Atlanta Real Estate | Atlanta Housing News for Real Estate

Hi Jim!  EXCELLENT and oh, so true!  I hope every seller reads this one--at least those in Charlotte!  Last weekend I had buyers who did exactly what you described--said to keep driving.  The photos were not representative of the home and the yard was a total mess (not to mention the neighbor's)!

Have a great day...

Debe Maxwell, Realtor® - Charlotte NC MLS - Charlotte NC Neighborhoods (Helen Adams Realty)  Debe, we have to keep the buyers interest, excitement, and attention until closing.  I think it is a lost art in this market. 

Jim, this is an excellent post and when listings have as much competition as they do these days, it is imperative that a home on the market be in the best shape possible! We have to compel buyers to come in and stay awhile!

BTW I saw this on Facebook and came right over to check out the post!

Russell Lewis, Broker,CLHMS,GRI (AvenueOne Properties, Austin Texas Real Estate)  Thanks Russell for sharing the Face Book tip.  I must admit I do not fully understand it, but glad it is working.

Russell this is an outstanding post!  You definitely hit the nail on the head and drove it home. 

Corey Chase (Trinity Home Mortgage)  Thank so much.  The sellers need to understand they need to keep the excitement up for a long time.

Hi Jim, Excellent advice that bears repeating. I have definitely experienced the "no thanks on this one" from my buyers.

All we have to do is watch "House Hunters" on TV to see the difference that little things can make.  I am constantly shocked (and shouldn't be) at how a paint color that they don't like can completely turn a buyer off.  I tell my sellers that the house has to say "I'm soo pretty, I'm sooo cute".  Although recently i had one where I told him he had to "dumb " the house down.  His taste was just too sophisticated!

I hate to feel like an intruder when I how a house, great post Jim!
I hope you are having a super week,
Paul

Great advice that can not be overstated. Is the first impression a "Welcome Home" impression.

So very true, we must remeber when we list a home to help the client know that the little things like dirty laundry and things like that can make a difference for a showing.

Hmmm... Hey Corey...my friend Jim Cummings wrote this excellent post, you should actually take the time to read it! :-)

Barb Szabo E-pro Realtor Cleveland Ohio Homes (RE/MAX Trinity)  I showed last week, and that is what my buyers said when I asked them if they would like to see the rest of the home!  "No thanks!  NEXT!"

kathy judy  Those are rare, but we had one too!

Paul Henderson, Realtor ® Lacey & DuPont Washington homes (RE/MAX Professionals & Four Seasons Inc.)  Exactly!

Brad Snyder (Sierra Vista Realty)  Unless the buyer is an investor, a home today is a very big and long term committment.  It has to say "Yes" at every turn to move forward. 

Wendy Hodges (Century 21 Boling)  Over the years, I've shown homes where there is soiled laundry all over the place including on the kitchen table.

Russell Lewis, Broker,CLHMS,GRI (AvenueOne Properties, Austin Texas Real Estate)  Thank you Russell!

Hi Jim...Yes Yes Yes...Every Home Seller should listen, Curb appeal in my option is more important that just Price. That's why Staggers do well in our Business. It's that first impression, nobody wants a home that has no attraction to them, you must make it inviting..including the yard. The exterior of your home is the first chance you have to get a Buyer to go further...

Congratulations Jim on the Feature post. Great Post, maybe print this off and give it to people on your listing appointments or pre listing material :O))

Victoria Oak Bay Realtor Fred Carver 250-598-2963 for Victoria Oak Bay Homes (Re/Max Camosun Oak Bay & Surrounding Area Real Estate)  Fred we needto keep those first impressions and move them forward to a successful close.

It amazes me that many sellers say "sell my house" yet don't want to do anything to it to make it more saleable like sprucing up the yard so you can at least get the buyers in the driveway and into the house! 

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the post, I completely agree. Home is where the heart is and how can a buyer feel that heart without a warm welcome?

This is a very well written post! I have had too many instances where a potential buyer has said "never mind, keep driving". Even if I have previewed the home and let them know to not judge the book by its cover. Not everyone is up to the task!

Diana Hoyt (Lakes Region Buchanan Group, LLC)  It has to be a team effort.

Ilyce Glink (Think Glink Publishing) I totally agree.  A 'for sale sign', and red bricks on the outside of the home do not make the sale.  Something more has to occur over and over again to finalize the sale.  This can only occur when the seller is toally committed to exploring every aspect of 'what will it take to sell my home?'

Stephanie Reynolds (Agent of Possibility, REALTOR, GRI, ePro at CMI, Inc. )  They may not like the quality of what you read....LOL!  Buyers sometimes think they have much higher standards, and in this market we have to accommodate them.

Jim, You covered everything it all !

Linda Metallo, Re/max Impact, Lockport, Il.

Linda Metallo (Re/max Impact)  Glad you enjoyed it.

Jim,

Great post!  Atlanta is taking a bit of a beating in the marketplace right now.  Some sellers are refusing to accept reality.  Curb appeal (and much more ) is so important to catching the attention of qualified buyers  ....in addition to pricing the home for today's market.  Buyer's have so many options they can afford to say NEXT!

