Showing posts with label Orange County Home Selling Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Orange County Home Selling Tips. Show all posts

A Simple Equation That Makes All the Difference in Your Home Sale


The perfect recipe for making a handsome profit on your home sale is made up of three key ingredients: price, prep, and exposure. We’ll talk about that more today.

Price + prep + exposure = record price. This equation is the focus of today’s topic.

Before we unpack each element, let’s consider some alarming market statistics that illustrate the dilemma a lot of sellers are finding themselves in:
  • Two out of five homes sold in our market sell below their true potential. 
  • Another two out of five homes fail to even sell.   
  • Only one in five homes sells at or above market value.  

For our part, the last seven homes my team and I have sold have gone for a record price—even in the face of the current market slowdown. How did we get this done? For one thing, we recognize that the buyer will always have the last word when it comes to your home’s value—not you or me. As your listing agent, it’s my job to demonstrate to the buyer that your home is worth more than its market value.

For most homebuyers, the decision of whether or not to make a purchase is rooted in emotion. It only makes sense that the more emotional a buyer becomes, the higher their offer will be.

That leads me right into the first element of the previously mentioned equation: price. At the outset, you have to do your homework and work closely with your agent to set a fair asking price for your home. That includes looking at past sale prices and present competition, market trends, and interest rates. Then, you’ll need to compare those findings to your home’s location and condition.

Price + prep + exposure = record price.

Taking all of that into account, arrive at a price that’s fair not through your own lens, but through a buyer’s. Pricing high in hopes that there’ll be room for negotiation might seem like a strong strategy, but in reality, it won’t attract buyers to your home. The best way to entice buyers and increase your property’s exposure is to stay within the bounds of what buyers think your home is worth.  

Next, let’s talk about prep. I can’t tell you how many listing pictures I’ve seen online that didn’t light a fire under me at all, nor would they with prospective buyers. As a seller, understand that how your home is displayed online carries a lot of weight. That’s where 92% of buyers start their search nowadays, so if your home’s photos are unattractive, buyers won’t take notice or want to view it in person.

No matter what price range you fall into, you have to make buyers feel like your home is an investment that’s well worth it for them. For as significant as this stage is, as many as 85% of sellers neglect it almost entirely.
 
The final element in our equation is exposure. The exposure your home receives is only going to be as good as the agent you hire and their marketing. A great agent is going to maximize your home’s exposure, both on and offline, and, as a result, widen your buyer pool.

I hope you found value in today’s message. If you know anyone who’s thinking about selling their home, send it their way. If you’re thinking about doing the same and you’d like to talk about the selling process, I’d love to have a conversation with you on the phone or in person. I hope to hear from you soon. In the meantime, happy selling!
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Location: Irvine, CA, USA

Eliminate Regret by Taking Action


If you don’t want your buying or selling experience to end in regret, you need to take action.

In February of 2018, I met with a client who was so ready to sell her home that she would’ve done so the same day we spoke if possible.

The only thing that had been holding her back until that point was the fact that her friends and family had been saying to wait until summer. They told her that by doing so, she’d earn a better deal for her home.

When she relayed this to me, though, I explained something her friends and family probably didn’t consider. Summer may be a more active season for real estate, but this can actually work against those seeking to take advantage of the hot market conditions. Summer is actually the peak buying season—not the peak selling season.

Why? Well, if everyone thinks they should wait until summer to list, those who do list at that time will be facing a lot of competition. And the more homes there are on the market, the lower demand will be for your specific property.

To avoid regret, you must take action.

With this in mind, I told this client that by listing sooner, she’d almost certainly receive multiple offers and sell her home for far more than her asking price. Unfortunately, she chose to listen to the advice of her friends and family over mine.

We put her property on the market in June (per her request) and though we did everything we could to make it look like a model home, her shot at success was hindered by the high level of competition. The same week she listed her home, three other properties went up for sale in her neighborhood.

Our client’s home sat on the market for about 45 days and ultimately sold for $860,000. If she would have followed my advice, I’m confident we could have sold for close to $900,000.

When it comes to buying and selling a home, timing is everything. It’s important to take the advice of the agent you’ve hired, or plan on hiring, as you work toward your real estate goals. Doing so will help you maximize your success.

The bottom line is this: To avoid regret, you must take action.

