Build Relationships and Leads Will Follow

Starting out in the real estate business (or any business for that matter) can be a little anxiety inspiring. The initial stage of getting off the ground is always a challenge. There are plenty of ideas out there on how to get new business, but one of the best ways to build your business is by building on the relationships with your current clients. If you offer outstanding service and do the job right, you will get the referrals. Word of mouth is still one of the best marketing tools a business can ask for.

Always keep your seller in the loop - give them information and updates as to how their home is being marketed, provide prompt feedback from buyers who have seen the property. Make sure your buyers have the new listings as soon as possible.

When your clients seal the deal send a gift card or a bottle of wine. Give a gift for possession. It shows your client that you recognize this milestone in their life, and the personal touch makes all the difference. "When we moved into the new house there was a lovely gift basket filled with fancy preserves, crackers, chocolates and champagne from our realtor," says one new homeowner. "We had a little celebration picnic in our new home."

Consider implementing a customer satisfaction survey - after your business is done, give your client an opportunity to provide feedback. Set your ego aside and consider this an opportunity. Take the time to really learn from what they say - and find ways to improve in areas that might not be your traditional strengths.

Even after a deal is done, remembering your clients will show them that you think they are important, that you appreciate their business. Depending on the client you may want to offer personalized notes, email messages, website links and newsletters.

Not only is this good interpersonal relationship building, it will also build your reputation as a caring professional earning you well deserved referrals and repeat business. For repeat clients you might consider lowering your commission slightly, as a thank you for the continued business.

As much as you might want to, resist from asking clients to refer you. It's cheesy - by providing great service you will naturally come to mind in conversation, which is far more genuine. Continue to offer services that will ensure your name is easily recalled in the community.

One way to do this is by being active in the community - sponsor fundraising events for local causes, family events, etc. Go farther by becoming a community resource - after all this is your market, you should know it well. You want to be the person people think of when they need local info - like where to go for the best Chinese food in town or what family friendly activities are being offered in the neighborhood. Be a wealth of information for new comers and established residents alike. Also develop other sources for referrals: HR departments for corporations in the area and relocation companies are a good place to start.

When you do get referrals, regardless of where it came from, remember to send a thank you note to the person who referred you.

By establishing your reputation as a thoughtful business person who is active in the community and willing to go the extra mile to provide exceptional service, you will find your business grows on its own and your reputation in the community will grow with it.

An Inconvenient Spirit: Selling Your Haunted House

Selling a haunted house is a difficult proposition if the ghosts are particularly noisy or violent. Many home buyers eschew atmosphere for the dull life of the bright house or bungalow untenanted by a disturbed spirit. Therefore, fixing up your house to sell may involve various preparations to reduce the impact of ghosts, spirits, otherworldly emanations and other supernatural phenomena.

Exorcism is one method of ridding oneself of a nuisance supernatural presence. However, it could be seen as discrimination and "supernaturalism", which could lead to the ghost's right to seek legal redress. Be aware that through adverse possession processes, the spirit may actually have legal rights to the house and mediation (as well as a medium) may be in order to resolve the conflict.

One must be sensitive to the fact that many ghosts come from diverse religious belief systems that would make using a priest from a Christian background extremely offensive. More importantly, it may not work if there is a lack of belief. In the case of an atheist ghost, you may have to resort to a copy of "The Origin of Species" to help form your exorcism rite.

Do not despair if exorcism does not work or, in the interests of equality, is not an option. There are other routes for the home seller with an inconvenient spirit. Many spirits are open to communication, but steps may have to be made to accommodate them. Rapping on the walls, table or doors may be the only mode of communication a spirit has and it is imperative to take all necessary steps to aid the corporeally-challenged in their quest for equal access to communication. It may help to engage the services of someone versed in Morse Code, as "yes" and "no" may not be precise enough to convey the particulars of a ghost's concerns.

Try to have a seance with the ghost and attempt to impress upon it the importance of not creating an uncomfortable atmosphere until the sale is concluded. Mention the fact that if the house is not sold quickly, a reputation very quickly develops that makes it difficult to find buyers, not to mentioned the easily possessed or precocious children. If you can, have a copy of current real estate laws and related information for the specter to peruse; ensure that it knows that "pre-approved" does not mean "sold" and that it is wise to refrain from frightening new owners until it is certain that the house is transferred fully into their possession.

If the spirit is resistant to all forms of communication and/or exorcism, extreme steps must be taken. If the house is exceptionally well-appointed and in a smallish community with low crime called "Sunnyvale" or "Friendlyville", there will usually be no problem finding a couple from the big city seeking a nice house in the suburbs or a bedroom community for their children and dog. The only problem with this strategy is that you will probably have to lower the price to some ridiculously low amount that would make any other home buyer suspicious. Don't worry. The family from the city probably won't even have a home inspection done.

Advice on Picking a Real Estate Agent

The ideal agent is not always the one with the most sales under his or her belt, or the most years on the job. The ideal agent is one who listens to you, is easy to get along with, and has the tools and skills to address your unique situation.

