Home Sellers

Questions To Ask at the Listing Appointment

By Joe Lins
January 21, 2024

Selling a home is a big decision that involves various factors. For some sellers, this may be the first time they’ve sold a home. As the professional, you will need to ask questions and guide them through this often emotional and stressful process. When meeting with a potential seller make sure to ask them these questions before they decide to put their home on the market:

Real estate agent talking to clients at her desk

Why do you want to move?

Ask them what is triggering the move. Are they downsizing, upsizing, relocating for work? Understanding their “Why” will help in your communications with them.

How much equity do you have in your home?

You will need to ask your Seller some questions that may be considered a bit personal. To find out how much equity they have in their home you need to prepare a net sheet for them. To do this, you will need to ask if they have a mortgage or any other liens on the home. 

Are you prepared to get your home ready to sell?

An important part of selling a home is getting it ready to be put on the market. You as well as the seller want the home to look it’s best to potential buyers in order to get top dollar. A simple question asking if they are prepared to make updates to the home to get it ready to sell is an important part of the listing appointment. If necessary, ask if they will be able to make any home improvements or repairs needed. Remember to ask about home staging and if they want the home staged, as well as how much they are willing to pay for that service. It’s a good idea to have tiered levels of home staging pricing to meet every budget and situation. 

Are there any Legal or Regulatory considerations?

Ask them if there are any legal obligations or disclosures that will need to addressed when selling the  home. Make sure to ask if they have all the necessary paperwork and documents in order. You may need to refer them to their attorney or accountant for some of the information.

What is your timeline?

You will need to know their timeline for selling and moving out. This will dictate how flexible they are with closing dates and potential contingencies. Also, make sure to ask if they have made plans for their new housing situation after the sale. Offer to assist them in finding a new place if they are not already working with another agent.

Having these questions ready to go in a Word or Google Doc to print out, will make your job easier as you go off to a listing appointment. Taking the time to ask these questions at the beginning will set the stage for a smooth transaction and more successful home-selling experience for everyone.

Joe Lins

About the author: Joe Lins is President, CEO and Co-owner of CENTURY 21 Discovery. If you are interested in becoming part of the CENTURY 21 Discovery team or would like more information about our services, training and coaching we provide, contact Joe at 714.626.2069.

Staging A Home To Sell For Top Dollar

By Stephanie Goedl
July 7, 2023

According to a report by the National Association of Realtors®, staging a home decreased the time on market and also increased the offer price in some instances. The Profile of Home Staging report cited that 81% of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home.

Guiding your clients on staging their home properly can indeed help them sell it for top dollar. Here are some tips to help them stage their home effectively:

Declutter and Depersonalize
Start by decluttering and removing personal items like family photos, personal collections, and excessive decorations. A clean and clutter-free space allows potential buyers to envision themselves living in the house.

Deep Clean
Give the home a thorough cleaning from top to bottom. Pay attention to every room, including floors, windows, walls, and fixtures. A clean and fresh-smelling home creates a positive impression on buyers.

Enhance Curb Appeal
First impressions matter, so focus on improving the exterior. Trim the lawn, prune shrubs, plant flowers, and touch up any paint if necessary. Ensure the entrance is inviting by adding a new welcome mat, fresh paint to the front door, and attractive potted plants.

Neutralize Colors
Repaint bold or bright walls with neutral colors. Neutral tones create a blank canvas for buyers and make it easier for them to visualize their own furnishings in the space.

Furniture Placement
Arrange furniture to create an open and spacious feel. Remove any unnecessary pieces to make rooms appear larger. Rearrange furniture to maximize flow and highlight the best features of each room.

Create Inviting Spaces
Each room should have a defined purpose. Set up a cozy reading nook, a home office, or a guest bedroom. Add tasteful accessories such as throw pillows, rugs, and artwork to create warmth and appeal.

Maximize Natural Light
Open curtains and blinds to let in as much natural light as possible. Clean windows thoroughly to remove any grime or smudges that might obstruct the view.