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

The 2 Main Reasons Listings Fail to Sell


If you’ve ever tried and failed to sell your home, we’d like to help you out using our proven system for listing success.

Regardless of market conditions, there are always two key factors to blame when listings fail to sell.

These factors are price and exposure. If you tried and failed to sell in the past, it’s very likely your listing was hindered by one (or both) of these things.

That said, this doesn’t mean you did anything wrong. Often, it’s the agent who’s to blame. If an agent wasn’t able to create sufficient exposure for your home, then the fact that it failed to sell falls squarely on their shoulders—not yours.


Over the past 13 years, we have developed a strategy specifically designed to rebrand and relist properties that failed to sell the first time they hit the market.

Thankfully, not all agents are the same. Our team has a proven system for guiding sellers to success. Not only do we help develop a pricing strategy that is fair and effective, but we also utilize top marketing techniques to position your home in front of as many potential buyers as possible.

In fact, over the past 13 years, we have developed a strategy specifically designed to rebrand and relist properties that failed to sell the first time they hit the market. If you’ve ever been in this position, we would love the opportunity to help.

And, as always, if you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Location: Irvine, CA, USA

What’s the Biggest Mistake Most Sellers Make?


What’s the biggest mistake today’s sellers make? Allow us to explain in this quick message.

When it comes to selling a home, there is one major mistake most people make. What is this mistake? It’s simple: Most people fail to prepare their homes for the market before they list. Every single seller I’ve spoken to wants to maximize their equity and sell for top dollar, but their actions aren’t consistent with their goals. Very rarely do these same sellers follow through by adequately preparing their property.

Buyers will offer higher prices when they have an emotional connection to a property, and these emotional connections don’t happen by mistake. It takes a well-staged, decluttered, and depersonalized home to capture the attention of potential buyers in our market. They fall in love with the space because they can imagine themselves living in it.

If you haven’t prepared your home ahead of time, it’s pretty unlikely this will happen.

The good news is that preparing a home for the market doesn’t mean you have to do a complete rehaul of every single room. All it takes is some strategic adjustments.

The time it takes to prepare a property is well worth it when you consider the results these preparations will bring.

Making minor repairs, giving the walls a fresh, neutral coat of paint, and thoroughly cleaning each room will make a massive impact on your success. Each of these things will boost your chance of earning top dollar, while simultaneously ensuring that buyers will have a strong first impression when they step foot in your home.

And if you go the extra mile by hiring a professional stager, you’ll be in an even better position. Stagers know what it takes to present a home in its best light.

Homes that are staged and feel move-in ready also sell more quickly than homes that aren’t. So, in short, the time it takes to prepare a property is well worth it when you consider the results these preparations will bring.

If you want top dollar, don’t make this major mistake. Make sure you prepare your home before you list.

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

It’s Time to Switch Up Your Listing Strategy


If your first attempt at listing wasn’t successful, it may be time to try a different approach.

Have you ever tried and failed to sell a home? Whether the listing simply expired or you had to cancel it for one reason or another, this can be a very disappointing experience. If this sounds familiar, let me ask you an important question: Is it time for a change?

Before I cover a few of the tactics you can use to get back on your feet after a failed listing experience, allow me to say that sometimes the inciting circumstances are out of anyone’s control.

Don’t let a failed listing attempt stop you from trying again.

However, between 50% to 60% of the time, the reason a home failed to sell was that either the seller or their agent did not rise to the occasion. If this was the case, don’t let it stop you from trying again. Just make sure that you try a different approach. Sometimes, the best solution is to hire a different agent. Choosing not to relist in a declining market, like the one we’re in now, means you’re just bleeding money.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give my team and I a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Location: Irvine, CA, USA

Are You Choosing a Winner?


Not all buyers are equal. If you want to choose a winner, there are five steps you and your agent should follow.

When it comes time to sell a property, the agent you choose to stand by your side will have a major impact on your success. But your choice of agent isn’t the only important decision you’ll make during the listing process. It’s also essential that you realize not all buyers are the same. To get the best deal, you need to choose the best buyer. So are you choosing a winner?

It isn’t as easy to choose a winning buyer as you might think. On our team, we have a five-step process we follow when examining various offers with our sellers, and we’d like to share that process with you today:

1. We have a conversation with the buyer’s agent. When we talk to a given buyer’s agent on behalf of our seller clients, we do so to learn more about whether they’re the right fit for the listing.

