Realtor – Page 2

Selling Your Home? What To Start Doing 6 Months Out

November 17, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You have decided that you are selling your home. Not right away, but several months from now. If you think you don’t have to do anything now, think again! There are quite a few things you should do now to ensure you get the most for your home. So what should you be doing? Read on to find out.

First thing you should do is call a Realtor

It’s not too soon and a Realtor will walk through your home and give you a good overview of what you will need to do to get your home in the best shape possible to sell.

A Realtor knows what homes in the area have and are expected to have and will be able to tell you whether you need to update yours or if it’s good to go.

Home inspection

It would also be a good time to get a home inspection to be sure all of the systems in your home as well as the foundation are sound or need fixing. Start on any repairs right away. Both finding a Realtor and the home inspection will provide you with a list of items that need to be done to get your best price, and the time to get them done.

Don’t leave all of that research to your Realtor

Do some legwork on your own and find out the high and low prices for homes in your neighborhood. That way you know what price you are aiming for when you finally list your home.

Next, start to work, room by room, at decluttering your home

You can keep a touch of your personal items here and there, but remove as much as you can and store it. You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t need to live day to day and how much bigger your rooms will look when you are done decluttering your home. It may also uncover other places that need fixing, paint that needs touching up or small holes that need patching.

Here’s a great tip, rent a POD and start packing up your stuff. You’re going to have to move it anyway, so why not start now. That way there are no boxes cluttering up your storage areas. Buyers look at storage in the home, so the bigger it looks, the better.

How To Have An Amazing Open House | Clearwater Realtor Tips

November 11, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You need to sell your home and have heard the suggestion to have an open house to generate interest. It’s a good idea, but it takes some planning to have an amazing open house.

First, get your timing right

Talk to your Realtor about when the best time to hold it would be, and start on advertising and marketing the open house. Check the newspaper or online to see if others are also having open houses nearby and try to hold yours then as well. People like to hop from open house to open house, making an afternoon of it, so others will help generate traffic for yours.

Clean and declutter

Next, clean it, declutter it and make the home look spacious, light and NOT yours. Stow away all extras to make counters look bigger in both your kitchen and bath. Buyers don’t care about your stand mixer and coffee maker, they care about how much room the counters have. Set your table. Make your dining room look fancy and your kitchen homey. It adds a touch of class, and helps the buyers picture THEIR dinner parties. Buy and put out a new doormat at the front door. It makes people think your home is clean and you take care of it.

Fresh baked goodies smell

It never hurts to “bribe” buyers. Put out baked goods (if you don’t bake them, warm them in the oven just before the open house to get that fresh baked goodies smell) and beverages for people to enjoy. It’s a small thing, but it will get you remembered.

A sign in sheet

Be sure to have a sign in sheet so people can leave their contact information, then use it afterwards to call and thank each person who came by. That extra step, which buyers won’t expect, may just pay off in a contract. Also leave something for them to take with them. Make sure they have a property flyer to take with them including a color photo of the house and all of the necessary information about it.

Lastly, LEAVE

Don’t hang around. It makes buyers uncomfortable and will keep them from asking questions about the property and getting honest answers. Be sure to take your pets with you and stay away until your Realtor gives the all clear.

Should You Join a Real Estate Team or Stay on Your Own

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

If you are a working Realtor or thinking about it, you’ve probably thought about what it would be like to work on your own. Owning your own business is, after all, the American Dream. But have you thought about the benefits of working with a team?

When you’re on your own all of the responsibilities fall on you

Answering phones, typing out documents, showing properties, marketing them, etc. All of this on top of what you need to do to sell properties and make a living. It’s difficult and some people do it. You absolutely do get to keep all of your own income. Sure you can hire someone to do the administrative tasks, but then you have the sole responsibility of not just supporting yourself, but paying all of the taxes and benefits involved in employing someone. You also are completely responsible for paying the lease for your office space, utilities and other costs involved in being in business. So do the drawbacks outweigh the benefits? Probably not.

If you join a you get a lot of benefits

The team shares the responsibilities. There is an administrative assistant to answer phones and type out documents, make arrangements for closings and other items. The taxes and responsibility of paying benefits and salary is shared by the team. The team benefits continue when it comes to finding leads, marketing properties, helping out if you’re new and being able to “sub in” if something comes up and you can’t keep an appointment.

