The Analytical…Creative…Focused…Systemized…Precision Executed
40-Step Plan…
TO GET THE JOB DONE FOR YOU!!!
This Marketing Plan can never take the place of a personal meeting with you simply because your thoughts and specific goals are critical to creating your custom strategy for selling your home but studying this plan will give you the chance to know a bit more about the 40-step plan we successfully use to sell homes!
When we meet in person or have our listing phone conference you can expect me to be a direct no-nonsense professional. There are lots of opinions, but just one set of facts! We will look at those facts to determine the best pricing strategy that assures you that your house sells for the highest price possible! The final pricing strategy is of course subject to your approval! We will also determine who the target buyers for your home are and put in place marketing strategies to attract their interest! These targeted buyers are almost always willing to pay the highest price. More about that when we talk. 80% of the marketing of your home is done when the strategies for pricing and staging your home are structured. The information I will review with you, will assist you in making an informed decision! Be assured, it’s our job to sell your home for the most money possible, not the least!
One of the top complaints people have about selling their house is… “My Real Estate Agent never contacts me. The Agent worked hard to get my listing but doesn’t work very hard to actually sell my house.” It is because of this problem, that I have created the Accelerated Home Listing + Selling System, to prove to you and show you that I am committed to you my Client and to put a Sold sign in front of your property!! Real Estate sales are excellent in the Petoskey area right now!
There is no question it is a “Seller’s Market” in Petoskey and throughout most of the USA!! Here are some of the reasons why:
- Listed inventory is LOW in most categories of residences!
- Nationally, selling prices were up over 8% last year!
- New Home construction costs are up about 15% over last year. I think higher in Petoskey.
- Virtually no NEW homes are being built for re-sale in the Petoskey market.
- Even Condos…that were in plentiful supply just a year ago…are in short supply.
- The demand is rising because of a significant pent-up demand by families who desire to be in their own homes, rather than living in increasingly more expensive apartments!
Obviously this is GREAT for YOU as the seller! But it is critical that:
Your house is 100% ready to be put on the market…by properly staging it!
That your house is exposed to the market with a 100% Professional Marketing Plan with every little detail carefully planned and executed!
NOTE: I recently sold a house for just over $200,000 that was in horrible showing condition! Horrible! It is my opinion that this house would have sold for $30,000 more if it had been properly staged with a very small investment of cash! And it would have sold very fast!
The following are our primary objectives when selling your home:
Objective # 1: To obtain, for you, the highest possible price that the market will allow!
Objective # 2: To sell your home as quickly as possible! Time is obviously money then it comes to owning Real Estate!
Objective # 3: To “overwhelm” potential Buyers with quality facts about your property faster than they expect to receive the information!
Phase # 1: Carefully analyze today’s market value of the property
It is obviously CRITICAL to price your home “accurately” in order to achieve a sale. This is an “art and a science!”
During this phase my team and I will do the following:
- We will ask you to discuss your specific home selling objectives with us.
- We will review with you…current market trends. There are three basic types of overall market conditions. They are:
A. Seller’s market: This is when the inventory is low and inventory sells faster. If your property has not received an offer within 14 to 21 days…it is priced too high! Ask me about exceptions!
B. Normal Market: This is when there is no real perceived advantage to either the Buyer or Seller. Properly priced homes should have offers within 30 to 45 days!
C. Buyer’s Market: This is when there are lots of homes on the market, in all price ranges. If you price your home just below other similar homes, a sale should result within 60 to 90 days. Usually home prices are declining in value in this type of market. Therefore, the sooner you sell, the better!
NOTE: We will discuss with you how your home fits into these market trends!
The National Association of Realtors constantly researches the history of homes that actually SOLD…in all three types of markets…and they discovered two critical pieces of information:
a. 95% of all homes that sold within 60 days when the listing price (seller’s
asking price) was set at the appropriate market price!b. Homes properly priced…sold within only 3% of the Seller’s asking price!
THEREFORE: If a property has not received an offer within 60 days, it is overpriced by at least 5% to 10%…and possibly more!
