19. My Professional Experience My Philosophy A real estate transaction can be complicated and frustrating. It is my job to guide you through this process with the least amount of stress as possible. My Credentials Licensed in NJ in 2003, Licensed in PA 2009, Green Certified Real Estate Professional- Green Leadership My Background Specializing in First Time Home Sales, First Time Home Buyers, Penn Estates, and Green Applications of Real Estate Committees: Government Affairs, Community Services, Public Relations, and Social Planning
20. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate [insert dba] The company (strengths) Years of experience (Wilkins & Ass.) 28 years; July 2008 we merged with BHG Number of agents: over 100 full time agents Perks: 1.NEPA Management Ass. 2.Independent Family of Home Buying Services (on site mortgage coordinators, title, closing, or attorney services through PA First Settlement, home owners insurance, home warranty services, etc.) 3. Relocation Department
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Notes de l'éditeur
Hiring a real estate agent to find a buyer for your home is serious business and I’m sure you’ve given it much thought and it’s very important that we are on the same page throughout the process. So, it would be very helpful to me in moving forward if you would share a few of your thoughts with me. For example, What concerns do you have about working with a real estate agent? [Listen, take notes, and validate the sellers’ comments.] I see. Those are very valid concerns. I’ll be sure to address them. Next, what do you want from your real estate agent, specifically, what are you expectations of me? [Listen, take notes, and validate the sellers’ comments.] Those are very reasonable expectations and I’ll demonstrate how I will meet and exceed your expectations. And lastly. Frankly, the biggest compliment I receive in real estate is when a client refers me to their friends and family. Mr. & Mrs. ____,what would it take for you to refer me to your friends? [Listen, take notes, and validate the sellers’ comments.] Thank you. I’ll definitely keep that in mind. And thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. It is important for me to understand your concerns so that I am sure to cover them as we go along. Next, I’d like to discuss with you six strategies that I use when marketing a home. May I do that?
Mr. and Mrs. ____, quite frankly, the days of putting a sign on the front lawn and entering data into the multiple listing service to produce a sale are long gone. Today we need to strategically position properties in ways that set them apart from the sea of available homes on the market. I utilize a six-point approach to positioning my listings. I have found these resources to be most effective in attracting buyers and other real estate agents. Let’s take a look at them, one at a time.
Mr. & Mrs. ________, what do you think of when you hear or see the name Better Homes and Gardens? [Wait for their response] Yes, I hear that often. So many people are familiar with the Better Homes and Gardens brand name. The company branded itself nearly 85 years ago and has been a household name ever since. The magazine alone enjoys a circulation of 7.6 million with a readership of nearly 40 million people. And one thing that my experience has taught me is that people want to do business with a name they know and trust. Mr. & Mrs. ____, do you feel that the public image and experience with the name and the brand will help attract more buyers to your home? [Wait for their agreement.] So do I. In fact, I’d like to share something with you. [advance to next slide]
The Better Homes and Gardens brand name is so powerful to consumers that real estate agents have been using it for years in their ads for properties that they are marketing. Consumers associate quality and desirability with the brand. Exactly what we what potential buyers to think when they learn about your home. Can you see how the Better Homes and Gardens brand will help in marketing your home to potential buyers?
If all that was needed to do to sell a home was to put a sign on the front lawn of a house and enter information into the Multiple Listing Service, real estate agents would have a very easy job and so would sellers. Today especially, a marketing plan and promotion strategy are critical to attracting buyers to a property and ultimately to the sale of the property. And that’s where merchandising strategies come in. Have you ever noticed displays in the retailers store windows of the products they sell? This is merchandising. Retailers spend a great deal of time making sure their products look appealing to consumers so they catch their attention and encourage them to have a look. These same principles apply to selling your home. We need to merchandise it to make it as appealing as possible to prospective buyers. Let’s look at the elements of merchandising.
[discuss each point] Let’s start with curb appeal- I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “you never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Well, in real estate, curb appeal is the first impression. I have worked with buyers who will immediately eliminate a property from consideration based on it’s drive-by appearance. Keep the lawn manicured, walkways cleared, the landscape trim and neat, leaves raked, snow cleared…you get the picture, don’t you? The smallest things make a big difference.
Interior- It is very difficult for buyers to imagine a property looking differently than what they see when they walk through the front door. For example, paint colors – if there is a room that you think would benefit from a fresh coat of paint in a neutral color, you may consider making that change. Mr. and Mrs. ____, are there any minor fix it’s you were thinking of making? [Wait for their response.] My recommendation is that you make them before showings begin. It’s best for buyer prospects to see the home as they will buy it. [Guide the sellers through this process if there are items to be addressed.]
