Triangle Area of North Carolina Real Estate Podcast with Ruby Henderson

How do you know that the agents you’re interviewing have the experience and expertise to sell your home quickly and for top dollar? I’ve compiled a list of questions to ask that will help you make the best decision. Want to sell your home? Get a free home value report Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale When looking to sell your home, the first step is finding an agent that will do the job well. I’ve compiled a list of questions you should remember to ask when interviewing agents so that you can make a better decision about who to go with: 1. How much experience do they have? You cannot replace experience—you can only gain it. Make sure you ask them how much experience they have in the business. 2. How many homes have they sold this year? How many homes have they sold in their entire career? This goes a long way to determining how successful they will be in selling your own home. 3. What is their list-to-sales ratio? You’re looking for a ratio that is very close. For example, you want to see a sales history where homes list at $1 million but sell for $999,000. The more of a distance between the list price and the sales price, the worse the ratio. 4. What is their average days on market? How long does it take to sell? The quicker the home sells, the better. “ You cannot replace experience—you can only gain it. ” 5. Do they work with a team or individually? In this market, agents who work with teams are often the better choice because of the level of specialization among their members. Be sure to ask, “Do you have a team; if so, may we see it?” 6. Do they have any reviews? Look online for reviews and check out how they are positioned in the market. Are they ranked in your area? If not, why aren’t they? 7. What are their marketing strategies? Marketing is the key word. You don’t want an agent who does the “Three P’s:” put the sign in the yard, put it on the MLS, and pray. That is not a good marketing strategy and won’t get you top dollar for your home. 8. What are their marketing plan and budget? You can’t market to home if you don’t have the money to market it. Make sure that any agents you’re interviewing can share their strategy and budget for marketing your home. If you have any questions regarding this or any other real estate topic, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d be happy to help!

Should you work with a discount brokerage to sell your home? Ask these five questions in order to make the best decision for your home sale. Want to sell your home? Get a free home value report Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale If you are thinking about selling your home, you may also be considering working with a discount brokerage. Before you decide to hire that discount brokerage, there are a few things you should know in order to make the best possible decision for your home sale. 1. How much does it actually cost? Many people believe that working with a discount brokerage means that you will pay a flat fee. While that may be true, there will probably be a note in the small print requiring you to pay the additional buyer agent fee. Make sure you add those two numbers up together; many times, you may have been able to utilize a full brokerage service after all. 2. What do you get for that money? Some sellers who have hired discount brokerages in the past find that, although their house is on the MLS, they do not get any additional marketing from the discount brokerage. 3. What type of communication will you receive when you work with a discount brokerage firm? In the world of real estate, communication is key. However, most sellers who’ve worked with discount brokers have shared that they didn’t get much communication at all. 4. What kind of negotiation support will you get? When it comes to negotiating your sales price, you want to make sure you work with a good negotiator. You aren’t guaranteed that type of service with a discount brokerage. 5. Will they share liability? When it comes to selling your home, there is a lot at stake in terms of liability. When you work with a full-service brokerage, you will share that liability. If you work with a discount brokerage, you are the only one who’s liable. “ If you work with a full-service brokerage, your house will sell for 24% more money. ” Another thing to keep in mind is that, according to the National Association of Realtors, sellers who work with full-service brokerages earn 24% more when selling their house than those who worked with a discount brokerage. While you can certainly sell your house with a discount brokerage, remember the old adage: Sometimes, you get what you pay for. If you have any other questions about selling your home or about real estate in general, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Many people are starting to come around to the idea of home staging. When you look at it from a buyer’s perspective, it doesn’t make sense not to stage your home. Want to sell your home? Get a free home value report Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale For sellers looking to get the most money possible for their home, home staging has become a popular strategy. But what is staging and why is it important? We’re here to answer that and other questions today. Staging is the process of preparing your home for the market in a visual way, whether it’s with photography, video, or open houses and showings. Staging is important because it has been found that homes that are staged sell faster and for more money than homes that aren’t. It’s something to take seriously. The first thing to do when staging is to depersonalize your home. When a buyer comes to see the property, they want to be able to look at your home and make it their own. When you have pictures of your kids or sports memorabilia strewn throughout the home, it doesn’t help. In addition to the sports memorabilia, it’s also a good idea to take down any religious icons as well. You want to do whatever you can to alienate the least amount of people possible. Those are all great things to have in a home, but removing them in order to stage the home properly will allow the buyer to more easily envision their family in the home. The next step is to define (or redefine) each room. Maybe you turned your living room into a playroom or an arts and crafts room. When you are staging that room, make it look like a living room. For a visual buyer, having less in the home is more appealing. When in doubt, clear it out. Minimizing the items in your home will maximize its space. “ Each room should have a specific purpose. ” Finally, smile for the camera. In 2017, a majority of buyers are beginning their home search online. You have about two and a half seconds to wow a buyer through either pictures or video. Homes that are staged with minimal clutter look the best on camera. Taking these things into consideration when getting your home ready for sale will really help you out in the long run. That’s why we offer free staging services to our sellers. If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home anytime soon, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.