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE BECAUSE:
The majority of buyer activity on a new listing occurs in the first 2 or 3 weeks of the initial marketing period!
For this reason, it is critically important that you have your home…
In the BEST CONDITION
And at the RIGHT PRICE
At the FIRST EXPOSURE to the market!
- We will help you select the right pricing strategy for your home to ensure that your selling objectives are met. The 3 possible pricing strategies are:
A. “As Is” Pricing Strategy – The property is SOLD without benefit of any repair work paid for by the Seller that is either required or recommended in any inspection reports.
Buyer may have any and all inspections deemed necessary to satisfy themselves as to the condition of the property. These inspections will be paid for by the Home Buyer!
A Strategy such as this is used only when the Seller is either in a Short Sale Situation or has little or no equity.
B. “Quick Sale” Pricing Strategy – This strategy is almost always effective because when a property is:
Priced at or below the current market and Staged correctly, it usually will sell quickly.
This pricing strategy makes it much more effective for my team and me to get the attention of other agents in our area. As a result, there are numerous showings. Which then generates one or more offers coming from agents that wait for properly priced homes to show to their BEST Clients. This is by far the most effective strategy to get your home SOLD FAST and for the highest realistic price the market will bear. Often times this strategy results in a bidding war between multiple interested buyers. This type of situation can drive up the price of your home. You may end up selling your home for more than the listing price!
C. “Traditional” Pricing Strategy – This strategy is called TRADITIONAL because it calls for doing all of the normal and usual activities that eventually lead to the sale of your home. Such as obtaining the proper Inspections and completing all necessary repairs called for and staging of the home before the home is placed on the general market. The agent is following the series of actions called for in their marketing plan. Basically by implementing numerous marketing activities designed to create a demand for someone to want to buy your home.
Note: If you do not have an offer within 30-40 days, the property is priced too high and is in need of a price enhancement. It is essential that automatic price adjustments occur every 30 days to maintain marketing momentum. Usually, a price adjustment of 5% to 10% at the end of 30 days will result in a sale shortly thereafter.
- We will analyze all SOLD properties that relate to establishing an accurate price for your property.
- We will evaluate all properties currently ACTIVE on the market as they will be competition for potential Buyers of your property.
- We will examine all recently EXPIRED properties on the market to see what potential buyers AREN’T willing to pay for a home.
- We may recommend that you have an appraisal done to ensure the accuracy of the pricing strategy.
- We will review with you the net proceeds you will receive…based upon the anticipated selling price.
- We will provide you with pricing options…based on STAGING modifications you may consider making to your home.
- We will record…and focus on…YOUR specific objectives.
Phase #2: Professionally STAGING your home
Properly staging your home for sale in today’s market increases the potential that it will sell within your timetable and that your house will “look as good as it is!”
During this phase my team and I will do the following:
- We will analyze the need for improvements utilizing our MAXIMUM HOME VALUE AUDIT system…to ensure that every critical need is addressed.
- We will help you Implement strategically planned “low-cost…high-return” improvements to the property…that will make your house “look as good as it is!”
- If needed, I will pay for a 1-hour session with a Professional Stager…to help you begin to develop a plan of action…to PROFESSIONALLY present your home!
- I will pay for a HANDYMAN…for the first 2 hours of work, if required, to help do needed fix-ups!
- We will review your final ACTION LIST…and recommend critically needed improvements!
- We will assist you with setting your timetable for completing improvements.
Phase #3: Developing a Creative Marketing Campaign for your home
Today’s home buyers shop for their new homes very differently than buyers in the past. Just putting up a sign alone does not get the job done anymore! Today’s buyers use social media and Real Estate website more than ever before to find a new home. My team and I use a combination of electronic and print marketing tools to ensure that your home will be seen by as many potential buyers as possible.
EXCLUSIVE…FREE…HOME WARRANTY FOR YOUR HOME…WHILE IT IS LISTED…AND FOR YOUR BUYER…FOR 1 YEAR AFTER THEY CLOSE!!
