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Seller's
Guide
The following are some articles to help guide
you through the home selling process and to give you some insight
to the way that we work. Please call us at (503) 238-7617 if you
have any further questions or are thinking of selling your home.
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Cancellation Guarantee
What most sellers do not realize is that if
they cancel their listing with their listing agent, they are obligated
to pay the entire brokerage fee in full. We are so confident that
our real estate system will work for you, that we guarantee you
the right to cancel our listing at any time prior to accepting an
offer to purchase your home. There will be no penalties or obligations
if you cancel if we fail to do something that we outlined in our
marketing plan without your prior permission. The only thing that
we ask of you is a written notice of any service we have failed
to perform and 24 hours to correct the problem first.
Entering into a listing agreement with a Realtor can be a risky
business.
Every sales representative will promise the world when it comes
to effectively marketing your home, but how many of them can back
that up with solid performance? According to a recent survey, 72%
of home sellers were dissatisfied with the performance of their
agent, even if that agent actually got the property sold. Most listing
agents lock you into long-term commitments and lengthy broker protection
periods with heavy cancellation fees. In other words, it's an agreement
that you can’t get out of!
We offer you a way to list your home that
is totally risk free!
Success in real estate is selling homes fast and for top dollar.
We are confident that we can do this for you because our team has
already helped hundreds of families buy and sell real estate. We
will provide a written marketing plan outlining everything we will
do for you to market your home. If we fail to do something on the
list and don’t correct the problem within 24 hrs of receiving
written notice from you, you may cancel our listing agreement with
no fee. Your right is to evaluate whether we live up to this standard
and to cancel your listing agreement with us at any point up to
accepting an offer, with no penalties or obligations, if we fail
to deliver the service that we promised.
What if we cancel for any other reason than Realtor dissatisfaction?
If you decide that you need to cancel our listing, even though your
listing agent is doing everything as agreed, we will still allow
you cancel the listing provided that you pay for the services received
to date, plus the hard costs of marketing your property thus far
(i.e. the cost of printing flyers, running ads, etc.). You will
be billed at $40 per hour for the amount of time that your agent(s)
has provided service. You will receive a detailed explanation of
the services provided and the time it took to perform those services
if you elect to cancel the listing contract.
Our pledge
is to provide you with the highest level of service in the Portland
real estate industry, and our commitment to this pledge is 100%.
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What do we do with 95% of our listings that
most other Realtors did with less than 56% of their listings?
We got every one of them sold, and in less
than 1/3 of the time of other Realtors!
Why do our listings sell?
The most important step in marketing is
to price the home properly. No
amount of marketing expertise will sell an overpriced listing. Alan
and Leia, our Listing Specialists, will do extensive marketing research
to help you set a list price that represents the top market value,
without going so high that the property will not sell.
We feature one of the only real estate
teams in Portland. You have the
support of our team approach: Alan and Leia, to bring your home
to the market and cause it to sell, to negotiate on your behalf
and oversee your transaction; Juliet, to follow up with all the
details of getting your transaction closed on time; and Erica, Darcy,
Janikka and Robbie, to help you find your next property; and Steve
& Kundalini to oversee the quality of all work and to be available
for consultation as needed.
You get Alan and Leia's full attention
in marketing your property. As
Listing Specialists, we can concentrate on getting your property
sold. We don’t spend time prospecting for clients, doing floor
time (answering phones for the broker), driving buyers around, or
talking with loan officers or home inspectors. We have other team
members to do these things for you. You listing agent's focus is
market research and causing your home to sell.
We utilize cutting edge technology.
Our office and staff are fully equipped and trained to take advantage
of the newest technologies, from using a digital camera to upload
photographs onto our website, to using specialized computer software,
all to provide superior service.
We have a strong commitment to continuing
education. Steve has a Masters
level education in Counseling Psychology and 20 years of sales experience.
He has the professional designation of GRI (Graduate of Realtor
Institute) and is currently in the process of getting his CRS (Certified
Residential Specialist) designation. Kundalini has already earned
these designations in addition to her Broker’s license.
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Our exclusive marketing program for your home:
Our listing process:
1). Prepare a comparative market analysis
of your home.
2). Determine the best possible list price for your home in today's
market.
3). Complete and review the listing agreement with you.
4). Prepare your home for sale. We will spend as much time as needed
to go over the property with you, both inside and outside. We will
make a list, with you, of suggestions and recommendations about
your home so it will show at it's very best during it's time on the
market.
5). Install a lock box and our exclusive for sale sign.
6). Create an agreed upon, written, 30 day marketing plan.
7). Prepare a "Home Book" to be left at your home at all
times.
Our marketing process "The Secret
of Our Success":
1). Company Tour: We will personally conduct
a tour of your home for the sales agents in our office.
