Last night Stefanie and I were having a discussion about listing appointments. Sometimes when we are approached by potential clients about putting their house on the market the client has already made up their mind. They have chosen us as their agent and our meeting with them is a planning meeting to make sure that we set the price correctly, cover the process and make sure that their property is show ready. Sometimes when we are contacted we are going for an interview for the position. This is the opportunity to show how we are different and how we would handle the listing that might be better than another agent. This is actually a good thing. It makes us evaluate our processes and learn to verbalize our worth. Some people do not like to be challenged, but if handled correctly and with the right attitude, it makes us much better at what we do. It keeps complacency at bay and sharpens your skills. I may not have been in business as long as some of the agents around Fayetteville that have been here for 20 plus years, but that does not mean that I am not good at what I do. If fact, years experience does not guarantee the best service. Stefanie and I discussed the mechanics that we have in place to insure that the properties that we list are marketed to their fullest. We discussed the honest communication that is needed to prepare properties to show at their best potential and the best price. And we discussed our committment to our clients. I look forward in the future of continually adding to my level of experience, but I believe strongly that Homes in Motion Realty has a lot to offer their clients, buyers or sellers. Just ask any of our prior or current clients. Hope to hear from you soon, would love to assist you in your real estate transaction.
Month: January 2015
Are You Looking For Some Land?
I frequently get contacted by buyers looking for land in the area. Most people want to build a home on it, but some just want the availability to own land or to hunt on it. I was lucky to be able to list some beautiful wooded land last week. It is located about 11 miles east of I95 on Cedar Creek Road. (Hwy 53). It is 11 acres of wooded land, mostly pine trees, but it does have almost an acre cleared for a homesite. If you are familiar with pine forests, the woods are not real thick and it is easy to walk through them this time of year. The driveway that leads down to the property is about 400 feet wide and is very rough cut at this time. You can drive down there with a truck because you need the clearance of a taller truck to make sure that you don’t hit any tree stumps. If you don’t have a truck, it is easy to park at the end of the driveway and walk down to the clearing. It is a little bit of a hike, but that just lends to the privacy of the setting. Being the country girl that I am, the seclusion suits me well. I think that it would be a beautiful setting for a home. Kind of a Norman Rockwell moment. If you know of anyone that might be thinking of building, have them contact me or drive by and see the location. It is at 8371 Cedar Creek Road, Fayetteville, NC. I would welcome the opportunity anytime to be out showing land like this as opposed to sitting in the office.
Do Some Buyers Avoid Real Estate Agents?
I definitely think that some buyers do avoid aligning themselves with a real estate agent. Sometimes I get a phone call from a buyer that wants to look at one of my listings. That’s a good thing! But it is not uncommon for those buyers to be very skeptical about forming a relationship with one real estate agent in particular. I know that I can not influence everyone, but sometimes it is hard to watch someone make the process so much harder than it needs to be. I recently showed one of my listings to a couple that have been looking for a new home for several months. They are looking on Zillow and Trulia and could not be persuaded that an agent could help them finetune their search. I told them that they did not have to choose me as their agent, but that I highly recommended that they find an agent that they were comfortable with and let that agent assist them. I explained that when they found that perfect house, that they were placing themselves in the position to then ask an agent that was a relative stranger to actually write the offer for them and stay with them their whole transaction. I suggested that they develop a relationship with one agent so that when they got to the point of signing an offer that there would be some level of trust and understanding between them and their agent.
Real estate agents are like any other professional. Some are good, some are better and some need to find another profession. Sometimes personalities between the agent and their client click and sometimes the mix doesn’t work as well. So, spend some time and find an agent that you are comfortable with and allow them to do their job which is to provide you with information and to guide you through a very important transaction. And that is my little tidbit of advice for today!
Questions That I Am Frequently Asked by 1st Time Home Buyers
I frequently am asked a couple of very simple and common questions when someone starts their home search. Buying a home is the single largest purchase that you will probably make in your entire life time, so people can, understandably, be nervous. The first question that I am often asked by buyers is “How much do you charge and when do we have to pay you?” It is very easy to see why the assumption would be made that you would have to pay for my services to help you buy a home. More than likely, although I love my job, I am not doing all of that work for nothing. The truth of the matter is that the seller has, in a way, already committed to pay for all real estate services associated with getting their home sold — most of the time. So, my answer to that question, 99% of the time is, you will have to pay me nothing to be your buyer’s agent and to help you purchase your new home.
Whew, good news, huh! One less thing that you have to pay for. So let’s get started looking for your new home. But wait, there is one more question. “What if I found a house that is listed with another real estate company that I want to look at?” Another easy question…I can show you any home that is listed in our mls and most of them that are for sale by owner or in another mls. In order to facilitate the marketing and showing of homes, most real estate agents in the area belong to our local Fayetteville Associate of Realtors. That allows us to share information and to show each other’s homes, which is a marketing service to the sellers. That means that I can show you all or most of the homes on your list.
Again, great news! So, let’s get started. Your search will be so much easier if you can choose one real estate agent and allow them to help you throughout the search. We get to know you and what you are looking for. I can tailor internet searches to meet your criteria and suggest possible homes that might interest you. So take advantage of my experience and expertise and let’s get started on the journey to find your new home!
Fort Bragg Homes 