Repair and Update
Take care of any visible repairs such as leaky faucets, loose door handles, or cracked tiles. Consider updating outdated fixtures, such as lighting or cabinet hardware, to give the home a more modern look.

Showcase Storage Space
Organize closets, cabinets, and storage areas to showcase their capacity. Buyers appreciate ample storage, so make sure it looks spacious and well-utilized.

Appeal to the Senses
Create a welcoming ambiance by adding fresh flowers, scented candles, or a subtle air freshener. Play soft, relaxing music during showings to set a positive mood.

Remember, staging is about highlighting the best features of the home while allowing potential buyers to imagine themselves living there. By following these tips, you can help increase the chances of your client selling their home for top dollar.

Photo of Stephanie Goedl

About the author: Stephanie Goedl is Chief Operating Officer and Broker/Owner of CENTURY 21 Discovery. If you are interested in becoming part of the CENTURY 21 Discovery team or would like more information about our services or training we provide contact us at 714.626.2069 or Careers@C21Discovery.com.

Why Buyer Letters Are A No-No

By Stephanie Goedl
June 11, 2021

(Transcript of our Podcast Ep. 41)

Hey, everybody, and welcome back. It’s Stephanie Goedl here. You know, it’s been a few months since we’ve recorded, we decided to take a short break to reevaluate our content and make sure that the education we are providing is relevant for what’s going on today. So, with that, let’s hop right in and jump into buyer letters.

Most of you are aware of Buyer Letters especially if you’ve been in the business for a long time. One way to really assist buyers in standing out when writing offers and when you’re up against multiple offers has always been to submit a Buyer Letter. However, now, that is kind of a No-No. I want to talk about that today and dive in just for a few minutes and talk about why that is. 

With everything that’s been going on in our country lately, there’s a lot of talk around discrimination, whether intentional or unintentional. When you dive into Buyer Letters, it’s something to really consider because your sellers sometimes are making a decision that’s based off of those letters, and not necessarily on the terms of the agreement.

The California Association of Realtors as well as our National Association of Realtors, have taken a stance against Buyer Letters and are really pushing that we should not be submitting those if there’s personal information or photos attached to those offers. To avoid that intentional or usually it’s unintentional bias or discrimination against those buyers.

Let’s just talk about an example really quick. Fun fact, actually, before we dive into that example, did you know that as of November 2020 there were 22 protected classes in the state of California. Back to my example. When you receive a letter, many times the buyers pour their heart and soul and tells their story as to why they want to purchase the home. Example: “This big backyard is perfect for my children to run around and play and get some fresh air.” Now, if you know that discrimination is not even in your mind, you can look at that and say, Wow, that’s wonderful, these three kids definitely need a place to run and play. I want to go with them. What’s the problem with that? If you are picking that offer, based on the fact that the letter really tugged at your heartstrings as a seller, you can be considered to violate the family status, which is a protected class. Especially when you’re looking at another offer from a single person who has no children.

You really want to avoid Buyer Letters because they have the potential to create a level of unintentional discrimination. If you’re a buyer’s agent you should avoid submitting those letters on behalf of your buyer. If you’re a listing agent, you want to have that conversation with your seller. And let them know that again, 98% of the time, I would say it’s very unintentional bias. But that being said, it’s still there, whether or not it’s being recognized. Let them know about the possible hiccups that can come with reviewing those offers and highly encourage them to look at the terms only, because this is a business transaction. As a professional REALTOR you need to encourage them to look at just the terms of the offer.

So how do you have that conversation with your seller? The California Association of Realtors has a great piece that you can actually share with your sellers that goes into this in a little bit more detail. And then get it in writing from them that they will not be accepting Buyer Letters. Also, put that into the MLS and have that conversation with the buyer’s agents on the other side and let them know the seller has decided not review any buyer letters. That keeps it very neutral and everybody in a really safe space. So, with that, I just wanted to pop on and give you a quick update on what has changed in our industry over the last few months. If you have any questions as always, do not hesitate to reach out. Can’t wait to see you on the next episode. Have a great day.