Drawbacks

Yes, there are drawbacks. Commissions on sold properties are split between the Realtor and the team. After all there are costs involved in running a business and all need to pitch in to stay in business. That even applies if you came up with your own leads. Drawbacks, yes, but the benefits of that sharing are a huge help for any Realtor, especially a new one.
So which will you do?

Real estate services for out of area Pinellas County homeowners

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Have you thought about selling your Pinellas County Florida home, but you live out of the area, and are putting it off until you find the time to come down to organize things for sale? Or, are you handling your parents’ estate in Florida from long distance, and are overwhelmed by all the things that need to be done to sell the house, including finding a local Realtor?

Call The Deb Ward Team, Keller Williams Realty at 727-410-0336 we are here to help!

We have helped many homeowners and their families with the sales of their homes from out of state. Here are some of the services we offer our sellers, and best of all, there is no fee to you for the coordination of these services:

Listing paperwork is prepared and sent to you for electronic signatures – no need to sign in person, and you do not need to print, fax or email the documents
Recommendation and coordination of local maintenance companies for cleaning, landscaping, pool upkeep and repairs
If you need to sell or dispose of furnishings, we can recommend a company who specializes in estate sales and will coordinate pickup of unsold items to your favorite charity
We will keep you up-to-date on the status of your listing, showings, contract and closing via email or phone; whichever you prefer
Closing documents will be sent to you anywhere in the world for you to sign and return, so you do not have to attend the closing in person

These are just some of the things we can do to make the sale of your home easy. Let us take the stress out of selling your home – it would be our pleasure to assist you!

The Deb Ward Team is a top selling team of professionals who each specialize in their area of expertise to serve you better.

Please call us at 727-410-0336, or email us at info@DeborahWard.com to get your home SOLD!

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The Deb Ward Team

Keller Williams Realty

727-410-0336

info@deborahward.com

Top 5 Reasons to List Your Home with a Realtor

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

If you’re thinking about selling your home, the lure of saving the money you’d have to spend on a commission to a Realtor is tempting. Don’t be tempted. There are very good reasons to list your home with a Realtor and here are a few good ones.

Let’s start with someone to look out for your interests. A Realtor is bound by a code of ethics to do the right thing. That means putting you, their client, first. They have the knowledge of things like issues you have to disclose to prospective buyers. They can tell you what you need to do to get the best price, and market your property at its best price. They will also be the ones to negotiate with others.

A Realtor is your advocate through the entire process; from listing, to showing, to negotiating, writing the contract and settling on the property. They will know reputable people to handle all the details like inspections and settlement.

If you list your home with a Realtor, they will get you the best price. Statistics show that people who sell with a Realtor get about 16% higher selling prices. That means you are an average of 10% ahead of the game even after the commission is paid. They are well-versed in the market. They know inventory levels, how long it’s taking to sell and what differences are between listing and selling prices. All of this is important when making a decision on accepting an offer or even what to list your home for.

In this day and age you also need to consider who is coming through your home. You are guaranteed that each person that enters your home is accompanied by a licensed Realtor. This means you don’t need to be there. It also means that someone who might be thinking about committing a crime will be deterred by the pre-showing questions about qualifying as a buyer, or at being accompanied in your home. Don’t be tempted, be smart. List your home with a Realtor.

Should You “Test The Market” With A High Price To Start

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

It sounds like a good strategy, “test the market” by asking a high price for your home. I mean, what harm could it do and you could even luck out and get asking right? Well, not so fast. It’s not a good strategy and here’s why.

Who will and won’t see your home?

For one thing, when you “test the market” the people who can actually afford your home at the right price won’t even see it. Most people start searches online but even if they start with a Realtor, the searches the Realtor does won’t include your home. Those that do see it won’t be interested. Your home will be too small or not what their price range usually offers. Of course, that means you won’t be getting any offers. Unfortunately, your neighbor who is also selling will. Your overpriced home makes their correctly priced one look good. Not to mention that the first few days your home will be on the market are the golden ones. Most deals are made then.

Remember today’s buyers are very savvy

People know what a home is generally worth. They do their homework. They also will be less likely to want to try and negotiate a deal. If they even see the listing. That means your home is sitting and a stale house doesn’t sell for asking, or even for less than the true market price. It’s true. When you lower a price because you asked too much to begin with, those who are interested will demand a bigger discount and more concessions.

What if you do get an offer?

So let’s say you actually get a bite at your first price. Guess what? The house won’t appraise at the high price and the buyer won’t get a mortgage. No mortgage, no sale.

Oh, and if you find a Realtor who thinks it’s a good idea, find a different one!