2. We obtain an introductory letter. When a buyer or their agent includes a letter to explain their motivations, desires, and goals, this bodes well for the strength of their offer.

To get the best deal, you need to choose the best buyer.

3. We pull the sales activity of the buyer’s agent. Determining whether a buyer is qualified is important, but assessing the quality and experience of their agent is crucial, as well. If the agent has a very limited track record, for example, this could pose problems later on in the deal.

4. We determine if the buyer is pre-approved. It’s good to have a willing buyer, but it’s even better to have one that is ready and able. A pre-approval letter verifies that the buyer has spoken with a lender and has provided evidence of their ability to move forward with the purchase.

5. We ensure that the offer is clean and complete. If an offer is missing details or is poorly presented, we can expect the buyer and their agent to conduct other aspects of the deal with a similar lack of attention.

Each of these steps helps my sellers, my team, and me choose winning buyers.

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

Is Your Agent Submitting a Winning Offer?


Today we’ll be tackling an important question: Is your agent (or your buyer’s agent) submitting a winning offer?

I’ve got an important question to ask you today: Is your agent submitting a winning offer?

Let me explain what I mean. As a listing agent, my goal is to not only help my sellers get the best price and terms, but also to create a smooth and easy-flowing escrow experience. Of course, occasionally circumstances beyond anyone’s control will arise, but relisting a property after a deal fell apart in escrow is generally something we want to avoid.

Our team knows what it’s like to work on behalf of buyers, which means we also know what our seller clients can feasibly expect from the offers they receive.

We include a completed residential purchase agreement with every offer we submit on behalf of our buyer clients, and we expect this same level of due diligence from the buyers who approach us when we’re representing a seller. One of the best ways to avoid having a deal fall through during escrow is to only accept offers from buyers who have proven themselves to be ready, willing, and able. This means they should be fully pre-approved, should be willing to include a completed residential purchase agreement, should be capable of producing proof of funds, and, as a bonus, should be able to explain what this purchase would mean to them.

When buyers and sellers both give it their all, deals are far more likely to succeed.

When we represent buyers, for example, we like to include an introductory letter with each of our offers. This letter explains who the buyer is, what attracted them to the home, and why it would be perfect for them.

We go the extra mile in creating a “complete package” with every offer we submit on behalf of our buyer clients, and so this is the same level of preparation and work we expect to see from potential buyers when we represent sellers. If you’re buying, you need to make sure your agent is submitting a winning offer on your behalf. And if you’re selling, you should expect the offers you receive to be the complete package we described earlier. When buyers and sellers both give it their all, deals are far more likely to succeed.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon. Happy selling!
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Location: Irvine, CA, USA

Does the Way You’re Presenting Match the Price You Want to Earn?


If you’re listing your home, you must never underestimate the importance of presentation.

Every single seller I know wants to earn top dollar, but very few sellers are willing to do what it takes to put out a product that’s worthy of that goal.

This disconnect is one of the main reasons a property might sit on the market. To avoid this, there’s one simple rule sellers must follow: Presentation is everything.

Your property shouldn’t look “lived in” when a buyer comes by for a showing. Instead, it should look like a model home. Anything less will make it very hard for you to generate the kinds of offers you want or any offers at all.

Every single room should be neat, well staged, and have a clear purpose. If you have a four-bedroom home you’re looking to sell, then you need to present it as just that: a four-bedroom home. That means if one of these bedrooms is currently acting as a storage closet while you’re preparing for your move, then it’s time to clear it out. Don’t show your home at anything less than its full potential.

It doesn’t matter how much (or how little) you’re selling your listing for; you need to showcase your home in its best light.

I recently toured a property that had an amazing loft. It would’ve been a perfect space for a living room or game room, but instead of utilizing it in an appealing way, the seller had filled it with boxes. This is a perfect example how the quality of a listing can be dragged down by a lack of presentation.

It doesn’t matter how much (or how little) you’re selling your listing for; you need to showcase your home in its best light. A low price doesn’t mean you can get away with offering low quality. The person buying your home is likely scraping together everything they’ve got. Therefore, you’ve got to do your part to make the experience worth their time—and their money.

To earn top dollar for your home, whatever that may be, you and your agent will need to develop a “vision” for your property.

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

Food for Thought for Potential Home Sellers


There are four main factors you must consider before deciding if now’s a good time to sell.


