Sellers: Don’t Rush Into Hiring Your Next Agent


If you have tried multiple times to sell your home but you were unsuccessful, you shouldn’t rush into hiring your next agent if you’re thinking of listing again. Here is why.


If you are thinking about putting your home on the market or have already tried multiple times and couldn’t get it sold, I want to explain why you shouldn’t rush into hiring your next agent.

Once your home is taken off the market—whether it’s withdrawn, expired, or canceled—you’ll be inundated with dozens of calls from agents within the first couple days asking to schedule an appointment with you to explain what they will do differently to get your home sold.

The reality is 95% of those agents don’t have the skillset or the experience to get the job done. In fact, a lot of new agents get their start by calling expired or withdrawn listings because they have no other source of business. It’s an easy and cheap way to fill their pipeline with clients.

As you are getting bombarded with these calls, I recommend that you talk to a few of these agents and pick a few to interview. During the interview process, there are three things you need to keep in mind.

First, the market is changing. For the last five or six years, we have seen a huge uptick in prices and been in a strong seller’s market. Agents have been able to overprice properties and still get them sold. Now, though, you need to be hyper-aware of your local market in order to price your home properly. You need to know how many homes have sold, what they sold for, what their condition is, what the current level of inventory looks like, what your competition looks like, etc. You’ll need a great agent to help you come up with the right price.

Second, your strategy has to change. You can’t just change agents and expect different results. You also need to dramatically change your home’s price or the way you market it. 

Your next agent should be someone whose marketing and negotiating expertise will be able to net you more money from your home sale.

Third, do your due diligence. Don’t hire someone just because they give you a good feeling on the inside. You want to work with someone you feel like you could get to know, trust, and like, but don’t just make your decision based on that. And, don’t just base your decision on how much an agent charges. There are a lot of agents out there who will “buy” a listing by offering the seller a discount on their commission. The best agents never discount their commission. They’ll be able to net you more money from your home sale because their marketing and negotiating expertise is so strong.

As part of your due diligence, ask each agent the following questions:
  • Why should I hire you?
  • What are you going to do to sell my property?
  • What homes have you sold in my area?
  • How will you market my home to expose it to all the different buyers in my area?
  • How are you going to be able to justify the commission you charge?
  • How will I be able to walk away with more money by working with you instead of a discount broker?
Make sure you pick the right agent to sell your home. As our market changes, your home selling strategy needs to change, and you need to hire someone with experience.

If you are thinking of putting your home back on the market, I would love the opportunity to meet with you and talk about what my team and I can do to get your home sold. Of course, if you have any other questions about our market or any other real estate needs, feel free to call or email me anytime. I’d love to help you.
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Location: Orange County, CA, USA

How Can You Make a Price Reduction That Counts?


If you’ve listed your home but it is not selling, it is time to consider a price reduction. Here is how to make a price reduction that counts.


As a seller, how can you make a price reduction that counts?

Right now, our market is changing—homes are taking longer to sell, and we are seeing a lot more sellers making price reductions. In fact, last month I made my first price reduction on a home in six years.

Because the market is shifting, you need to shift your mindset along with it. If you’ve listed your home and it has sat on the market for two or three weeks without an offer, it is time to consider a price reduction. I want to help you make the right price adjustment so that when you do, your home sells right away. What you don’t want to do is chase the market down, which is what a lot of sellers are doing. 

 For example, if you list your home at $950,000 and it doesn’t sell after three or four weeks, don’t drop the price down to just $949,000. A $1,000 price reduction in a million-dollar price range won’t inspire any buyers to say “Wow! Now I have got to see this home. That’s the price I’ve been looking for.”

When you list your property, listen to the market and get what feedback you can from the buyers and their agents.

Instead, you should reduce your home’s price by 3% to 5%, depending on how much activity it has already generated. If you price your home at $989,000 and it has only gotten a few showings after two or three weeks, you’re better off dropping the price down into the neighborhood of $949,000.

A price reduction should be enough to inspire buyers and ensure that you still squeeze as much money as possible out of your sale. If you do it correctly, you should be able to attract multiple offers for your home and sell it for more than the price you originally reduced it to.

If you are getting ready to put your home on the market or would like to know what your home is worth, please feel free to reach give me a call or send me an email. I would love to speak with you.

Until then, happy selling!
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Location: Orange County, CA, USA

Are You Ready to Jump on the Price Reduction Bandwagon?


Homes are taking longer to sell and sellers are reducing their prices. As a buyer, now’s the time to find a great home at a great price.


