What I do to market and sell a home in Atlanta GA - Real Estate Listing Services

If you interview listing agents to sell your Decatur or Atlanta home, they will usually give you a high-level overview of  marketing plans and services.  Have you ever wondered what a real estate agent REALLY has to do to get your home on the market.... and get you to the closing table?  To follow is a deep dive into all that goes into marketing and selling an Atlanta home.

LISTING PRESENTATION / HOME VALUATION

• PRICING RESEARCH:  Before I meet a seller for the first time, I typically spend about two hours looking at comparable homes, evaluating market trends (local and hyper-local), and creating a detailed report to share with the homeowner.

• LOCATION RESEARCH:  I also drive by the house and/or look it up on Google Earth to see if there is anything that could impact the value of the home (small yard, neighboring home in disrepair, backyard faces a commercial area, etc).

• CUSTOM MARKETING PLAN:  Every Atlanta home and every neighborhood is unique, so I typically prepare a custom marketing plan to ensure that the home sells quickly and for top dollar.  For example, homes that are under $350K usually get a great response when advertised on Craigslist and other classfied ads.  For luxury homes, I may need to host a special event or connect with several relocation services.  For areas in high demand, I like to host a "Sneak Preview" agent caravan to generate interest (and sometimes offers) BEFORE your home is on the market.

• FINDING THE PERFECT PRICE:  If the seller isn't 100% comfortable with my pricing recommendation, I typically do one of two things:

1. NEIGHBORHOOD HOME TOUR:  The seller and I get in the car and drive by the recently sold homes and also tour our current competition.  It is so important for the seller to see the other homes for sale through the buyer's eyes, so that we can make our listing stand out from the competition.
2. AGENT PRICING PARTY:  Invite 12 to 15 local realtors to the home for a "Sneak Preview / Pricing Party."  The agents provide anonymous feedback about the condition of the home and at what price they think the home will sell.  After the pricing "party" the sellers and I can review the opinions of 10 to 15 local agents and it helps us reach an agreement on the "perfect" listing price.

COMING SOON or PRE-LISTING MARKETING

• Staging Consultation:  Hire a staging consultant to do a 2-hour assessment of your home. It's a great way to get a professional opinion, even if you home already looks fantastic, the stager always seems to add the extra touch that makes your home stand out in the photographs and/or when buyers first walk through your door.

• Signage:  Install a "Coming Soon" sign in your front yard (about 7 to 10 days before we officially list the home in the multiple listing system)

• Photographer:  Hire a professional real estate photographer to take pictures of your home.

• Flyers:  Hire a graphic designer to create fabulous, professionally designed flyers for your home.  I also have them professionally printed so they are ready as soon as your home is officially listed.

• Internet Promotions:  Create a "coming soon" web page for your home and then promote it on Facebook, Twitter, at least three real estate blogs, Craigslist, AJC Classifieds, Trulia and also feature your home in our bi-weekly eNewsletter that is sent to more than 1,000 past clients, friends, and associates.

• Agent Promotions:  Send an eFlyer out to all of the "Intown Atlanta" and Decatur realtors to let them know that your home will be listed soon.  

At the end of the pre-listing marketing period, my goal is to have at least three (very excited) buyers who want to see your home the MINUTE it is officially on the market.  This is a fantastic way to quickly generate multiple offers for your home.

ON THE MARKET

When I enter your home in the Atlanta multiple listing system (MLS), I know we only have a limited amount of time to stand out from the crowd, so my team and I act quickly.  All of the photos are ready, marketing copy written, professional flyers ordered from the printer and custom marketing plan for your home is in place.  

We have a checklist that includes more than 35 marketing items for your home -- everything from Postlets.com, Activerain blog post, Trulia blog post, and even Craigslist ads.  

A "Just Listed" sign is installed, along with a custom website address, and flyer box in front of your home.

We also use a home feedback system called Showing Suite that will allow you, the seller, to receive direct feedback about your home from the showing agents and their buyers.

*** Please note that there are at least a dozen other marketing tactics I utilize to help promote your home , but because they are part of my "secret recipe" you will have to call me for more information! 

CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS & PAPERWORK

After we have successfully negotiated an offer (or offers!) for your home, many sellers are amazed at the amount of paperwork involved.  This year, we've started to focus on going paperless, so 99% of the contract paperwork is signed using an "eSignature."

But getting an offer is only the first step.  As your listing representative, it is my responsibility to help you negotiate home repairs, handle earnest money, connnect with the buyer's lender to ensure that things are progressing on schedule, submit the necessary paperwork to my broker, coordinate utility transfers, answer questions from the buyer's agent, submit contract paperwork to the closing attorney, schedule the closing, order termite inspections and/or property surveys, install / update / remove signage, meet with the appraiser, weekly (or daily) seller updates, and more.  

Listing an Atlanta home in today's market requires organization, time-tested marketing strategies, and perserverance.  I truly love what I do and there is nothing more rewarding than sitting across from a happy seller at the closing table!

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If you are thinking of selling your home this year and want to learn a bit more about the services I provide, my flexible listing commission plan, and track record for generating multiple offers, please call anytime at 404.721.3001 or my direct line at 404.432.1844.

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