Well written post, Jim.  Location is everything, but when you don't have that the house has to BE the location.

It always surprises me that people cannot smell the odors in their homes. That's definitely an important barrier to overcome!

Very well said Jim.

Jim - You are so right.  I can't tell you how many times a buyer has told me that they don't even want to go into a house just because of the appearance on the outside.  These are all crucial tips for today's home seller.  Thanks for the post.

Sally English, www.ENGLISHTEAM.com; GRI CRS (REMAX Executives, Inc. in Atlanta Georgia)  You are so right.  Even though there is less inventory now in Atlanta, there is still way too much.  Buyers have lots of choices including renting.  Sellers need to understand they are not in charge, and that they have a choice.  Do you want to sell or not?

Jane Peters Los Angeles Living, Los Angeles Homes (BRC Realty Group)  Exactly!

Melissa Zavala Realtor® North San Diego County Homes (Broadpoint Properties)  Sellers have to view their home as if they were buying.  Many times on a listing presentation, I ask the owners if you wre buying a home, would you buy yours?  It is interesting to listen to the answers you will get.

Douglas Lovitt (CENTURY 21 North Homes Realty, Inc.)  Glad you enjoyed.

Kari A. Battaglia - Venice Real Estate (Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate)  We have to get them inside the home, and mentally into the home before they will commit.

Jim as a professional home stager I can say that you've hit the nail on the head with this post!  We always start with curb appeal as the critical first impression for potential buyers, and then move through the house room by room, giving the sellers suggestions for easy cosmetic fixes, minor repairs, and proper furniture placement that highlights the home's best features -- not their "stuff."

Hi Jim -- Well said.  We stage, redesign and even renovate homes for sellers and doing these things you suggest can make much more of an impact than a price reduction.

Hey Jim, that is so true, I can not even remember how many homes I have had to run back out of with clients due to smells and clutter.

Hey Jim, that is so true, I can not even remember how many homes I have had to run back out of with clients due to smells and clutter.

Hi Jim - GREAT post.  You can price a home as competitively as you want, but if the home doesn't look welcoming from the outside, plenty of potential buyers will drive off without ever going inside.

We've lived in 6 states and moved 9 times....I was the "scout"....and we always had short timelines to find homes.  I always directed the realtors to drive right past the homes that held no appeal from the outside.  Lord knows we had plenty of inventory to still look at.

Sellers REALLY need to understand the importance of this point.  Thanks for making it.

Great advice and so very true!  This is so simple yet seems to elude many sellers.  Thanks for a very concise and well written guide to making your home say "welcome!"

I agree 100%. Also I would add Staging to that post. Curb appeal, repairs,  and upgrades are not enough to keep buyer in the house. Seller needs to Stage his house to create more flow and this positive influence on the buyer. I think it is important to get people in but to keep them in the house is  as important too.

Well said - and very true.  I',m marking this as a favorite!  Thanks.

Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Room Solutions Staging (Staging that Sells Portland Homes)  There is more to luck when selling a home..it's a team effort stategy plan.

Chris Olsen Broker Owner Cleveland Ohio Real Estate (Olsen Ziegler Realty)  Selling a home these days requires vision.

James Lyon (Vista Pacific Realty) - That is a very common scenario these days.

Coleen DeGroff, MBA -- Your Gainesville FL Realtor (Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish )  You are smart. Over the years in real estate, if the home does not have any appeal on the outside, very seldom has it been worth anyone's while to go in.

Jeani Thomas Richie-Broker-CRS-GRI-EXIT Hill Country Realty  Thank you Jean.  Sometimes we must keep the concept very simple for all to grasp.

Cathy McGrail (Keller Williams Home Town Realty)  Glad you enjoyed!

ANONYMOUS - Staging is good, but  all of the components that are contained in the marketing plan.

Great post and good points. Buyers are "sizing up" the home before they ever walk in. They are also checking out neighbor's homes, too.

Hi Jim,

Great post, so true!

Go Phillies! 

Great post Jim. Thanks! :)

Hi Jim,

Ok now that I logged in.

Great post, so true!

Go Phillies!

I am always amazed when I look at listing photos, and the home looks like it has been abandoned.  Price aside, condition of the home is what will get it sold.  With the internet today, you cannot afford to market a home online with poor photography.  Of course, if the owners don't take care of it, it's hard to take nice pictures.  It's not easy telling someone they need to freshen up their own home.  But if you want to get the job done, it just may be necessary.

Great pointers, thanks for sharing.

Jim, I've often thought that relocating folks will use the internet and the photos it provides as a process to eliminate homes more often than choosing a favorite (allthough this does happen on occasion). I've driven up to homes and folks say no way, let's keep going and I've driven into a neighborhood and the wife said, this is it! Before we got to the property, and they bought. Crazy business. That said, if you provide missleading photos, I WILL remember.

So often it is the basics...  When  a sports team is having trouble making the scores, they get back to the basics... 