As a buyer, are you ready to jump on the price reduction bandwagon?

I’ve been talking a lot about the market shifting lately, especially in the higher-end price points. Prices have been rising steadily for the past several years, interest rates are creeping up, and all the news about how great our market is has many homeowners convinced that now may be the perfect time to sell for top dollar.

This has caused a huge influx of homes to hit the market. As a result, homes are taking longer to sell. As homes take longer to sell and buyers have more options, demand for any specific property tends to fall for a couple reasons.

If you are a buyer, now is a great time to get the home you want at a great price.

First, when there is more of something, it’s worthless—this is simple supply and demand. Second, people tend to struggle with making a choice when there are too many options. Homes aren’t worth as much right now because there are more of them, buyers are paralyzed by all the choices they have, and homes are taking longer to sell. When homes take longer to sell, sellers get frustrated and reduce their prices.

You need to be ready for these price reductions because now is a great opportunity to get the home you want at a great price. Keep a close eye on interest rates, though, because if prices fall but rates keep climbing, you’ll end up paying more for a home that you actually bought for less.

If you are ready to enter the market and find the right home for you, reach out to me so I can give you a free buyer consultation and get the process started.

If you have any other questions about our market or you have any other real estate needs, feel free to call or email me anytime. I would love to help you.
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Location: Orange County, CA, USA

What Is Happening in Our Current Market?


How do I know that the market is changing? I had to do my first price reduction in six years.


Today I would like to talk about our market. Specifically, I would like to look at interest rates, inventory, and price reductions.

If you have been following my recent videos and blogs, then you know that I have been talking about a shift in the market for about a year now. When I talk about this shift, I mean that the market may stabilize and home prices may even dip. This may occur in mid to late 2019.

For the last six years, we have been in a really strong seller's market, and buyers have been struggling to find properties. When they do find properties to submit an offer on, they end up getting outbid because of multiple offers. Meanwhile, appraisers struggle to justify agreed-upon home prices because of increased values.

All of that, though, is coming to an end and we are going to start seeing the shift take over. For this reason, I want to talk more about price reductions.

Interest rates have been rising consistently for about a year now while home prices have been increasing for about the last six years. Inventory is now also growing because sellers are seeing an opportunity to sell their property. With the influx of inventory, buyers now have more options. This lowers the demand for property and increases how long homes spend on the market, because buyers are not making quick decisions.

A couple weeks ago, I did my first price reduction after six years and it resulted in a quick sale for one of the properties on market for a couple months.

Since homes are taking longer to sell, they are selling for slightly less than what they are potentially worth in today's market. A couple weeks ago I did my first price reduction after six years and it resulted in a quick sale for one of the properties on the market for a couple months. I reduced the price on a couple listings and now they are starting to see a lot of activity.

Whether you are a buyer or seller, we are going to start seeing a lot more price reductions. It is going to take some time for buyers, sellers, and agents to be comfortable with this change because it has been so long. The people who notice this change are going to win because they will change their strategies.

If you are a buyer, stay on top of interest rates and make sure you know what is going on long-term. If you are a seller and you are not getting the activity you want, you may need to adjust the price. Meanwhile, if you are considering listing your home on the market, you will need to consider what you are going to list your home at. No matter what, now more than ever you are going to want to consult with a great Realtor to understand your next best step.

If you have any additional questions or are interested in buying or selling, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to speaking with you soon.
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Location: Orange County, CA, USA

If Your Home Failed to Sell Once, Don't Repeat Your Mistakes


When a listing is unsuccessful, how should sellers proceed with putting their home back on the market a second time? Today I’d like to share my advice for this scenario.


What’s the key to earning top dollar for your home after your listing has expired or been canceled?

Sellers who were previously unsuccessful in moving their property off the market often approach me to ask what they should do next. As soon as their property is withdrawn from the market, agents start swooping in and offering their help. This can be overwhelming, and the entire experience tends to leave sellers feeling uncertain.

The first thing sellers should realize is that expired, canceled, and withdrawn listings are fairly uncommon at the moment. Our market has been very strong for the past six years, but this doesn’t guarantee that every listing will succeed. Buyers still want to strike a deal they can feel good about.

Our market has been very strong for the past six years, but this doesn’t guarantee that every listing will succeed.


And especially now that the market is shifting, we’re about to see a lot more homes failing to sell. If this has happened to you, and you are still motivated to put your home back on the market, there are a couple of things you must realize before relisting.