Is now a good time for you to sell? There are four factors to consider when asking that question.

The first is your mindset. This has been one of the most challenging aspects of our market shift. When I say “market shift,” I mean we’ve been in an aggressive seller’s market for the past six years, but we’ve reached the peak of the market and now we’re transitioning into more of a normalized market. With this, sellers are struggling with the idea that their home won’t attract multiple offers and sell for $10,000, $20,000, or $30,000 more than the last sale. They’re also getting frustrated that their homes are taking longer to sell.

All of this is to say that you need to have the appropriate mindset and appropriate expectations when selling, and you need to figure out what the market is like in your area.

The next factor to consider is inventory, which has generally increased. In some areas, it has spiked by as much as 40%. What’s the demand like in your area, though? Do buyers have a lot of choices or fewer choices? Supply and demand is a basic economic principle—the more of something there is, the less it’s worth. If you live in an area where your home is the only property for sale, you might be able to be a bit more aggressive with your sale, especially if you live in a very attractive area. If you live in an area that features several other listings, though, you’ll need to price your home accordingly or you’ll have a tough time selling it.

Who you work with is crucial in getting your home sold for the best price.

The third factor to consider is interest rates. Interest rates matter to sellers just as much as they do to buyers. You can’t sell your home unless you sell it to a buyer, and most of the time, a buyer can’t buy your home unless they get a loan, and what’s associated with that loan is the interest rate. A home’s price is a one-time fee; what really matters is the interest rate. As rates go up, buyers can afford less, and the buyer pool for your home gets smaller and smaller.

Finally, consider pending sales, or how many homes are selling per month. Across the county, pending sales are down 25%. Not only are fewer homes selling, but in many cases, they’re taking longer to sell.

So, is it a good time for you to sell? Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t. Now that you have this information, your next step should be to talk to a local Realtor. I’d be happy to share my expertise with you, give you a free consultation, and come up with a detailed plan of attack if you decide that selling is in your best interest.

Selling a home requires two things: price and exposure. You have to make sure buyers in your area are attracted to the price you set and that the agent you’re working with exposes your home to all the buyers who are out and about. Like I said, the market is shifting, so who you work with is crucial in getting your home sold for the best price.

As always, if you have any other questions about our market, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be glad to help you.
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Location: Orange County, CA, USA

Sellers: It’s Time to Stop Chasing the Market


What does it mean to stay ahead of the market, and why is doing so so critical to the success of today’s sellers? Allow me to explain.


If you’re thinking of listing your home, realize that the initial price you set for it will be one of the most important factors in selling quickly and for top dollar.

Any agent you work with should place a high level of emphasis on this aspect of your selling strategy. Having someone by your side who is able to examine market trends and predict where conditions are heading will be crucial to your success. And this mindset applies to more than just real estate. Take the words of famed hockey player Wayne Gretzky, who once said: “Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.”

The point of this quote is to realize that in hockey, life, and real estate alike, the secret to success is to stay one step ahead.
 
As the market shifts and becomes more normalized, this proactive mindset is exactly what sellers must apply to their listing strategy. Don’t chase the market. 
If you price correctly from the start, you will be far more likely to sell quickly and earn top dollar.

If the going rate in your neighborhood for homes like yours is somewhere between $700,000 and $720,000, the last thing you want to do is price your home at $740,000 to leave room for negotiation. This may have worked in the recent past, but our market has changed.

As inventory increases and homes begin taking longer to sell, some of the pressure buyers previously felt is being relieved. Now, instead of buyers chasing properties, sellers are chasing buyers. And there have been a lot more price reductions lately as a result.

To avoid this fate for your own listing, you need to take the direction of our market into account when developing your pricing strategy. If you price correctly from the start, you will be far more likely to sell quickly and earn top dollar.

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

Why Should Home Sellers Be Excited About This Market?


If you’ve been on the fence about selling your home, now is a great opportunity for you to sell for top dollar. Here are five reasons why.


Deciding to sell a home comes down to a multitude of factors. It’s not always a great time to sell for every homeowner. However, if you have been on the fence about listing your home on the market, here are five reasons why now is a fantastic time to sell:

1. You can still sell your home for top dollar. The market is still in its early stages of transition from a seller’s market to a normalized market. That hasn’t happened quite yet, however, and you can still get your home sold for top dollar.

