My Guarantee, 21 Step Marketing Plan!
BILL MCGARRIGLE'S 21 STEP PLAN FOR SUCCESSFULLY MARKETING YOUR HOME!
1. Assist you in pricing the house fairly based on current market conditions and the best available "comparable" information.
2. Help prepare you to consistently present or "show" your house in its best possible light.
3. You may wish to consider ordering a 13-month "Home Warranty" policy from Home Security of America for the house. This policy benefits you and the Buyer as well as acts as a Buyer incentive. On average, the cost of the Home Warranty is $395.00.
4. Provide you with a "Seller Disclosure" form so that you can accurately represent your house to a Buyer. *The Buyer's signature will ultimately be required on this form and made a part of the Agreement of Sale.
5. Place a "For Sale" sign in the yard and directional signs if needed. *Sale signs account for a large percentage of leads.
6. Establish an agreeable showing procedure to allow the agent community to show your house to prospective Buyers and allow you to maintain your right to privacy.
7. Take photographs of the house to create a cover sheet for the house description. The buyers who visit the house will be able to take the picture brochure for review at a later time. *They are less likely to throw away anything with a picture!
8. Enter the house into the Multiple Listing Service with an honest and accurate description of the property. *I will send you a copy of the description for your approval.
9. Within a few days of listing, your house will be featured (with photos) on the Internet at:
a. My personal web site at www.BillSells.com
b. Realtor.com (The #1 Real Estate web site on the internet)
c. Re/Max.com
10. Discuss entering your home into my "Virtual Tour" program. *A virtual tour of your home would be created by bamboo.com and be made available on the Internet.
11. Send out a minimum of 50 "Just Listed" cards to your neighbors. You will also receive one.
12. Contact a minimum of 10 agents who were involved in the last 5 successful sales of similar properties in the neighborhood. *Or 10 agents who have showed similar homes listed with my office. This has been a great vehicle for "getting the word out."
13. Hold a "Broker's Open House" for the Agent community to preview the house. *Typically held on Tuesdays from 12 to 2 PM.
14. Place a "New Listing" ad in the local paper within the first month of listing the house.
15. Discuss holding a Sunday Open House to allow any prospective Buyers not working with an agent to walk through the house. *Experience allows me to inform you that this marketing vehicle has a very low success rate. The Buyer flow, if any, tends to be unqualified or unrealistic.
16. Solicit "feedback" from all of the agents who show your house to a prospective Buyer. *I will be asking for the agent's opinion and the Buyer's thoughts on the price, condition, and marketability of the house. I will report to you those thoughts and comments. This feedback can be invaluable in making quick adjustments to market conditions.
17. Place a color picture ad of your home in the local "Real Estate Book." The house will also appear in "The Real Estate Book Online" at REXtra.com. *This form of advertising has been very successful in generating activity. Please allow me to show you a copy of my last ad.
18. Items 5 through 15 will be laid out for you in a written schedule once we have determined the actual listing date.
19. Assist you in evaluating the terms and conditions of any offers including the proposed financing. *This will obviously include negotiating any necessary changes to that agreement.
20. Schedule and monitor the activities that are necessary to lead to a smooth settlement after successfully marketing the house and negotiating an Agreement of Sale that is acceptable to you.
21. Attend settlement with you as your agent!