What happens when you list your home for sale and it expires off the market? Your next steps are crucial if you want to get the house back on the market and sell. Want to sell your home? Get a free home value report Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale What happens if your home was listed for sale but expired off the market? Unfortunately, you're not alone because many people experience this when trying to sell their house. More often than not, it isn't the homeowner's fault. So what can you do when your home expires off the market? Start by taking into account what has happened up to that point. Look back at your past showings, where you are right now, and what got you to that point. Typically, the best suggestion is to start interviewing agents. Most markets across the country are doing well, so now is the time to list your house. Do your homework and interview several agents. “ When you interview agents, be sure you're asking the right questions. ” When you interview agents, be sure you're asking the right questions. Ask them how many homes they have sold, because you want them to have experience. Since the real estate game has changed these days, you also need to ask the agent or agents to show you their marketing budget and marketing plan. Over 90% of homebuyers start their home search online, so if your house isn't being marketed online globally, you're at a disadvantage. When going back on the market, it's also important to talk with an agent about the process itself. Talk about closing and negotiation and ask the agent about their past. How long have they been in business? All these things will add up to a successful sale. If you have any questions about getting your house back on the market, we'd love to help you out. Just give us a call or send us an email soon. We hope to hear from you!

Should you list your home as For Sale By Owner or should you hire a listing agent? There are a few things you should consider before making that decision. Want to sell your home? Get a free home value report Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale Many people consider listing their properties as For Sale By Owner. Here are a few hints to help you decide if FSBO is right for you: First of all, you need to protect yourself from liability. There is a lot riding on selling your home when it comes to paperwork, disclosures, square footage, and much more. Many FSBO sellers choose to work with an agent to protect themselves from liability during the contract to closing period. Most people who decide to sell on their own think they are saving money. However, you need to be careful and avoid leaving money on the table when you sell. According to the National Association of Realtors, FSBO owners sell for 88% of the asking price. Therefore, they are negotiating well off of the initial listing price. At team Ruby, we usually sell for 99% of the listing price. Hiring an agent can actually net you more money during negotiations. “ Listing agents can sell your home for more money. ” Although FSBO sellers may want to avoid real estate agents, they do end up working with a buyer’s agent. As the seller, you will have to pay the buyer’s agent about a 3% commission. After all, they brought you a buyer. However, that agent is there to protect the buyer’s interests, not yours. You may want to consider hiring a listing agent to protect your interests. So, if you are thinking of selling on your own, remember: you might have to pay a commission, but hiring a listing agent will save you money in the end. If you have any questions about listing your home with an agent or about about current market, give us a call or send us an email. We'd be happy to help!

