Many prospective Sellers will question if they need to hire a Realtor to sell their home. Many people do not realize homes sold by a Realtor, more often than not, sell at a higher price than those sold privately.
As a representative of the Seller of property there are many services I provide.
1. It is essential to be familiar with the market place for the home in question. I prepare a market analysis to assist you with determining what is the best price for your property. To do this I look at the neighborhood the home is located in. Specifically, I examine the homes that have sold in the area and what homes will be competing with the prospective home for sale. I take into consideration the similarities in those homes and yours. Since St. Thomas rarely has developments where there are tracks of homes constructed with little variation in the size, floor plan and physical situation, I take pride in taking the time to consider the specific features of your home or condo. Just about every home here is unique so I often have to make adjustments in values to allow for these differences.
2. Having as much of the documentation on your home as possible for the Buyer to review is essential. I assist in gathering everything from, deeds, tax records, surveys and as built maps and if you have occupied your home recently, the seller's disclosure form. The gathering of such information helps to avoid delays as you get into the home stretch of the closing process and it gives the buyers a level of comfort with knowing exactly what they are purchasing.
3. Preparing your home for viewing is so important. You only get one chance to make a good impression on a potential buyer. I supply a list of strongly suggested things Sellers need to do, like, get rid of the clutter and clean like never before. I will walk through your home and specifically point out areas to work on. I also will share a list of cleaning professionals and contractors you can choose from to do projects that can improve the perception of your home. A fresh coat of paint and power washing the exterior of buildings in the tropics can work wonders. Staging is a wonderful idea especially if the home is empty.
4. A strong marketing plan is essential as well. Once the home has been prepared great photographs tell the story and entice potential buyers to view your home first. 95% of buyers begin their search for a home online and the more pictures associated with a home the more interest there is in the home. It gives the buyer a method of narrowing their search before they leave home, saving them precious time and it lets the world know what is is you are selling. Making sure your property is available to hundreds of websites of individual real estate professionals, my personal website with Virtual tours, eFlyers, blog posts, social media sites, Realtor.com with enhance features, and well written descriptions all improve the exposure of your property and bring the right buyer to your home. I use print ads in the form of trade magazines and some newspaper advertising too.
5. Safety is an important consideration while your home is being actively marketed. I place electronic lock boxes on the properties I list. They allow me to tack who gains entrance to your home. Only Realtors, home inspectors, appraisers, contractors, repair people and cleaning staff who have made appointments in advance will have access to your home. If it is your preference or there are special circumstances, like pets, I will personally attend all showings too.
6. I conduct brokers open houses. St. Thomas is a bit unique in this area. Open houses are not normally open to the general public here, although if an agent or broker has a customer they are working with and they believe the customer may be interested in a particular home that is having a broker's open house, the customer is welcome to attend with their agent. On occasion, a neighbor or friend may attend too.
7. Communication is essential. I will update you on frequency of showings and feed back on showings and the open houses conducted. As the conduit of the transaction, I am the liaison to the buyer through their agent or broker, attorneys, the mortgage company, inspectors, surveyors, any repair and people and contractors you may need during the transaction. Following up and making sure each requirement is met to complete the deal.
8. Besides doing the job required to get the transaction done, I listen to and try to resolve any other issues you may have and inevitably come up with the sale of property. I can recommend list of international packing and shipping companies, help organize yard sales, transfer of utilities from a distance, offer guidance on transferring licenses and vehicle registrations (normal things but they sometimes have a unique twist here in the VI).
The long and short of it is I will do what needs to be done to make your selling experience as simple and pleasant as possible.
If you have been thinking about selling, contact me, lets get it listed now!
No comments:
Post a Comment