Listen to the Podcast here:

Ep.41 | Why Buyer Letters Are A No-No – Discover Your Real Estate Career

Stephanie Goedl

About the author: Stephanie Goedl is Chief Operating Officer and Broker/Owner of CENTURY 21 Discovery. If you are interested in becoming part of the CENTURY 21 Discovery team or would like more information about our services or training we provide contact us at 714.626.2069 or Careers@C21Discovery.com.

How do I sell my home during COVID-19?

By Joe Lins
April 30, 2020

What are you telling your Sellers right now about selling their home during COVID-19? I put together these steps a Seller can take to stay safe and healthy as they sell their home during this time. This video provides some important talking points to help guide your seller in the process.

 

Prefer audio? Here’s a link to the podcast.

 

Joe Lins

About the author: Joe Lins is President, CEO and Co-owner of CENTURY 21 Discovery. If you are interested in becoming part of the CENTURY 21 Discovery team or would like more information about our services or training we provide contact Joe at 714.626.2069.

How To Find Sellers

By Joe Lins
September 26, 2019

Today we are talking about how to find sellers. There’s a ton of opportunity to be had in regard to sellers. But where do you find them?

If you’re paying attention, there are many signals that can indicate a home is getting ready to be sold. This information is available as a public record or you can use services to help you mine the data for the information you need.

It requires awareness of the neighborhood and the desire to assist the seller achieve their desired outcome.

This latest episode of our podcast covers what you should be paying attention to in order to get listings.

Listen to the full podcast here:

Joe Lins Author


About the author: Joe Lins is President, CEO and Co-owner of CENTURY 21 Discovery. If you are interested in becoming part of the CENTURY 21 Discovery team or would like more information about our services or training we provide contact Joe at 714.626.2069.

Do’s & Don’ts of Real Estate Photography

By Suzy Lins
July 17, 2018

One of my pet peeves are poor quality photos of real estate listings. It drives my crazy! I get it that not all properties are “photogenic” but there are some basic things you can do to make sure the photos of your listing look good. Do me AND your client a favor and check out my Do’s & Don’ts of Real Estate Photography.

 

About the author: Suzy Lins is the Communications Director for CENTURY 21 Discovery. For more information about CENTURY 21 Discovery you may call (714) 626-2000.

Home Buying: Is this the right time?

By Mariella Reyes
April 19, 2018

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Ismael Chavez of TEAM ChavezHomes at CENTURY 21 Discovery to discuss if this is the right time to buy a home.

“Clients always ask me if this is a good or bad time to buy their home,” CENTURY 21 Discovery’s Real Estate agent, Ismael Chavez says. Eleven years after, buyers entering the market are still shaken up by 2008’s housing bubble. According to Chavez it’s unlikely another bubble will happen again soon because of the fixed interest rates the circumstances are different.

Photo Credit: Marlon Marshall Parungao

Ismael Chavez began his real estate career in 2007, right before the market crash. “Those were dark times for the real estate industry, but the experience made me a stronger and better REALTOR®. I care about my clients,” he says. Shortly after the housing bubble, he expanded his practice and formed his team of agents operating under the business name of TEAM ChavezHomes at CENTURY 21 Discovery located in Fullerton, CA.

Chavez is optimistic about the future of the industry.

Ismael, what are some tips you can give future home buyers and sellers?

“It’s a seller’s market; we get many buyers but we have a shortage of homes for sale. It’s a great opportunity for those who’ve been thinking of moving and selling their homes. Although there’s never a wrong time to buy, home buyers will have to be competitive and focused during their search!”

We’ve added some extra pointers for both Buyers and Sellers below.  Happy house hunting.