Selling a home isn’t as simple as listing your home on the MLS and waiting for an offer. Here’s what really happens in most successful home sales. Want to sell your home? Get a free home value report Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale When you decide to sell your home, the goal of your sale is always to get the home sold for as much as possible as quickly as possible. We want to help you do that when it comes time for you to sell, so we have six steps to share that will get you there. Here’s what you need to do in order to have a successful home sale. 1. Define your needs. Sometimes, sellers hit the market without doing this. It usually ends poorly. By knowing where you’re going and what your next step is before you go in, you can clearly define your needs to position exactly how aggressively you want to hit the market. 2. Pricing strategy. This is one of the most important components when selling your home. You don’t want to undersell or overprice the home; you want to find the sweet spot in the middle. An experienced agent can help you do this by supplying you with the numbers that you can use to determine the best price for your goals. 3. Prepare your home. The more you prepare it, the better. Whether it’s renovations, repairs, or getting information on how to stage your home, the more work you put in the better the home will show. 4. Marketing strategy. It’s 2017. The old school method of placing a sign in the yard and putting a home on the MLS just doesn’t cut it anymore. It’s all about marketing now. Be sure to hire an agent who can clearly define to you what their marketing strategy and budget are. 5. Negotiate and accepted offer. It’s one thing to be prepared for the market. It’s another thing to be prepared to negotiate when you get an offer. You want an agent who will negotiate the highest and best price and terms for you. You also want someone who can keep the offer together from contract to closing. 6. Closing. This is the holy grail of selling your house. It’s the final step, but it still trips some people up if they don’t have the proper representation and the right people looking out for them. “ The one common theme is hiring a good agent. ” Throughout these key steps, you’ll notice one common theme: a good agent. Many deals fall apart because of inexperienced or lazy agents. Before you hire one, make sure you know who they are, what their experience is, and how they are specifically going to help you sell your home for top dollar. That will put you in the best position possible to sell a home in 2017. If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

Many home sellers hurt their sale by falling victim to one or more of these five common vices. Want to sell your home? Get a free home value report Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale If you’re looking to sell your home, there are five vices you should avoid: 1. Over-improving. Most homeowners have great intentions when it comes to improving their home for sale, but you need to be careful not to go overboard. This means doing improvements that will out-price your home from the market. Talk to your Realtor for a comparative market analysis to see what homes are selling for in your neighborhood so you can get your home ready for top market value without over-improving. 2. Renovating without permits. I see this way too often, and it’s heartbreaking to see someone make a great improvement or addition only to find out that it’s not permitted. In that case, there is often a long and costly process to get something permitted. 3. Limiting showings and showing hours. Many sellers have busy schedules, kids, and pets. However, if you’re looking to sell as quickly as possible, the easier the access to your home, the better. 4. Pricing, pricing, and pricing. Pricing is one of the most important components, second only to your Realtor. Pick a Realtor with the experience and know-how to be able to run the numbers and find out what the best price for your home is to avoid overpricing or underpricing. 5. Not following your agent’s advice. You’ve done your research and due diligence to pick the best Realtor. Listen to them! Many timed, with their advice and experience, they can get you in a position to have your home ready for the market and get you the best price. “ Pricing is one of the most important factors in your sale, second only to your Realtor. ” If you’re looking to buy or sell a home here in the Raleigh market, we’d love to help you as soon as you’re ready. Give us a call or send us an email and let’s get the conversation started.

