sellers: To Present or Not to Present... I Have My Answer - 12/28/08 02:22 AM
You wanna know the top search term that brings new surfers to my website? Okay, there are two. The first is "New agent announcement letter." The second is "Sample listing presentation."
I offer a free sample listing presentation on my website if you join my VIP Lounge (that's free, too). Seems to be a popular item. I'm rather proud of my listing presentation - there's nothing boiler-plate or corporate about it - it's direct and to-the-point, conversational and informative. I've used it, or a similar version for years.
But over the last year or so I've been rethinking the idea of … (51 comments)

sellers: Houses aren't Pet Rocks... No Amount of Marketing Can Sell a Stupid Product! - 12/23/08 12:04 AM

I remember interviewing for my second listing back in 1997. The seller asked me this question: "Jennifer, I assume our house will sell quickly because it's so cute (it was), but if it doesn't sell right away, what will you do?"
Hmmmmmmmm. Hell, I dunno. I was a green bean agent; I'd only had one other listing in my career and didn't have a clue. I came up with something, that probably sounded like this: " I'll do a broker open house, I'll do mid-week open houses, I'll distribute color brochures throughout the neighborhood and post an ad on the nearby … (33 comments)

sellers: Recession? Where? My House Hits the Market at Nearly $400 psf! - 09/04/08 11:57 PM
Putting my own sweet little Denver Bungalow on the market today. Voluntarily. Intentionally. No, I don't have to sell, but my market is HOT! Yeah, seriously!
My part of town is known as Northwest Denver or Highlands... and it's quite the trendy spot. In fact, my zip code (80212) was written up last spring as being the 2nd highest appreciating zip code in Denver at something like 18%. And I believe it! Here's a virtual tour of my beloved 'hood.
Little houses like mine are selling like hotcakes - a few already over $400,000. Believe it or not, the list price of … (26 comments)

sellers: UPFRONT Real Estate Fee Versus Pay for Performance... I'm torn... - 07/30/08 12:58 AM
I've been a real estate agent for twelve years. The entire twelve years, I've worked the traditional model... I get paid when the house closes. Sometimes I get paid BIG time, which sometimes doesn't seem proportionate (in a seller's eyes) to the amount of work I actually did.
But a significant part of why we make the money we do is that we agree to work on contingency - if we don't get our buyer or seller to a closing, we don't get paid, regardless of how hard we worked or how smart we worked. If we don't perform... we are … (39 comments)

sellers: The Self-Proclaimed Outrageously Effective Listing Agent Lists Her Own Home... Does this stuff really work?(Hope so) - 07/23/08 02:11 AM
I'm going to put my 1927 Bungalow on the market. During the dead-time in Denver... that period between the 4th of July and Halloween... when buyers are scarce, sellers are desperate and real estate agents might as well go on vacation (I usually do). Yep, I know what I'm doing...
It's always fun to be on the other side of the fence, isn't it? We confidently (sometimes arrogantly) tell our sellers what to fix and how to price so that their homes sell quickly - or at all - and become a little miffed when they argue with our to-do list … (23 comments)

sellers: How to be the BEST THING to Ever Happen to Your Seller! - 07/14/08 02:18 AM
Stand your ground on pricing. Confidently, respectfully, politely. But firmly.
You're not doing anyone any favors when you take a listing you can't sell. Not you, not your seller, not your market.
You may be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
You could be the best thing to ever happen to that seller.
(GO, YOU!)
 


 Check it out!
(22 comments)

sellers: My Dear Home Seller; What's Your Plan B? - 07/06/08 12:15 PM
I recently had a listing expire after three months on the market. Nothing has sold in my client's neighborhood for almost a year, so it wasn't a big surprise. We gave it a shot and it didn't work out for us. No biggie. She was prepared for the possibility and has no hard feelings toward me.
But that's not an accident. I always prepare my sellers for the chance that their home won't sell, despite our best efforts (by "our," I mean mine and my seller's joint efforts to prepare and present a great product to market). I don't make a … (36 comments)