2. There are still plenty of motivated buyers. These buyers are eager and excited to buy now because of the increased inventory on market. Buyers are eager and hopeful to find a home right now.

Motivated buyers are coming to this market in bunches.

3. Motivated buyers are eager to secure lower interest rates. If you’ve been following the market, you know that interest rates are predicted to rise soon. Savvy buyers understand that when these rates rise, it will increase their cost of homeownership. Those buyers want to secure an interest rate now by buying a home in this market.

4. You can upgrade to a new home for a lower price. If you’re looking to sell your current home and buy something bigger and better, you can still sell for top dollar, then enter a home buying market with great rates, more inventory, and potentially lower prices.

5. You can get on with your life. If you’re thinking about making a move, you should seriously talk to an agent about what your options are. Whether you want to move to find a better space, better school district, or a new area for a better quality of life: You only live once, so reach out to someone like myself today to see if that’s a possibility for you.

If you have any questions for me or you’re interested in selling your home anytime in the near future, don’t hesitate 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

What Results Should Sellers Expect From an Instant Offer?


You might be hearing a lot of buzz about instant offers right now, but is this approach to selling worth it? Let’s discuss a few key points.


Have you heard about the concept of an “instant offer?” If not, allow me to explain. The term “instant offer” refers to a scenario in which a company buys a seller’s home outright so that the seller can avoid the listing process.

These days, instant offers are becoming much more mainstream. But is this approach to selling worth it?

In an instant offer scenario, the company purchasing the home will close as quickly or slowly as the seller wants, and also help them transition into their next home. This sounds incredible, right?

After all, who wants to go through all the hard work of preparing a home, finding an agent, arranging showings, hosting open houses, haggling with negotiations, and everything else that goes into a traditional listing process?

While instant offers may be less of a hassle, they won’t earn you top dollar.

However, as convenient as an instant offer may seem, it’s important to consider the more subtle aspects to this approach—because while instant offers may be less of a hassle, they won’t earn you top dollar. These companies are not in the business of holding real estate.

They want to buy your property for much less than it’s potentially worth in order to sell it for a profit later, all while making the seller feel as if they’re being done a huge favor.

By all means, pursue an instant offer sale if this arrangement fits well with your goals—but do your research. Find out what fees they’re charging and what price you might earn, and then speak to an experienced agent about the results you might see from a traditional listing process. You may find that the work involved with a conventional selling experience is worth it, after all.

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: 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 Expensive Home Renovations Worth It?

A lot of things can go wrong if you choose to upgrade your home right before selling it. Here’s what we recommend doing instead.


You may have tried to sell your home in the past and were ultimately unsuccessful. Maybe the listing agreement expired with your agent, or you got frustrated and canceled it.

I talk to a lot of people who have been through a situation like this, and I get a lot of different feedback. However, lately I’ve been hearing from homeowners that they are going to take their home off the market, make some upgrades, and relist it.

When somebody tells me that, I ask this question in response: “When you relist the home, are you going to relist it at a higher price so you can recover those funds?” The answer is always yes. 

However, this is a big concern for me. In my experience, upgrades can certainly add value to a property, but if you upgrade just prior to listing your home, you’re probably not going to get back what you put in. If you spend $50,000 on upgrades, you’ll be lucky to get $45,000 back.

Repositioning your home won’t break the bank.

The process might take longer than expected, and you might end up listing your home in a market that’s not as strong, or maybe the buyer will hate your upgrades-I’ve seen a lot of things go wrong before.

If you tried to sell your home and were unsuccessful, l recommend that you shift your focus from upgrading the property to repositioning it to get the right buyer and the right price. Repositioning your home means preparing your property to sell for the highest and best price without breaking the bank. Maybe you need to repaint, put in new carpet, or stage the home because it’s vacant.

If you’re in a situation like this, hold off on the upgrades for now. Spend some time, money, and effort on repositioning the home instead. My team and I specialize in this method. We want to attract the right buyer at the right time for the highest and best price without spending money that we know we won’t recover.

If you have any questions for me in the meantime or you or someone you know could use our help, give us a call or send us an email today. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Location: Orange County, CA, USA

Maybe It's Time for a New Realtor



If you’ve been through the experience of a failed listing, it may be time for you to work with a new Realtor.

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Is it time for you to start working with a new Realtor?