There are four projects you can do to your home before you list it that will help it sell quickly and for top dollar. Want to sell your home? Get a free home value report Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale What is the best way to prepare your home for sale? Here are four useful projects you can do: 1. Improve your curb appeal. The first impression many buyers get after viewing your home online is when they pull up to the curb for a showing. Look at the front of your home from the street and determine what needs upgraded or repaired. Trim your shrubs, cut the grass, repaint the siding, etc. 2. Get a home inspection. These days, many buyers get a home inspection simply because their lender has made it a requirement or for peace of mind. Be proactive and get your home inspection done before you even go live. That way, you can stay ahead of the curve when it comes to any items that might need to be repaired or replaced. Don’t hesitate to replace any interior flooring or dated carpet, because those are the kinds of things buyers will look at when they walk through the home. The cost isn’t much compared to what to it can generate through an offer. 3. Paint. As the old cliche goes, a $40 gallon of paint isn’t nearly as beneficial in the bucket as it is on the walls, where it might generate thousands of extra dollars in your home sale. Look at your interior walls and see if anything needs to be touched up. If so, don’t spot-paint—paint the entire wall. 4. Clean and clear out. Most people only clear a little bit of the house or maybe one room, but you should try to go through the entire house. The basement, garage, and attic are three rooms you should try especially hard to clear. When the house sells, you’ll have to clear them all out anyway. “ Doing these projects will guarantee your home a better offer. ” If you’re thinking about buying or selling, please be sure to reach out to us so we can help. We look forward to hearing from you!

Today, we’re answering the two most common questions we get from sellers: When is the best time of year to list your home? What do you need to do to prepare your home for the market? Want to sell your home? Get a free home value report Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale One of the most popular questions we get on listing appointments is, “When is the best time of year to list our house?” The other most popular question is, “What do we need to do to get our home prepared for the market?” Of course, the answer depends on how much work has to be done to the house. Typically, all markets have their highs and lows. In our area, the slowest time of the year is usually the month of December. The market starts pick up a bit in January and February; we see the most home showings during March, April, and May. That said, we usually recommend that you list sometime in February so that you are a little ahead of the competition. While March, April, and May are the busiest months for showings, April, May, and June are the busiest months for closings. That means most of our home sales happen in April, May, and June. Typically, it takes about 45 days to go from contract to closing. “ People buy and sell homes year round! ” As we mentioned earlier, December is typically the slowest time of the year. However, because of the low inventory, low interest rates, and high demand, we have seen 22 closings in December so far this year, which is a record. People are always buying and selling houses; we’ve even shown houses on Christmas Eve! Just be aware that traditionally you will get the most showings in March, April, and May, and you have to give us time to stage the home and prepare it for the market as well. How long does it take for our sellers to hit the market? It really depends on the house. Some properties need new carpeting, paint, and other upgrades before they can sell. On average, it takes a few weeks to get the home ready for the market. It can take as long as five months, though. If you want to sell when the market is busiest, we recommend that you start preparing your home for the market in January so that you can be on the market sometime in February. That way, you can take advantage of those busy showing months and close during the peak closing months. If you have any questions about your specific property or if you would like to learn more details about our current real estate market, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

There are six questions you need to ask in order to hire the best Realtor to sell your home. We’ll go over those questions today. Want to sell your home? Get a free home value report Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale Choosing a Realtor is one of the most important decisions you can make when buying or selling your home. Here are six questions you should ask when interviewing agents to sell your home: 1. How long have you been in the business? Experience definitely pays off when it comes to the world of real estate. An agent that has been in the business for several years has probably run into many different situations and will be able to handle anything that comes up during your sale. 2. How many homes have you sold? How active is this real estate agent? Some agents may have been in the business for many years without selling many homes. You’re looking for someone that has been in the business for many years and sold as many homes as possible. “ Experience always pays off in the world of real estate. ” 3. What are your average days on market? It’s one thing to list a home, but it’s another to sell the home. You want to find someone who can sell your home as quickly as possible for top dollar. You don’t want to hire an agent that starts with a list price of $500,000 but sells for $425,000. Look for an agent with a very close list-to-sales price ratio. 4. What is your marketing budget? These days, real estate is all about marketing, so ask your agent how many dollars per month they will allocate towards marketing your home to the world. 5. How are you going to market my home? Again, in this new world of real estate, you need an agent who has a marketing strategy that will benefit you. 6. Do you have any references? Talking to someone else who has already worked with the agent is a good way to figure out what it will be like for you to work with them. By working with an agent, you will position yourself to get the highest market value for your home. If you have any other questions about hiring a Realtor, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!