2). The Multiple Listing Association: We will personally represent
your home to the multiple listing association. As a results, your
home will be exposed to the 6,000 agents in the Portland Metropolitan
area.
3). Flyers: We will professionally create, produce, and print full
color property flyers and keep your flyer box full!
4). Advertising: Advertisements for your home will be placed in
the local media (including the internet) on a regular basis.
5). The Internet: We will feature your home on our web site. We
will upload photos of your home to highlight the home's selling
points.
6). Open Houses: We will hold open houses according to your wishes,
and when appropriate.
7). Reverse Prospect Match: Through the RMLS computer we will generate
a list of prospects already working with other Realtors who are
looking for a home such as yours, and contact those other Realtors.
We don't wait for them to come to you; we go to them.
8). We will canvass your neighborhood with "Just Listed"
flyers to enlist your neighbors in our search for a buyer.
Our communication with you:
1). As we begin our seller/agent relationship,
we give you our personal commitment through hours of direct communication
regarding the current market and the marketing of your home.
2). We will verbally keep in touch with you at least once a week
as our work progresses for you.
3). We will maintain a book of our marketing efforts that is kept
up to date and available for your review at any time.
Your sale:
1). We will be present when contacted, at
any and all purchase and sale agreement presentations.
2). We will qualify all purchasers to the best of our ability.
3). We keep abreast of all current financing programs available.
We will help the purchaser find the best financing available today.
Closing your transaction:
1). We will constantly keep you informed as
to the progress of your Real Estate Sales Agreement from the time
of signing until the close of your sale.
2). Escrow and closing. We will work hard to handle any situation
that may arise with mortgage lenders, escrow agents, appraisers,
underwriters, inspectors, purchasers and other agents during the
time of escrow up to the actual close of your sale.
3). One of us will go with you to the signing of your closing documents.
The above marketing program is our commitment to you. We will
work hard to represent you in the prompt sale of your home at the
best possible price. When and only when you have received the proceeds
from the sale of your home do we receive any compensation for our
services.
We look forward to serving you!
Sincerely,
Portland's Alternative Realtors
Kundalini, Steve, Alan and Leia
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10 Things You Need to Know Before You Hire
an Agent
Not all real estate agents are the same. If
you decide to seek the help of an agent when selling or buying your
home, you need some good information before you make any moves.
An agent can cost or save you thousands
of dollars.
Picking an agent is one of those critical
issues that can cost or save you thousands of dollars. There are
very specific questions that you should be asking to ensure that
you get the best representation of your needs. Many agents would
prefer that you don't ask these questions, because the knowledge
you'll gain from their honest answers will give you a very good
idea about what outcome you can expect from using this agent. And
let's face it - in real estate, as in life - not all things are
created equal.
Hiring a real estate agent is just like any hiring process - with
you on the boss's side of the desk. It's critical that you make
the right decision about who will handle what is probably the single
largest financial investment you will ever make.
1). What makes you different? Why should
I list my home with you? It's a
much tougher real estate market than it was a decade ago. What unique
marketing plans and programs does this agent have in place to make
sure that your home stands out favorably versus other competing
homes? What things does this agent offer you that others don't to
help you sell your home in the least amount of time and hassle for
the most amount of money?
2.) What is your company's track record
for selling your listings? The
Portland real estate market has slowed considerably
over the last three years. From 1992 through 1996 there was an average
of 34,782 new listings per year with 22,030 listings actually selling.
From 1997 through 1999 there was an average of 46,887 new listings
with 25,318 listings sold. That's an increase of 12,105 listings
per year with only an additional 3,288 listings being sold. This
has created an extra 24,837 listings that have not sold over the
past three years! It no longer works to simply put up a sign and
get the listing in the RMLS computer. In the past three years agents
are only selling about 54% of the homes listed.
How does the agent you are interviewing compare with the market
average? You should pick an agent (or team) that has a substantial
track record. Although their track record is no guarantee of success,
it can be a useful predictor. You may be surprised to know that
most agents sell fewer than 4 homes per year! This volume makes
it difficult for these agents to do full impact marketing on your
home because they can't raise the money it takes to afford the special
programs and the newest technology it takes to give your home a
high profile. Also, at this low level, they probably can't afford
to hire any assistants, which means that they're running around
trying to do all the parts of the job themselves, which means service
may suffer.
I'm sure that you'll agree that success in real estate is selling
homes. If one agent is selling a lot of homes and another agent
is selling only a small handful, ask yourself why this might be?
What things are these agents doing differently?
3). What are your marketing plans for my
home? Your agent should provide
you with a written, comprehensive plan detailing specifically what
they will be doing to cause your home to sell. Does the agent do
a reverse prospect match? Are they willing to update the reverse
prospect match on a weekly basis? Will they read the lockbox on
a weekly basis? Do they provide 24 hour, 7 day per week advertising?
