3 Ways to Attract Higher Offers From Buyers

There are certain things that all buyers want to see in a home. Here are three of them.

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Home sellers have a lot more control over the home buying process than they think. There are certain things buyers typically want in a home which the sellers have control over. Here are three things that most of today’s buyers want:

1. Curb appeal. They want to be able to pull into the driveway with a sense of pride, and they want the first impressions of others to be the same. Good landscaping and groundskeeping are important. Planting grass right now is a good idea if you have any bare spots. It’s been raining so much you probably won’t have to water a lot.

2. Space. We have very few people who are looking for a smaller home. Most buyers, especially move-up buyers, are looking for extra space. Therefore, we need to maximize the space you already have. We do this by getting rid of all the knick knacks and extra furniture.

Very few people are looking for a smaller home.

3. Updates. This is probably the No.1 thing buyers are looking for. They aren’t necessarily looking for a brand-new home, but they are looking for pride of ownership. If you’ve updated the home consistently over the years, it will stand out in the buyer’s mind. Fixtures, counters, and flooring are all things you can replace that won’t break the bank, but will increase your final sale price.

If you have any questions for me about what else buyers in this market are looking for or if you’re interested in buying or selling a home, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.

How to Sell Your Home as a Pet Owner

There are a few things you need to do to best prepare a pet-occupied home for sale.

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A large number of homebuyers won't purchase a home unless it's a good fit for a pet. However, if you are selling a home and you have a pet of your own, it does still take a little extra care and effort to sell your home.

After all, pets are highly personal things. You may love your own pet, but the odor and damage they can cause to your home may be off-putting to someone else. 

We love our pets, but the odor and damage they cause might be off-putting to someone else.

When selling a home, it’s important to remember just that. Many Realtors will agree that the presence of a pet can cause a deal to fall through.

Thankfully, I’ve got three easy steps that can help prepare your pet-occupied home for sale.

1. Repair any damage caused by the pet. Things like scratched up carpet, tarnished floors, and yard damage can all lower a home’s appeal to buyers. By going through your property and taking care of these issues, you’ll be making a great improvement to its chance of selling. Any costs associated with the repairs will be made up in the returns you’ll get from having made them.
2. Eliminate pet odors. It’s easy to become desensitized to the smell of our own pets, but buyers won’t be. Consider hiring a professional to lift the scent out of carpets, rugs, furniture, and anything else that could be harboring foul odors. After that, bring in a trusted person to give you their completely honest opinion about whether or not the smell has persisted.
3. Remove the pet and all traces of it during showings. Having a pet or evidence of one can be a deterrent for some buyers. Some buyers may not be a fan of pets in general, and some could even be allergic. So, while it is hard to imagine someone not loving your pet as much as you do, what ultimately matters is getting your home sold.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Has Real Estate Gone Global?

In days past, real estate was a local business. However, with today’s resources and technology this has changed.

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Is real estate still a local business?

This question first occurred to me because of this great new listing I have in St. Pete. As many of you know, my office is primarily based out of Bradenton, but was brought to this listing for a number of different reasons. This got me thinking about that question I mentioned earlier.

In certain ways, real estate is still a local business. If you’re trying to buy a property, oftentimes you’ll want to go with a local agent who knows the area. But with today’s resources and technology, including the Internet, people can now look up the information that agents used to have to find. Things like the state of local schools, crime rates, and other aspects, are all within your reach.

When my own father was a broker back in the 70s and 80s, Realtors acted as gatekeepers for that sort of information. However, this is no longer the case.

This is why, personally, I don’t believe that selling a property is really a local business anymore. For example, my team recently had great success when a listing sold in just three hours to a couple living in Germany.

3-D videos and photography, as well as virtual walkthroughs like the one below, make it so that even buyers as far away as Germany are able to get a complete view of a property.

You may even have done online shopping yourself when it comes to searching for a home. Many websites, including our own, can help you do just that. That being said, when it comes to selling, professional teams like mine are more like marketing firms that happen to sell property. And getting your home shown to as many people as possible means going beyond local.

The client’s first agent, who had been a neighbor of theirs, simply wasn’t successful.

To illustrate this I’ve visited the property in St. Pete that first got me thinking about today’s question. Frankly, I’m not the first agent on this property. I’m the second agent, after the client’s first agent, who had been a neighbor of theirs, simply wasn’t successful.

The agent likely had too much investment in the property, because who moved in would directly impact their personal life. They were aware that whoever moved in would become their neighbor. Contrary to what many might expect, this agent’s local attachment prevented them from being successful with this property.

While it has a fabulous view of it, the property is not actually on the bay. This is great because it means that storms, winds, and tides won’t be an issue for the home’s deck. In addition, the home is over 4,000 square feet with five bedrooms and five bathrooms.  

To take a look at this amazing property check out the 3-D tour here or view below so you can see for yourself that real estate is no longer necessarily a local business. It’s got global reach, meaning that it’s more important to hire a marketing team that can present a property well as opposed to hiring one just because it’s local.

If you’re interested in this property, want any more information, or have any other questions, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to talking to you soon.