1. There has to be a dramatic change in your strategy. You can’t just put your home back on the market using the same techniques as before and expect different results. A dramatic change, whether it’s in price, in how the property is presented, or in the agent you work with, must occur.

2. Recognize that the market is shifting. Demand is down, rates are up, and buyers have more options than in the past. The best advice I can give you is to connect with two or three new agents and discuss what approach will be necessary to list successfully during this shift. You should also think about how quickly you will relist. The sooner you’re able to do so, the better. Waiting too long could cost you thousands.

If you have any other questions, would like more information, or would like to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation consultation about your real estate goals, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Location: Orange County, CA, USA

Buyers: Delaying Your Purchase May Not Be Your Best Option


Should you wait to purchase a home until values drop? The answer to this sounds simple, but the reality of our market is more complex than it may seem.


If you are a buyer, you have likely heard about the changes taking place in our market. Perhaps you have thought to yourself, “If a shift is coming and we’re at the market’s peak, maybe I should wait for a better price.”

This all makes sense, but only if you are planning to purchase a home using cash. And this is not the case for the average buyer today. Most buyers right now are purchasing homes using a mortgage.

With that in mind, the thing you have to realize is that when you pay outright, the price of buying that home is a one-time expense. Mortgage payments, on the other hand, will hit your wallet every month. Waiting for a better price if you plan to purchase with a mortgage could actually make it more expensive to buy, since interest rates are on the rise.

If interest rates rise just 1%, then property values would have to fall 10% for you to have the same monthly payment. Given the fact that (at least) a 1%  rise in interest rates is more likely than a 10% drop in property values, waiting to buy may not equate to the savings many would hope.

The best advice I can give buyers is to meet with a lender and discuss what you can afford, and what is motivating your desire to purchase a home in the first place.


Buying a home for less but paying a higher monthly price for a mortgage does not make sense. The best advice I can give buyers is to meet with a lender and discuss what you can afford, and what is motivating your desire to purchase a home in the first place.

To put these current circumstances into context, it is important to realize that the market makes shifts every six to seven years. 2008 was one of the worst markets I, and many other people, have ever seen. Yet when the market shifted between 2012 and 2013, things improved. And we are now on schedule for another shift to occur. If historic precedent remains true, our market will likely continue on a six-year cycle of stabilizing, correcting, dipping, and then rising back up again. 

So, per this cycle, we can expect our market to remain strong for the next six to 12 months, and then we will likely see a dip. But, after that, it will come back up.

After selling real estate for 12 years, I can tell you that market conditions do not impact everyone equally. This is why it is so important for those of you who are considering buying to connect with a lender and start discussing your options.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Location: Orange County, CA, USA

Sellers: Seize Your Chance at Listing Success While It Lasts


Many sellers are wondering where our market is headed. Today I’d like to shed some light on the shift that is taking place right now.


Where is our Orange County market headed?

If you’re a seller watching this video, this is probably a question that’s been on your mind. Buyers and sellers alike have been pretty spoiled by market conditions in the past six-and-a-half years or so. Interest rates have been at historic lows, and home prices have been going up consistently, having risen 50% in the last five years.

Yet these trends are not sustainable. For the last year or so, I’ve been hearing a lot of agents and mentors of mine talking about the market shifting, but this week was the first time I experienced what they were referencing firsthand.

I was recently working with a couple of sellers and had high expectations for their listings. We priced the properties aggressively, staged them, and did everything we needed to do to earn top dollar. Nevertheless, we didn’t see the outcome we were hoping for. In fact, two days ago I reduced the price of one of my seller’s listings. This is the first time I’ve done that in six years.

We are going to sell the property, but it will ultimately be for less than we had assumed we could earn. And that’s because the market shift is happening now.

If you are seller, now is the best time to connect with an agent and discuss your options.


This shift is actually affecting those in higher price points more than those in the $300,000 to $500,000 range. Whenever a shift occurs in the higher price points, it tends to only be a matter of months before the middle and lower price ranges begin to also see that same change.

The bottom line is this: If you are seller, now is the best time to connect with an agent and discuss your options. A lot of buyers are picky with what they’re spending money on. Prices are up, interest rates are up, and inventory is up. This gives buyers more choices, which lowers demand and breeds indecision. A broader range of homes to choose from can paralyze buyers, which contributes to more price reductions, higher days on market, and properties selling for lower-than-expected prices.

With that all said, I want to reiterate that sellers should act now before these conditions solidify.

If you have any other questions, would like more information, or are curious about how I can assist you with meeting your real estate goals, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Location: Orange County, CA, USA
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