About the Author: Mariella Reyes, is an Independent Content Writer for TEAM ChavezHomes of CENTURY 21 Discovery.  She’s worked as a content writer and producer for brands in the industries of escrow, mobile, fashion, plastic surgery, and beauty, and was the Marketing Coordinator during her time on the Board of Directors for Lean IN Los Angeles in 2016-2017. You can contact her at: mariella.reyesm@gmail.com

 

Marketing a Listing

By Suzy Lins
April 19, 2017

Don’t be a secret agent with a listing nobody knows about! As soon as you take a listing let everyone know about it. First, you need great photos of the home. Hire a professional photographer. You can hire a good photographer for about $200-300. For more photos or larger homes the price goes up. Get a video made of the listing too. Century 21 creates a video slideshow set to music for every listing that has 6 or more photos. If you have a high end listing consider getting a drone video. Keep in mind that these images are in investment in you and your business. You’ll be able to use them when you go on your next listing presentation because that would-be client will not be impressed by photos taken on your phone vertically.

Now that you have your photos, maybe a video or drone images too, this is how you get the word out.

Email blast

Send an email to your database to let them know about the listing. The email should include a great visual image of the home or an embedded video with some details and the price. Include a Call To Action (CTA) in the email like: “Call/Text me for a tour” or “Do you know someone looking in this neighborhood?”

Send an email blast like the one above to all the agents you know. Add the agents in your office to your database as well as agents you meet at Open Houses, Broker Previews, etc.  The CTA should obviously be different, something like: “Do you have a buyer looking in this neighborhood?”

Facebook
To promote your business or to create an ad on Facebook you need to have a Facebook Business Page. Use these strategies to get the word out about the listing via Facebook.

Make a JUST LISTED post on your business page. Again, use a great visual image or video of the property. Don’t stop there. After you make the post go back and BOOST it to target the specific area and demographic that you want to reach beyond your Facebook followers.

Another option is to create an ad on Facebook about the JUST LISTED property. Creating an ad from scratch, rather than boosting a post, allows you to put multiple images in the ad (carousel ad) or a video plus you can target the ad to reach a more specific demographic. Here’s an example of what I mean: You have a $2 million+ listing on a golf course – target the ad to reach people with the income level needed to buy that home who like to golf AND who are likely to move.

The great thing about advertising on Facebook is that for dollars a day you can get your listing in front of the right people. An added bonus is that you have the option for your ads to appear on Instagram too. When Facebook bought Instagram they added this option. You need to have an Instagram account in order for your ads to appear there.

Other Social Media
If you use any other social media channels for your business get it out there too.

For Instagram, place an ad discussed above or you can post an image of the property with details. Instagram does not have the ability to include a hyperlink in the posts. Instead, direct them to your Instagram profile and include a hyper link there back to the property website.

For Twitter or Google +, post about your new listing with a link back to a video of the property or a property website. At Century 21 every listing automatically gets a Unique Property Website that has a URL using the property address. If you have a YouTube channel, upload the property video and share it on your social media sites.

Meet the Neighbors

After you take the listing get out there and introduce yourself to the neighbors on either side of the home. There’s something called the 5-5-5 rule. Knock on the door of the 5 houses to left, 5 houses to the right and 5 houses across the street and let those neighbors know you just listed a house on their street. Invite them to an upcoming Open House and ask if they know of anybody who has been looking to move into that neighborhood. This is a great opportunity to ask them if they’ve considered selling their home. If so, they’re going to be watching very closely how you market their neighbor’s property.

Print Marketing
Some “old school” marketing would be a “Just Listed” postcard to people who live in that area. You can mail it but if you door drop it yourself it’s a great way to meet people in the neighborhood. You can also place an ad in the local newspaper showcasing the listing. Print marketing is expensive compared to online marketing so use it wisely.

Open House
Now that you got the word out about your new listing you need to have an Open House. Again, you need to get the word out about it. Use the same tactics listed above for an email blast, Facebook post and BOOST and a Facebook ad. Just tweak it for the Open House. Next, create an EVENT on Facebook. List the date & time of the Open House along with all the details and invite your friends. Promote the Facebook event by selecting your audience and budget and you’re good to go.

Make your Open House an event. Make sure you have a lot of signs directing people to the property. Add some balloons and include food. Invite the neighbors to the Open House. Do a give-away for a gift card for people who sign in and give you their contact info. Consider doing a Facebook LIVE video from the Open House too.