- We have found that a HOME WARRANTY policy positively affects the buyers of your home. So, your GROUP Realtor, will buy the policy for you at that time you list your house
- We have worked with AMERICA’S PREFERRED HOME WARRANTY, INC. for many years and they do an excellent job of paying for claims. Also, you can choose your own licensed Contractor for all covered repairs. For specifics, please review the policy.
- You will be covered during the entire time of the listing until you close.
- Your buyer will be covered for 1 year after the closing. The buyers can also add additional coverage and extend eh policy! If something covered goes wrong with the house they buyers will call the Warranty Company, and not you!
During this phase, my team and I will do the following:
- We will take high quality photos…of your house…once it is 100% ready for professional showings! For most properties…we will include Aerial Drone photos
- We will write communicative copy…that will best tell the story of the most important features and benefits of your house!
- We will list your Home in The PETOSKEY MLS and the GAYLORD-INDIAN RIVER MLS to communicate your NEW LISTING to every Selling Realtor.
- We will list your home on over 500 websites…in the USA and internationally, including our NEW: petoskeyREgroup.com, Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia, Craigslist, Facebook, etc.
- We will create a virtual tour for your home that will be available on all the major Real Estate websites, YouTube, Facebook, Google+ and more.
- We will provide you with Professionally Designed e-flyers that you can easily post on your social media sites…to help promote the sale of your house.
- We will create a website just for your property that is easily viewed on both smart phones and home computers. This website provides buyers with a virtual tour, description, features, and pictures of your home. This website also allows potential buyers to contact me and my team directly, and schedule a showing. It also allows buyers to print brochures of your home
- We will create an attractive 4-Color Brochure for your property…which will highlight all the amazing features of your home…for the potential Buyers and for Selling Realtors! (NOTE: I have found this to be a very powerful tool…it allows us to communicate directly with the Buyer…without having to rely on anyone else to communicate the important facts.)
- We install professional signage in front of your home…and on the Lake if it is a Waterfront Property.
- If your property is valued at $500,000 or above, I will pay for a 4-Color Ad in CRAIN’S DETROIT…The premier Michigan magazine with 30,000 businesses as subscribers…and over 100,000 quality readers!
- We will create a powerful 4-Color Postcard that will be sent to your neighbors…so that they may recommend your home to friends and to other potential Buyers.
- We will schedule an Open House for Realtors…if indicated.
- We will schedule Public Open House events…to expose your property to the Market!
Phase #4: Highest Quality Communication and Instant Responses
Websites such as: petoskeyREgroup.com, Zillow, Trulia and others allow buyers to shop for a home at all hours of the day and night. My team and I have extended “office hours” to ensure that we are available whenever a potential buyer inquire about your home.
During this phase my team and I will do the following:
- My team and I are available…15 hours per day…7 days a week… 231-409-9119…to answer questions about your home.
- We will communicate all of the details of your home IMMEDIATELY upon request…via your 4-Color Brochure.
- We will tell potential buyers…who are new to the area…about the many advantages…of living in the greater Petoskey area!
- We will stay IN-TOUCH with potential buyers…to ensure that their interest in your home does not wean…via our IN-TOUCH SYSTEM.
- We will “inspire” potential buyers…to take a “guided tour” of your house…as quickly as possible.
- We will listen carefully to what buyers are looking for in a home and point out the features in your home that match the buyers’ specific needs.
Phase #5: GETTING THE NAME OF THE BUYER ON THE DOTTED LINE!!
Since 100% of all listed Sales are eventually made by Real Estate Professionals… we will negotiate…on your behalf…the best possible price and terms…to “get the name on the dotted line!”
During this phase my team and I will do the following:
- We will make ourselves available when the Buyer wants to act!
- We will take the time to explain to the Buyer the critical steps needed to purchase your home.
- We will recommend quality financing sources to the Buyer…by introducing them to Bankers who are people-friendly… and have proven that they “get the job done!”
- We will simplify the buying process so the Buyer is able to quickly and efficiently purchase your home.
- We will respond INSTANTLY to all requests dealing with writing, signing and closing the sale!