Will they put you on the internet and upload photos of your home
with a digital camera? Will they put you on more than one website
for maximum exposure? Does the agent understand the effectiveness
of using one medium over the other?
4). What has your company sold in my area?
Agents should bring you a complete listing of both their own, and
other comparable sales in your area.
5). Does your broker control your advertising
or do you? If your agent is not
in control of their own advertising, then your home will be competing
for advertising space not only with this agent's other listings,
but also with the listing of every other agent in the brokerage.
6). On average, when your listings sell,
how close is the selling price to the asking price?
This information is available from the Real Estate Board. Is this
agent's performance higher or lower than the board average? Their
performance on this measurement will help you predict how high a
price you will get for the sale of your home.
7). On average, how long does it take for
your listings to sell? This information
is also available through the Real Estate Board. Does this agent
tend to sell faster or slower than the board average? Their performance
on this measurement will help you predict how long your home will
be on the market before it sells.
8). How many Buyers are you currently working
with? Obviously, the more buyers
your agent is working with, the better your chances are of selling
your home quickly. It will also impact price because an agent with
many buyers can set up an auction-like atmosphere where many buyers
bid on your home at the same time. Ask them to describe the system
they have for attracting buyers.
9). Do you have a client reference list
of clients I could contact? Ask
to see this list, and then proceed to spot check some of the names.
10). What happens if I'm not happy with
the job you are doing to get my home sold? Can I cancel my listing
contract?
Most agents lock you into a lengthy listing contract which they
can get out of (by ceasing to effectively market your home) but
you can't. There are usually penalties and broker protection periods
which safeguard the agent's interests, but not yours. How confident
is your agent with the service she or he will provide you? Will
she or he allow you to cancel your contract without a penalty if
you're not satisfied with the service provided?
Evaluate each agent's response to these 10 questions carefully
and objectively. Who will do the best job for you? These questions
will help you decide.
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Preparing Your Home for Sale
Is your house as presentable as it can be
for a fast sale at the best price? People form opinions before they
even walk in the front door, and the first impression is often the
lasting impression. Try to look at your house "Through the
buyers eyes."
Suggestions For Good First Impressions:
1). Flowers by the front door are a nice touch.
A green, well-manicured lawn, neatly clipped shrubbery, cleanly
swept walks create a good first impression.
2). Paint or stain the front door to look fresh and inviting. Examine
the exterior paint and window frames, and repaint or touch-up as
necessary.
3). Inspect the roof, gutters and downspouts.
4). Keep decks and patios free of clutter.
5). In winter, keep walks free of snow and ice.
Kitchen:
6). Make the kitchen bright, attractive and
clean.
7). Remove messages and pictures from the refrigerator door.
8). If the kitchen floor is worn or outdated, consider installing
new flooring.
9). Remove all but necessary items from the countertops.
Bathroom:
10). Repair all dripping faucets.
11). Keep fresh towels in the bathrooms.
12). Remove stains from fixtures.
13). Unclog slow drains.
Living Areas:
14). Have all walls in good repair.
15). Check ceilings for leak stains. Fix the cause of the damage,
repair the ceiling and paint.
16). Choose conventional colors when painting and redecorating.
17). Remove ashes from fireplaces and woodstoves and clean the chimney.
18). Wash windows.
19). Replace cracked glass.
20). Mend torn screens.
21). Have all windows in working order.
22). Replace burned-out and dim light bulbs with brighter ones.
23). Make sure every light switch works.
24). Clean the carpet and drapes as needed and polish the floors.
25). Straighten closets.
26). Use potpourri to freshen air.
27). Lubricate any squeaking doors. For sliding doors or drawers
that stick, rub the tracks with paraffin.
28). Pack collections and family pictures that may distract the
buyers.
Basement, Attic, Garage:
29). Clean out attic, basement and garage
and dispose of those items you are not moving. Pack everything you
won't need until you're settled in your new home.
30). Have stairs to the basement well lit.
31). If your basement is dark, paint the ceilings with a light color.
When Your House is Being Shown:
32). Rooms appear larger and more inviting if window coverings are
open.
33). Have your home well-lighted during showing.
34). At night, turn on porch light and outdoor lighting.
35). Have a cozy fire in the fireplace when possible.
36). Neatness makes a room look bigger. Avoid clutter.
37). Consider storing some furniture from overcrowded rooms.
38). Avoid having dirty dishes in the sink or on counters.
39). Keep toys in the children's rooms.
40). When possible, have soft music playing. Turn the TV off.
41). Be away if your sales associate is holding an open house.
42). Take pets outdoors when your house is being shown.
43). Let the real estate expert show your house. Answer questions
candidly when asked, but don't offer answers to unasked questions.
44). Refer direct inquiries you receive about seeing your home to
your Realtor to take advantage of their professional skills in selling
your home.
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