Use an Agent to Buy New Construction in Orange County



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Did you know that it's still important to use an agent even when buying a new construction home? A lot of buyers will go into the builder community and look at the models, and what they don't realize is that the builder will ask them to register before viewing models. They want to do this to document everyone coming in, and also send them updates with new models and updates. What also happens is that if you sign in without an agent present, an agent can't represent them in the purchase, and a lot of people don't know this.

The reason it's so great to use an agent when buying a property in a new build area is that it doesn't cost you a dime. The builder has a marketing budget set aside to pay buyer's agents for bringing their clients. This doesn't affect any costs, but what it does is create certainty for the buyer. It also gives you a second set of eyes with the paperwork and someone on your side during the escrow process. Remember, the listing agent at the builder community represents the builder, and their goal is to get as much money as possible for the home.

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Builders have a budget set aside to pay buyer's agents.
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Now, lots of people tell me they go to new build communities and prices are non-negotiable. Well, things are changing. Not all communities are negotiable on price, but what happened was a lot of builders got really excited about how active the market was, and built a lot of homes really fast. Now we're seeing a new home surplus, so they're offering incentives like reducing closing costs.

Whatever the case is, work with an agent, because they're skilled in determining what they builder is willing to do to get you locked in and buy the property. My team and I have knowledge in this process to fight for you and take advantage of the builder's mistake of building too many houses too fast.

If you're in the market to buy a new home, give us a call! If you have any other questions or ideas you'd like us to expand on, let us know.
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Location: Orange County, CA, USA

What to Do After Your Listing Expires



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 When you’re unsuccessful with a home sale and the listing expires, you really have three options. One third of people will re-list right away, one third will re-list in a few months, and the final third will just give up and decide not to sell.

Some of these people will hire the same agent they hired in the past, some will hire a new agent. Whatever your situation is, it’s important to know if your home expires you will fall into one of three categories.

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You want to choose an agent based 
on their strategy.
”

We always recommend that sellers interview at least two or three agents before making a decision. Interviewing other agents will help you realize what went wrong previously. It you give an agent six months to sell your property and they can’t sell it in that time frame, you’ll probably get the same results if you hire them again. You want to choose an agent based on their strategy, marketing plan, and confidence level.

If you have any questions for me at any time, feel free to give me a call or send me an email.
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Location: Orange County, CA, USA

6 Ways to Kill Your Orange County Home Sale



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Whether you’re planning to sell in the near future or entertaining the thought, there are some things you need should know. I’m constantly seeing Orange County sellers make the same mistakes over and over again, which sabotage their deals. It’s causing their homes to sell for a lot less and sit on the market a lot longer than they should. Here are the 6 things you should avoid when listing your Orange County home on the market.

1. Don’t hire an agent based on a personal relationship. Hold the agents that you’re considering to a certain standard. You shouldn’t hire them because they are a good friend or family member, you should hire them because they are a good fit and will bring you great value. Not every agent is created equally, and each has different strategies to accomplish your goals. The wrong agent can ignite a negative chain reaction.

2. Don’t overprice. Even though we may be in a seller’s market, there are many buyers out there who are nervous about the potential for a real estate bubble. They are tentative, and skeptical about high prices. If you are overpriced, they will know, and avoid your home. Even if you eventually reduce your price, that will invite lowball offers because you’ve been on the market for so long.

3. Don’t just hire the cheapest agent. You can always find someone that will do the job cheaper. However, the commission conversation is more detail-oriented than you think. It’s not just about a number, there’s a lot of strategy that goes behind commission rates. If you’re working with someone who has a good track record and leverages their commission into incentives and great marketing, you’re saving much more in the long run than you would by going with a discount agent. You are doing yourself a disservice if you hire an agent based on commission rates.

4. Don’t overlook the power of emotion. Buyers buy based on emotion, no matter how much research they put into a property. Curb appeal and staging are so important because buyers will overlook a lot of things missing from a home if they can connect with the home emotionally. Staging really helps bring this type of emotion out, and can help your home sell for much more than it would without it.

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It’s crucial to work with an 
agent who understands the market.
”

5. Don’t work with an agent who isn’t dynamic. The real estate market is changing every single day. You need an agent who understands this, and understands the nuances of your specific market. This way they can leverage specific date to market and position your home to sellers. It’s crucial to work with an agent who understands the ever-changing market.

6. Keep your agent accountable. Agents will tell you anything up-front in order to get your listing. They will make promises, and may or may not keep them. If you have an agent and aren’t holding them accountable, God knows what will go on. Real estate is global, especially in Orange County, and people are coming here from all over the world. If you have bad online marketing and bad photos on your listing, people aren’t going to see your hoe. If they don’t see your home, you won’t have showings and if you don’t have showings you won’t get any offers.

These are the 6 crucial mistakes that you must avoid if you’re putting your home on the market. Making even 1 of these mistakes can ignite a negative chain reaction, which you don’t want. We want to sell your home for the most amount of money possible, for a record price if we can. If you have any questions for me or want to know what we can do to market your home on the highest level, give me a call or send me an email. I would love to speak with you!
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Location: Orange County, CA, USA

Why Orange County Agents Accept Lower Commissions




Why would an agent consider discounting their commission?

If you've seen my videos in the past, you know that commissions can be a very complicated situation. There's a lot of strategy that goes into it. However, many consumers have been conditioned to ask for an agent to charge the least amount of commission. They feel that if an agent charges less commission, then they'll walk away with more money. What they're not seeing is the flip side: when an agent charges them less commission, they have less of a resource to market the home at the highest level. This, of course, can negatively affect the sale price of the home, and net you less money.
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Don’t just ask an agent to charge 
the least amount of commission.
”

So I wanted to make a video for those selling their homes to get inside the mind of an agent who will discount their commission.
  1. They're probably desperate for business.
  2. They're probably more focused on quantity over quality, which isn't a great strategy.
  3. That agent may lack confidence, or sales and negotiation skills. If they're not even willing to fight for their own commission, how can you feel comfortable fighting for the highest price for you home?
  4. They don't invest in their marketing plan - or worse - they don't have a marketing plan.
  5. They may offer limited services. You need to illicit every resource possible to sell your home for top dollar.
If you're looking to sell your home and are curious about our marketing plan or strategies, please don't hesitate to give me a call. I'd love to continue this conversation with you with no obligation.
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Location: Orange County, CA, USA
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