real estate agent

Fun Facts About Real Estate Home Sellers

October 31, 2017 By Deborah Ward

Did you know that knowing demographic information about whose home you are buying can help you get the best deal for the home you want? According to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® 2016 white paper entitled “Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers” spells out the characteristics of home sellers from June 2015 through June 2016.

So what are those statistics?

Well how about that the typical home seller was 54 years old in 2016, or that sellers typically lived in their home for 10 years before selling.

Want more? How about that recently sold homes were on the market for a median of 4 weeks or that only 8% of recent home sales were FSBO sales and that it was the lowest share recorded since the NAR report started in 1981.

Let’s also not forget that 89% of home sellers worked with a real estate agent to sell their homes, The smart ones anyway!

Common reasons for selling

The report also talks about the most common reasons for selling. The first most commonly cited reason is that their current home is too small. The next is a desire to move closer to friends and family or a job relocation.

Some cool fun facts about price

The median final sales price for recently sold homes was 98% of the final listing price and those homes were on the market for an average of four weeks.

You know what else? 36% of all sellers offered incentives to attract you, the buyer. Those home sellers sold their homes for a median of $43,100 more than they purchased it. One of the better reasons to own a home! It nearly always makes you money in the long run.

Clearwater Referral Real Estate Agent – Deb Ward, the Irish Realtor

April 7, 2015 By Deborah Ward

Any good Realtor will tell you that a lot of their business comes not from people who drop in the office or call on a whim, but through referrals. Referrals come from a lot of sources, past clients, current clients, and also from other Realtors and agents. In fact, referrals should be the biggest part of your new listings. If you’re looking in Clearwater for a good example of how to get those referrals, Deb Ward the Irish Realtor, is a great example.

So how do you go about getting other Realtors and agents to refer you to others for listings? Be the best! Deb is a great example of how to be the best and get those Realtor and agent referrals.

Deb has a thriving business in sunny Clearwater, Florida

She is the lead listing Realtor at Deb Ward & Associates, a Keller Williams Realty affiliate. That’s one way to start getting Realtor or agent referrals, be affiliated with a nationally recognized firm. It gives you an automatic referral source from affiliated agents from other areas who may have clients moving to Clearwater.

Deb is also a great example because she specializes in the great water front homes and communities in the Clearwater area. Being specialized and knowing your area well will give other agents or Realtors the confidence they need to refer people to you. Deb’s years of experience helping people to buy and sell is well known. She is well known for helping buyers find their dream waterfront home or sellers help in selling for the best price quickly.

Deb is also a relocation specialist

When it comes to helping out of town buyers or sellers, no one is better than Deb. There are a lot of ins and outs to helping out of town buyers and sellers, from what specialized documents could be necessary to helping them move. Again, being a specialized Realtor will help you get the referrals you need.

Find out more Deborah Ward & Associates 727-216-9247!

Selling Your Home |Having A Tech Savvy Real Estate Agent Matters

October 14, 2014 By Deborah Ward

Selling your home doesn’t require anything other than a Realtor who is good at selling, right? Wrong! Having technology smarts as well is also really important in a real estate agent. Here’s why.

Technology Smarts

If a Realtor has technology smarts, he or she is going to be one of the best marketers for your home out there. There is so much out there to use.

A good Realtor will make use of the best, starting with showcasing your home in video via YouTube. How better to show all the best parts than with a video tour? A smart, tech savvy agent will use a good video camera, take professional looking videos and then post those videos all over their social media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and so on. Most buyers start their searches online, why not give them a sneak peek?

Email Marketing

Next thing they should be savvy in is email marketing. A good, tech savvy Realtor will have an email database of buyers who are interested in buying. Not just past sellers, but people who have contacted them looking for properties in your area. Being able to market to known buyers via email is a great way to get your property seen.

Websites

Of course that video and all the other photos your agent takes of your home should end up on their website and other real estate search sites like Realtor.com and Zillow.com. Again, more exposure for your property.

A Good Smartphone

Lastly, do they have a good smartphone and know how to use it well? A smartphone will give them the ability to respond to you and buyers at all hours via text and email, as well as being able to use the most up to date apps to keep on top of everything they need to sell your house.

Yes, being tech savvy is important in real estate.

Why Getting Out of Area Agent Referrals are a Good Idea

April 22, 2014 By Deborah Ward

When you sell your home and buy one in the same area, you know you have a reliable Realtor and you can depend on them to help you. What if you are moving out of the area? You will need a new area agent. How can you be sure to find a reliable Realtor you can depend on as much as the one you know? Have your Realtor give you a referral to an agent from the new town. The new area agent referred from your current Realtor is the best way to find a reliable Realtor that you can trust.

When you are moving to a new town or area, finding businesses or services can be stressful. You’re new and asking other people about who you can trust is difficult because you don’t know anyone. You can take a chance, but buying a home isn’t like picking a grocery store. This is the biggest purchase you will make. When you are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a place to live and raise your family, trusting your Realtor is paramount.

More likely than not, you went back to the same Realtor to sell your home that helped you buy it. They have experience, you had a good experience with them and you trust them. Obviously they were good at their job if you are going back to them to sell your home now. Now you need to find another Realtor in another town so you can buy a home there and settle in. How can you find one you can trust like your old one? Ask the Realtor you trust to give you a new area agent referral to a Realtor you can trust in the new town.

The agent referral has an element of trust. Someone who you know is experienced in their field and has provided you with good service is now telling you that someone else is also as experienced and trustworthy. You can rely on that referral. So if you need to find a new Realtor to buy a home out of town, ask your current one. They can point you in the right direction.