Everything You Need To Know About Putting Your Home On The Market, Accepting An Offer, And Closing On Your Home.
I am a Full-Service Realtor!!! A Full-Service Realtor is one that will manage the listing of your property from the beginning to the end. This will include research prior to listings (including permits, assessments, neighborhood features, comparative listings), professional photography/videography, listings on the Multiple Listing Service(MLS), checking and correcting automatic syndications to Zillow, Trulia, etc., marketing the property with an allocated marketing budget, holding broker opens and open houses, providing expert advice, negotiating on seller's behalf, and managing the transaction while in escrow all the way through closing. A Full-Service Realtor will be there for you from start to finish, taking the best care of what's likely your biggest asset. The Realtor's expertise and exposure of the property statistically generates more money for the Seller than if the Seller was to sell the property on their own. It's an all-around win win.
Having closed hundreds of transactions over the last 15+ years, I not only have textbook knowledge of the selling process but more importantly real life experience to share with my clients. I know what Buyers look for, what they like and often shy away from, and how they approach the purchase process of homes and condos in general. I prepare my sellers for various scenarios, and I help to avoid or mitigate issues before they even arise. This is simply acquired experience from completing a high volume of sales. If unexpected issues come up, however, I also have the creative experience to keep the sale on track. Whether it's simple staging tips, or a more complex property issue, I am ready to help my Seller clients. I surround myself with a team of experts, who are also ready to jump in when the need arises. Having the right professional on your side will make the process a lot smoother and less stressful for everyone involved. It can literally make a difference between the property selling or not selling.
Research is key to pricing, overcoming Buyer objections, and to an overall smooth process. There is so much more that goes into listing a property than just adding the listing to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). As a Full-Service Realtor, I spend ample time getting to know the property and its competition. The research includes comparing listings to the subject property, researching permits, amenities, and any features that the home may have that will make it stand out above the rest.
A beautiful presentation of interior and exterior spaces is an amazing way to attract potential Buyers. Whether the Seller has their own furniture or staging is added, it goes without saying that the property has to look sharp. This includes professional photography, and often video and drone footage. I take this a step further and provide a 3D walkthrough tour of the interior space, and I include a 2-dimensional floorplan. In today's online environment, local, mainland, and international Buyers have to have an easy way to tour the property from the comfort of their own home. If a potential Buyer, searching listings online, cannot see themselves living in a space, they will often not even want to visit the property in person. Many Oahu homes and condos are also sold sight unseen. It is critical to give a Buyer as many ways to visualize the home as possible. As a listing agent, I want Buyers and their agents to schedule a showing or be confident enough in their choice to make a sight-unseen offer.
Once the digital products are created, it is time to go live with the listing. This includes uploading the listings to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). One the listings is on the MLS, after a few hours search portals like Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, will begin syndicating the listing to potential Buyers. This is where I take things above and beyond what most Realtors do. I won't give out all my secrets, but I access the portals to boost the listing's visibility.
As a listing agent, it is my job to get as many eyeballs on my client's listing as possible. Depending on the property, this has to be very customized to the property and its features. The listing has to reach the right audience. This will include marketing to Buyers on Oahu, on the mainland, and those who are searching from international locations. As the listing goes live on the MLS with all of the beautiful digital photography and video, this is also the time to launch an online advertising, social media, and print marketing strategy. By having a marketing strategy, I am able to present the listing to thousands of people who otherwise may not have had the opportunity to see the property. I have a marketing support team to help me accomplish this. Whether it's a small condo or a multi-million dollar trophy home, I have the means to showcase the property to a local, national, and an international audience, through professional networks, which include eXp Realty, Inman Connect, Serhant, and through personal real estate connections that I have developed over my 15+ year real estate career.
As a Seller, you want a star negotiator working for you to get you the best price for your home. You also want someone who knows the market and who can come up with creative solutions to take the transaction to closing. I work closely with my Seller clients, or their representatives, at every step. As a Full-Service Realtor, I share my insights on all received offers to give my clients a full picture of what is being presented, and help them make decisions. Offers, counter-offers, and inspection requests can have multiple parts to them, which sometimes can be quite complex. As markets, interest rates, and buyers' preferences change, I am also able to pivot and provide solutions as needed.
Unfortunately, the process of Selling a home on Oahu, is nothing like what we often see on TV. I really wish that it was that easy. Something ultimately almost always comes up that threatens a successful closing. These situations can come up from the Buy side or the Sell side. Having an experienced Realtor and a team of experts ready to step in, is critical during this time. It can make a difference between a sale being cancelled, or a sale continuing to closing. The last thing a Seller wants to see is a deal fall apart. These situations can be loan issues, unexpected inspection surprises, mid-sale burst water pipes, permitting delays, and a 1000 other small and major things. Since I have experienced so many of these situations, I already have the know-how of how to deal with them, thus giving my Seller clients the best opportunity for a successful closing!