Broker Preview
Put it in your office caravan or local broker preview. At CENTURY 21 Discovery we have regular sales meetings followed by a caravan of our new listings. At our meetings the agents have an opportunity to “Pitch” a property that is not on the market yet. We also have several broker previews in our area that allow agents from any office to place their listing on the weekly caravan.

Most of these marketing strategies cost very little except time and creativity on your part. You’ll be a real estate marketing guru and your seller is going to love you! Do you have any marketing strategies to add? Please share in the comments.

 

About the author: Suzy Lins is the Communications Director for CENTURY 21 Discovery. For more information about CENTURY 21 Discovery you may call (714) 626-2000.

One of “Those Days” in Real Estate

By Joe Lins
February 6, 2017

Whether or not your team won the Super Bowl yesterday, today is one of “those days” in residential real estate.  It’s a day that historically the real estate market just “picks up” for the new year.  Inquiries become appointments, Sellers are ready, open houses have more traffic and Buyers are just more interested!

Real Estate Agent at an Open House

Other examples of these kind of eventful days are tax day [April 15], the day kids start summer vacation, the 4th of July and Memorial Day to name a few.  Hopefully, you have been diligently working and are already on your way to accomplishing your 2017 goals.  At CENTURY 21 Discovery we are focused on a positive attitude, accountability, listening to our Clients and understanding their goals, and continuing our education through Coaching and Learning Sessions.

As of today there are 32 NFL Teams whose goal is to win the Super Bowl in 2018 and only one will hold the trophy at the end of the game.  They have already begun the preparation. Are you prepared? I invite you to take a closer look at what we are all about at CENTURY 21 Discovery and how we can assist you in achieving your goals in 2017.

JoeLins

 

About the author: Joe Lins is President and Co-owner of CENTURY 21 Discovery. If you are interested in becoming part of the CENTURY 21 Discovery team or would like more information about our services contact Joe at 714.626.2069.

Last-Minute Open House Cleaning Tips

By Guest Blogger
July 14, 2016
This was originally published on the official blog of Century 21® on February 19, 2016

Your open house is almost underway! You’ve already made sure your home is warm and inviting and you’ve taken time to carefully stage it. Now, here are some last minute cleaning tips to quickly spruce up any areas you may have missed.

OpenHouseCleaningTips

Prep for Pets
You may be ready for your open house, but your four legged friends might have other ideas. Perform a last minute inspection of any areas your pets frequent to make sure they haven’t left an unpleasant surprise somewhere in your home. Also, pet hair has a way of showing up unexpectedly. Vacuum carpets and sweep any floors with a rubber broom to clean up debris that may have gathered since your last cleaning.

Check Your Entryway
Although you may have painted your front door and meticulously cleaned your home’s entryway in the days before your open house, recheck it on open house day. Be sure to check for marks on your door, damaged plants, disheveled door mats, and unexpected messiness that may have accumulated in front of your home since you last inspected it.

Clean Up After Kids
If children happen to be in your home during the hours leading up to your open house, you may want to check for additional messes before potential buyers arrive. Look at your lower windows for finger smudges, which can be cleaned quickly with a cleaning agent and microfiber cloth. Also check your doorway for dirt, and look at the lower part of your walls for crayon streaks or other stains.

Ready Your Refrigerator
While easy to overlook, the inside of your refrigerator should be as neat and clean as the rest of your kitchen. Make sure it isn’t full of half consumed food or overstocked to the point where it looks cluttered. Additionally, any fridge magnets should be removed to further depersonalize your home for potential buyers.

Care for Your Lawn
Last minute removal of lawn debris can make your home more appealing and may attract more buyers. Depending on the season, eradicate lawn clutter with a leaf blower, a rake or a snow blower. If you’re too busy for exterior home cleaning, consider hiring someone to do it for you, so you can focus on the interior of your home.

These last minute cleaning tips may help your home shine brighter on open house day.

*Article reprinted with permission of Century 21 Real Estate LLC.