I spend a portion of my day every day calling homeowners who were previously unsuccessful in selling their property, whether the listing failed, was withdrawn, or even expired.

Over the years, I’ve found that 40% of these homeowners will relist their home within eight weeks. Of that 40%, 80% will choose a new agent.

Selling your home is no easy task. Ultimately, it can be a hassle. You have to open up your home to strangers, always keep it clean, and allow potential buyers to walk through at all times of the day.

Selling a home is no easy task.

If you’ve been through this process once and were unsuccessful, the last thing you want to do is try again with the same Realtor and the same methods. When people go to relist, they’ll often interview a few new agents, instead.

Today, I would like to extend an offer to you. I would like to be the one to help you sell your home. My team and I do things a little differently, and selling listings that have failed in the past requires a different strategy. We have some unorthodox strategies for pricing and marketing that we would like to share with you.

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

Are You Waiting Until Spring to List Your Home?



While spring is a very active time to list your home, you’ll also deal with more competition from other sellers if you wait until then.

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Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

 Are you going to wait until the springtime to list your home?

 If you’ve been following my video blog, you’ve seen all my latest market updates. I’ve talked about both selling during the holidays and selling during the springtime.

Spring is a very active time to sell. From now until then, home prices will probably rise a little bit, so you’ve got that on your side. One thing a lot of people don’t consider, though, is that listing inventory will dramatically rise in February and March. There are a few reasons why. One of which is a lot of people are convinced that springtime is the absolute best time to sell. No matter what anybody tells them, they’ll put their home on the market in February, March, or April.

Many sellers—contrary to my belief—think it’s a bad time to list their home because nobody is really looking for homes. In reality, a lot of homes sell during this time for amazing prices. When the new year comes, we see a huge influx of homes pop up on the market. If there’s a significant rise in inventory, the demand for your specific home will be lower. When buyers have more choices, they have more leverage.

So, while springtime is a very active time to sell a home, you’ll have a lot more competition and your home may be overshadowed by all the other homes on the market in your area. The reason I bring this up is because you’re either considering selling your home or you’ve tried to sell in the past and were unsuccessful.

If you know me, you know that I call a lot of homeowners who were unsuccessful selling their home in the past. Many of them say they’re not interested in selling their home until February, March, or April because they’ve heard that’s the best time to list.

I tell them the same thing I’m telling you today—if you’re looking to sell your home for top dollar, it’s usually best to sell when inventory is low and demand is high.


Focus on what your needs are first.


Keep in mind, though, everyone’s situation is unique, and it’s impossible to time the market perfectly. That’s why you want to focus on what your needs are first. If you can’t sell until March or April, then you can’t sell until March or April. If you have some flexibility, though, you might want to consider my advice. It could help you come away with an extra $10,000, $15,000, or even $50,000.

If you have any questions or you’re considering putting your home back on the market in the very near future or next spring and you’re wondering what it’s worth, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Until then, happy selling!
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Location: Orange County, CA, USA

Which Pricing Strategy Is Right for Your Listing?



Today, I’d like to share three different pricing strategies you can use when preparing to list your home for sale.


Today, I’d like to share three different pricing strategies you can use when preparing to list your home for sale.

It’s important to know that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution in real estate. So, when we meet with our clients, we always offer them these three strategies. I could go into a lot more detail on each of these strategies, but I’ll keep it short and sweet for now.

The first strategy is pricing your home high and leaving room to negotiate. This is the strategy we see most often. While this strategy will sometimes work in a hot seller’s market, it can be ineffective if you price it too high. The higher you price a home, the less activity you’ll get. Why? Because every single buyer out there wants a great deal.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution in real estate.


The second strategy is to price your home within market value. If you’re working with a Realtor, they’ll bring you the data from your neighborhood and give you a range of nearby properties. Pricing your home within that range will show buyers that you’re motivated to sell. This will increase the number of people who see your home, and this increases your chance of multiple offers.

The third strategy is one of my favorites, which is the auction strategy. For this strategy, we price your home slightly below market value. When you list your home even just a little beneath what homes in your neighborhood are going for, you’re announcing to buyers that you are ready and willing to offer them a great deal.

The intention of this deal is to draw in multiple offers, which will then generate a higher price. Using this strategy, you’ll often end up selling above fair market value because of the competition you created within your listing.

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: Irvine, CA, USA
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