, they are not bound by a listing contract. In real estate circles the adage "buyers are liars" is learned the hard way by agents wasting weekends showing homes to buyers who seemingly never buy. Experienced agents call these buyers "Looky Lous" and prefer to work with personal referrals rather than customers who call on newspaper ads.</div> <div> Should an agent fail to show a house that meets the buyer's needs, the buyer will always find some other agent to show it to him. Buyers may look at homes with one agent in the morning and yet another in the afternoon and later, while driving home for the evening, they stop and buy a FSBO.</div> <div> Nevertheless, the buyer's agent is looking to make a commission. Time is money so the agent takes the path of least resistance, showing the buyers what they want, and moving on to the next customer. The average buyer spends 3 - 6 months looking for a home. If an agent finds a home in the Realtor database she believes meets her buyer's needs, she will show it and hope to pocket 3% of the sales price. Should an agent believe your home is overpriced, and deem it too difficult to sell, the agent will move on to an easier sale.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>