Jim:

Very well said. People must help themselves.

Richard

Hi Jim. In this market it is imperative. Even in my area of Tampa Bay good "welcome" signals can help. ~ Lana

"Keep Driving"  This is SO true. When I was looking for a home here in Marietta, GA My agent had a list of 40 homes that we were going to see in one day.  1/2 that we drove up to, I just said "NEXT" and we were off.  About 1/4 I walked in the front door looked from left to right and said "Nope".  I had it narrowed down to 2 around dinner time and an offer in the next morning. 

The house we bought is the house we are living in now.  Was it the most modern home on the list?  No.  But when I walked into my perfectly staged colonial home filled with comfy furniture and a few well placed antiques..  I had to have it.  It felt like home the moment I walked in the door. :)  I even tried to buy some of the pieces that it was staged with!!  Those pieces BELONGED there. :)

Kristi DeFazio Colorado Springs Real Estate 719-459-5468 (RE/MAX Advantage)  Real buyers will even talk to the neighbors.  There is a lot to learn and investigate before buying a home.

Jackie Connelly-Fornuff (Long Island Real Estate: Coldwell Banker Residential)  Thanks, glad you enjoyed.

Jeff and Heather Rickert, Realtor®, RSPS (Keller Williams Real Estate)  Glad you enjoyed.

Will Goodson (Avalar 360 on Bee Caves)   agree with you about photos.  Also , as long as I've been in real estate there really is no way to sugar coat the truth.  It will either be received well, or your worse fears will come true and the person rejects you and your services as their listing agent.  That is not a loss.  There are many that interviewed me and did not want to hear what I had to say, and they are still on the market.  Let them beat themselves up and your competition.

Roch St-Georges (Exit Realty Matrix)  Anytime. 

Get Us A Home Realty - Frank & Jodi Real Estate Brokers  I agree.   Also, there are loads of misleading photos in the MLS these days.  New listing agents are actually violating copyright laws and scrapping the previous agents photos from 4 or 5 years ago.  That is really very unethical and very fraudulent, but it is very common place in this current market.

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty)  Lane I agree.  I've been through a few soft markets in the past.  Success is in the details.

Richard Stabile Bergen County New Homes Builder Realtor (REMAX real estate associates)  Thanks Richard, I agree.

Lana Robbins P.A., GRI, Realtor ® in Tampa Bay, Florida (Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate)  We have to acknowledge that even in bad markets homes sell.  Then we have to ask why?  Can we duplicate?

Lori - That is an excellent example!  Congratulations on your home! :)

Great reminder Jim. Prices are low enough that people are no longer working on the tangibles like curb appeal and fresh paint.

MARK VELASCO- CA Homes for Sale-Hacienda Heights, Downey, Pico Rivera & Whittier (Century 21-Southern California)  Yes, but they need to keep the deal moving forward.

Jim, great post, great ideas, great reminders. Most of the homes I show these days are bank owned. Vacant, smelly, no furniture. When we walk into a home that is actually inviting my clients feel like they have discovered Shangri-Lla.

Robert Savage (Bakersfield Property Solutions)  Exactly.  It give meaning to the phrase "A breath of fresh air!"

Another well written and informative post, Jim. Congrats on the feature.

My motto (and mission), and I tell it to every single seller I meet, is to that we need to "give the buyers every reason to buy." As a result, when staging, we focus on those areas that would prevent a buyer from making an offer.  For some, that requires a boat load of work (renovations, for example). For others, it may boil down to a deep clean. Whatever need they have, it's worth every investment dollar.

Again, great post, Jim.

Kathy

Jim,

This is such a fantastic post. I am going to reblog it on my website www.Marine1realty.com, giving you full credit, of course... I think all sellers will benefit!

Jim:

This is a fabulous list of items that sellers should keep in mind.  You are so right, if it does not look appealing from the outside, buyers will just keep driving...

Jim,

As a professional home stager, it's wonderful to read a blog by an agent who is savy about the whole picture a house presents, starting with curb appeal.  When we meet with your clients, we do a curb to curb analysis of the home 'through a buyer's eyes' and share everything that buyers could be thinking.  We also are able to share some suggestions that agents may wish they could make, but don't want to jeopardize the rapport they have with their clients.  As the objective third party expert, buyers pay close attention to our critique.  We are able to be quite candid as well as tactful, when pointing out the ways an owner can improve the presentation of their home.

Thanks for the great post,

Mel

Kathy Nielsen Atlanta Georgia Home Stager (Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC)   I am glad you enjoyed it.  Some homes need more TLC than others.

Cherimie Crane, www.Marine1Realty.com (Marine 1 Realty For Those Who Serve)  Thank you.

Claudette Millette - Metrowest Mass Exclusive Buyer Broker (The Buyers' Counsel) A lot of the time.... buyers judge the book by the cover.

melody salazar (Salazar Staging & Custom Interiors) I have been advising my clients corretly for quiet some time now.... As a New Yorker, I am as candid as you can get.