Every home buyer is different. Some have credit issues. Some are buying from out of state. Some need help selling their current home in addition to buying a new one. Just as buyers have different needs, real estate agents have different skills and specialties.

Here's how to find the agent who's right for you:

1. Ask friends and family for agent referrals.
Nobody knows you as well as your friends and family do. So they're often in the best position to recommend an agent who is well-suited for your needs. You can also trust a referral from friends or family more than one that comes from a stranger.

2. Talk to multiple agents.
I once saw a statistic that 84% of home buyers choose the first real estate agent they contact. This means one of two things. Either most people are choosing wisely the first time, or they're just rushing into things without shopping around. Probably a little of both.

You don't have to exhaust yourself interviewing agent after agent, but at least talk with two or three to see who you're most comfortable with (which leads to the next point).

3. Consider the vibe factor.
Professional expertise is an important criterion when choosing a real estate agent. But interpersonal skills are equally important. After all, you'll be working with this person anywhere from 2 to 12 months, so it helps to get along with them. We all have unique personalities, and that's the way it should be. But when working with someone professionally, if helps if their personality "meshes" well with your own.

4. Ask how they hunt.
When deciding on a real estate agent, ask how they search for homes. Some agents have their own preferred listings that they favor. But you want what's best for you, not what's best for your agent. You're paying them, right? So make sure the agent is willing to search high and low to find the best home for you. That includes using the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) as well as their own personal network.

5. Read paperwork carefully.
This advice is heavily used for a reason. It's critical that you examine all documents during the home buying process, and that includes your agent agreement. At some point during the relationship, your agent will probably ask you to sign an agent agreement. Basically, it just means that if the agent shows you a particular property, your purchase of the property should be credited to that agent. In most cases it's a simple, just be sure to read it carefully and ask questionss.

A Tip On How To Get Offers When Showing Your House

You are in the process of trying to sell your house and have your marketing up and running. So, how do you convert callers into offers? Here is one method.

A Tip On How To Get Offers When Showing Your House

Once you have decided to sell your home, there are a couple of steps you have to take. The first is to get the home ready to show by doing repairs, landscaping and so on. Once you are ready to go, you have to start marketing the home. Assuming you have done all of this, the house is in good shape and you are competitively priced, you should start getting calls from potential buyers. These calls then turn into appointments and buyers come to see your home.

At this point, you probably expect that I will start writing about how to negotiate or accept offers. Wrong. The next step in the process is often one of frustration. The frustration arises from wishy washy buyers. They come and see the home, but leave without making an offer. They may come back a couple of times, but they simply never get around to doing the deed as they say. Simply put, this is because you have failed to address the issue of motivation.

Buyers need to be motivated to take action. The more motivated they are, the faster they will move. For instance, consider the holiday shopping season. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is out browsing in the malls. Why? The buyers are highly motivated to buy because there is a deadline and they probably have more than a few people to shop for. Simply put, they are highly motivated to do the deed.

Returning to our scenario above, what motivation do the buyers have to make an offer? Do they feel any pressure to do so? Unless there is something particular to their personal situation, the answer is that they do not. You must provide the motivation. Here is how.

One of the complaints of sellers is that they feel like they are constantly showing their homes to potential buyers without getting an offer. They may show the property three, four or even ten times a week. If this is your situation, you are doing it wrong.

The way to motivate buyers to make an offer on your home is to show it only once a week or two weeks if the market is slow. Set aside an hour or so on a particular day and make all the potential buyers come at the same time. By putting buyers together, you create the motivation that simply does not come with individual showings. In such situations, buyers are much less likely to be wishy washy. If they like the property, they inherently worry about one of the other buyers making an offer. You now have motivation and a perceived time limit.

If you have are getting interest in your property, but no offers, give this a try. You might be shocked how much of a difference it makes.

10 Steps to Getting Top Dollar for Your Home

When you decide to sell your home you should immediately begin referring to it as a house. You’ve become emotionally attached to this place and it’s now time to say goodbye. Start detaching yourself by making some changes that will help you with the sale of the house.

You probably have accumulated a lot of clutter over the years. This must be the first step.

1.  Unclutter your home. Start in the basement and either throw things out or rent a locker off premises to store it until you move but prospective buyers need to see what the house looks like behind all your stuff. This means going room to room and clearing everything out that makes it look junkie and disorganized.

2.  Neutralize the personal nature of your home. You may love the native tapestry on the living room wall from Bora Bora but I’ll guarantee 95% of   your prospects will have it on their mind when they leave your home and not in a good way. Knick knacks and generally all things that you’ve previously enjoyed should be stored away until after the sale, that includes grandma’s spoon collection that takes up half a wall in the kitchen. Replace these things with neutral items like picture frames or vase with a simple arrangement.

3.  Minor cosmetic work. Once you remove the clutter you will see all the things that you’ve been meaning to get to over the years. Painting where necessary, new carpet/s, moldings repaired, cracked plaster and re-taping/ repairing drywall. When making these improvements think neutral colors for any coverings be it paint or carpets. If you have hardwood floors sand them and finish them. Area rugs can look amazing. Whatever you do, don’t over do it. Try and think like a buyer.