Staging- I have seen neat homes sell faster than cluttered ones. And as much as we enjoy the photos and our children’s artwork on the fridge, buyers can view that as clutter. I would recommend that you remove clutter off surfaces, put extra furniture in storage, organize closets and cabinets. You’re going to purge and pack at some point, why not start now. Neatly stacked boxes look much better than cluttered closets and storage areas. [check for acceptance, agree and continue]
And last, but certainly not least … Access- Access is a big part of merchandising. It is next to impossible to sell a home that people can’t see. Now we will do our best to give you ample time when we are scheduling appointments. It is important though that you allow showings on demand. That won’t be a problem will it? Also, buyers are often reluctant to ask questions and display their feelings if the sellers are home. So the best thing you can do is leave the house during showings and open houses. (And be sure to take Fido with you.) Mr. and Mrs. Seller, can you see how these elements will be important in reaching your sales goals? [check for acceptance, agree and continue]
NOTE TO SALES ASSOCIATE: Remember to include the sellers throughout. This keeps them engaged and creates opportunities for trial closes as well as helping to establish buy-in. Have you been searching online about real estate as you’ve been considering a move? [discuss response. Ask questions such as: Which sites have you looked at? [listen] Why did you choose those sites?] It’s true, today’s buyers are online. In fact, according to the National Association of Realtors 2007 Home Buying and Home Selling Survey, 84% of all home buyers used the internet when they were searching for a home. My personal experience has been that buyers from around the corner search for homes today as though they were searching around the world. The internet is a viable tool for exposure and as the marketing agent for your home, I’ll be sure to position it to that global buyer as well as local buyers via my online marketing strategy. Let me show you how.
The centerpiece of my online marketing strategy is our website at bhgrealestate.com. Have you had a chance to take a look at our website? [Wait for their answer and respond accordingly] [If they have] – Great ! What did you think? Did you have any questions? [If they have not and they have internet access, you can log onto our site and demonstrate how easy it is to find properties.] – [If time does not allow]– Please do when you have a moment and be sure to give me a call if you have any questions. It really is very easy for people to search for properties at our site. We employ numerous strategies to drive traffic to our site. Any of these visitors could be the potential buyer for your home.
Online searchers tend to visit multiple websites so that’s why I’ll also advertise your listing on all of these sites. Google Real Estate, AOL Real Estate, Zillow, etc. These are all powerful sites to have in your corner. Mr. & Mrs. ____, are you beginning to see the value of the internet and the impact it has on buyers? We do too. And we do everything to leverage online promotion in our merchandising plan.
NOTE TO SALES ASSOCIATE: Explain and address each of the points on the slide. Be sure to expand on them as they relate to your local market. Let’s address offline promotion now. I will employ a wide variety of offline promotion avenues to attract buyers and real estate professionals to your property. Other agents are working with buyers, and we want them to show their buyers your home. To be sure they know about it, I’ll put the information into the Multiple Listing Service just as soon as we complete the paperwork and I’ll be sure to host an agent open house where they’ll have an opportunity to preview it for their buyer clients. How does that sound? [wait for approval or handle objection] Mr. & Mrs. ___, what are your feelings about a public open house? [wait for approval/handle objection if necessary]. An open house is great way to give your home some additional exposure to potential buyers. Would you feel comfortable if we included open houses in our marketing schedule? Great, we can discuss dates shortly. [wait for approval or answer questions] Right now, let’s look at some other offline promotion.
Over the years, I have built a large sphere that consists of past buyers and sellers, friends, professional acquaintances, etc. Each time I add a property to my personal inventory, my sphere of ____ people receive promotional information about the property – some by telephone, some by mail or email, and others personally. Regarding the real estate community, I have personal relationships with many local and regional agents. I’ll contact them personally regarding this property and see if they are currently working with buyers who may have an interest. Mrs. & Mrs.____, is there anyone in particular, you would like for me to add to my list of contacts regarding your home? [Wait for their response. ] All right, just be sure to give me their contact information before I leave and I’ll add them to the list. OR All right then, let’s move on to the last element of my merchandising strategy.
All these tools and strategies we’ve been discussing are just the first part of a successful sale. They are how we find an interested buyer. Once we’ve found an interested buyer who makes an offer, that’s when my work really begins! One of the most important skills I can provide to you is the power of third party negotiation. There are dozens of terms and conditions relating to a successful sale and my job is to make sure that all of those meet your needs. Once we have a successful offer in place with all terms and conditions agreed upon, then I become responsible for making sure every detail in handled correctly and in the necessary time frame. I’ll interact with any other agents involved, attorneys, property inspectors, insurance agents, mortgage reps, etc to make sure every “i” is dotted and “t” crossed. A National Association of Realtors Profile of Real Estate Firms showed that an average of 12% of all residential transactions failed in one year. Some companies surveyed reported a failure rate of more than 30%. It is my job to minimize the risk of that happening to you and to get you to a smooth and successful closing.
So, Mr. & Mrs. ____, can you see how utilizing these six strategies can greatly impact the marketing time for your home? [Wait for response] Excellent. They have worked very well for my clients in the past. Are there any questions ? [wait for response – answer any questions ] [move to next slide]
Let me ask you, Mr. & Mrs. ____, based on what we’ve discussed so far, if we can agree on price, would you feel comfortable listing your property with me ? [Handle all objections now before you move into the pricing discussion.] Perfect, then the only thing left for us to agree on is price. Let’s take a look at the numbers.
NOTE TO SALES ASSOCIATE Customize this page with personal information. Add or delete bullet points as needed. This is your opportunity to create personal value and convince the seller that you are the best person to market their property.
NOTE TO SALES ASSOCIATE Customize this page with personal information. Add or delete bullet points as needed. This is your opportunity to create personal value and convince the seller that you are the best person to market their property.
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