4. Hire a professional cleaner. Once you have the house cleared you should hire a professional cleaning crew to wash the walls, windows, work over the kitchen and bathrooms, clean the floors and shampoo all carpets that don’t need to be replaced. Your house should be spotless and kept this way for the duration.

5.  Staging each room. If your rooms are smaller rearrange the furniture to make the room look bigger. For example removing some furniture is better than having too much cramped in. Set your furniture up in conversation pit style. Like a gourmet coffee house, make it cozy. Pull couches away from walls to give the appearance of depth. Remove wall clutter, one or two pictures but no more. Generally make it look inviting.

6.  Kitchen and bathrooms. These are the most important rooms in your home to a buyer. Make sure they are impeccable. Plumbing fixtures should be working properly and look like new or they should be replaced. Use a good cleaner or even a metal polish to make them gleam. Showers and tubs need to be spotless! Sinks and vanities need to be pristine and uncluttered. Kitchen cupboards should be orderly, doors opening and closing properly, drawers the same. I can’t stress enough how important these two rooms are to your potential outcome.

7.  Doors and windows. First thing prospects see when they walk in your home is a door. Make sure its painted or cleaned up and that it will open and close properly. This goes for screen doors as well. Often screen doors are a problem people let go. Not anymore. Windows should all be cleaned and be sure if someone wants to open them that they work properly. If they have been painted closed as is the case with some older homes, now is the time to get them to open. Do whatever it takes.

8.  Garages and workshops. These are the second most important areas. Again remove all clutter from the garage and make it accessible so you can actually park your car in it! As for the workshop, try and organize it so the handy person prospect will appreciate what they can do with their “new shop” when they move in. It’s all about your prospect picturing themselves in your house.

9.  Family effort. Everyone in your family needs to be on board with the presentation of the house. This means your kids need to buy into the project and keep their rooms tidy. Bribe them if you need to but everyone has to help maintain the appearance of the entire house.

10.  Odors and pets. Wow, is this ever important. If you have pets only you really love them. When you walk into a house with dogs or cats you immediately smell them, especially if you don’t have your own. Keep litter boxes fresh and clean daily. Restrict your animals if at all possible to certain areas of the home until after the sale. Vinegar and water will do wonders when you clean their areas every other day until the sale is complete, and top it off with effective air fresheners wherever you need them. Vacuum often with carpet fresh powders two or 3 times a week.

This sounds like quite a bit of work and it is. Try and remember that by following these tips you could easily add five to ten thousand dollars to the sale price of your home, maybe more. A little elbow grease now will be a solid investment.

The Author is the President/CEO of www.realestatemate.com , www.homeheap.com  and www.agentsmate.com . He has over 26 years experience in the real estate industry.

©Copyright 2006, Used by Permission, All Rights Reserved

5 money saving tips when selling your home

Your home is undoubtedly the most valuable asset for the vast majority of us and selling it will cost thousands. Using the money saving tips in this article should reduce the cost of moving home.

Estate Agent fees vary, so shopping around and don’t forget to haggle and pay one off against the other. You should aim for 1% commission, also push then to limit the tie-in period to no more than 6 weeks, this gives then enough time to sell the house, but if they can’t you can move to another agent without going “multi-agent” which will increase the fee to about 3%+, a big no-no! Ensure you get a fair valuation, never tell an estate agent what other agencies have valued your house at. They will use this to manipulate its offer, often resulting in wide distortions. 

It is false economy to go for the cheapest solicitors, so get recommendations from all the estate agents you speak to and remember to ask for the name of specific people, rather than just the legal firms. Give them a call and ask what their charges are, also note whether they are they friendly, helpful, and most important efficient? Fees are negotiable so haggle! Play off each one against the other to get yourself the best service at the best price.

Selling you house privately can save thousands. One in twenty vendors are now taking the DIY route which could save you thousands. That is a massive money saving tip, but there are a couple of downsides, basically “time and effort”. You could consider newspaper advertising, flyers and signs. Newspapers usually charge per line or per word so try to keep your advert as brief as possible without making it uninteresting. The simplest way would to sell your house yourself is to use one of the many online house selling service.

Obviously it is best to sell your house when the market is strong and demand is high, so keep an eye on the local property market. Generally, the market tends to be stronger in early and late summer than the rest of the year, so aim to sell your house then. Also avoid completing with your neighbours so if there are already a few “For Sale” signs on your street, it might be better to wait a bit.

Research has shown that a poor presented house can take longer to sell and may reduce the price by thousands. So get your paint brushes out, give your home a lick of paint and finish all of those DIY jobs which are outstanding. Also talk to the estate agent about adding value to your property it maybe worth spending a bit of cash to make some more. However, be careful not to over spend, you might not get your money back, so talk all planned improvements through with your estate agent.

If you are determined to save money when selling your home, do some more research, as they say knowledge is power. Websites such as <a href="http://www.maxxsave.co.uk">Maxxsave</a> specialise in offering <a href="http://www.maxxsave.co.uk">Money saving tips</a>, a brief browse around such sites will allow you to get all the information you need to save you a ton of money.