sellers: "I'm the Best Listing Agent I Know." Are you? - 07/02/08 12:00 AM
During the now-becoming-infamous Real Estate Radio USA interview earlier this week, I made the comment "I'm the Best Listing Agent I Know." Arrogant, eh?
Not really. It's not as if I said "I'm the prettiest girl I know" or "I'm the smartest girl I know." It's more along the lines of "I'm the hardest worker I know." It's a choice.
I choose to be a terrific listing agent. It's not a God-given skill or something I was lucky enough to be born with. It's a choice.
I choose to spend time (and gas money) properly pricing my properties. I choose to … (20 comments)

sellers: Offering Home Sellers a Menu of Services - BAD IDEA!!! (IMHO) - 06/24/08 06:41 AM
Have you ever heard the commission-negotiation-avoidance strategy of creating a menu of packages for a seller to choose among? For example (all figures are illustrative only), you might offer a 4% package which includes minimal services; a 5% package which has a moderate level of service and a 6% package that includes a kitchen-sink level of service.
Sounds good, doesn't it? After all, it demonstrates to the seller what you actually DO to sell a house and probably reduces the likelihood of his asking for a discount. If he wants to pay less, he gets less. HIS choice.
Sorry, but I think … (70 comments)

sellers: Home Seller’s Regret – Two Types – Which Would You Prefer? - 05/01/08 02:44 AM
Y’know, it’s tough being a listing agent. No matter how good of a job you do, the margin for error is huge. If you sell the house too fast… you blew it on the price and “cost your seller money.” If the house takes too long to sell… well, we all know what happens then. We didn’t live up to our promises and we disappointed our seller.
I’ve decided that the best time for a house to sell is about two weeks after listing. Unfortunately, I don’t know of any way to make THAT happen with any regularity, but if I … (19 comments)

sellers: A Bidding War on My New Listing! Hey, This Stuff WORKS! - 04/29/08 12:22 AM
Last week, I released the newest Sell with Soul product - I affectionately call it The Outrageously Effective Listing Agent - it's a package of tools created by moi to help real estate agents GET good, sellable listings and then turn those FOR SALE signs into paychecks.
Whaddya' know, I followed my own advice and put my new listing under contract in four days, with multiple offers. Actually, I can't take all the credit; my sellers were phenomenal and did everything I asked them to do, including pricing it to sell.But, wait. Isn't that my JOB? To know WHAT to … (17 comments)

sellers: From LISTED to SOLD - Free Show on May 3rd! - 04/20/08 09:11 PM
On Saturday morning, May 3rd, shy little me will co-host a teleconference workshop/seminar with my friend, Borino, founder of Expired Plus. What on earth am I, the queen of SOI* doing hanging out with a guy who does expired listings? Good question - glad you asked!
While I never pursued expired listings myself, I know that many of you have, or would like to, if you could only find a way to do it "soulfully." None of this pushy, patronizing, disrespectful nonsense for you, right? Well, of course, I feel the same way, so when I happened upon Borino's Expired Plus … (11 comments)

sellers: And Finally, the fourth reason to hold an Open House (even if you don't want to): - 04/19/08 06:16 AM
If you haven't been following this series, the following blog may seem kind silly, just FYI!
Reason One: It will make your seller happy Reason Two: You'll gather feedback from the public Reason Three: You'll become more familiar with your listing And Reason Number Four... You might sell the house.
Yeah, I know, fat chance, right? But it really shouldn't be discounted as a valid reason to hold the darn thing open for a few hours one Sunday. And, imagine, you might even double-end the sale if you get lucky enough to attract an unrepresented buyer who falls in love with your … (11 comments)

sellers: Yet Another Reason to Hold that Open House #3 (of 4): - 04/17/08 12:31 AM
Earlier this week, I started this little series on Why You Should Do at least One Open House (on your own listings) even if you think they're a "waste of time."
Why? Because...
It will make your seller happy
You'll gather feedback from the public
And... today's topic:
You'll Become More Familiar with Your Listing
How much do you really know about your listing? Chances are that you took a little tour with your seller on the day of your listing presentation and probably another one when you took your photos and measured the rooms. But you've probably never spent much … (20 comments)

sellers: Yes! Do That Open House! Reason #2 - 04/15/08 11:06 PM
Yesterday, I promised to chat some more about why an agent should hold his or her listings open, at least once. Something I didn't mention was that I'm only talking about YOUR own listings - not listings of other agents, although that's fine to do if you like (and I will talk more about this in a few days). No, I think you owe it to your seller to do it, yourself even, regardless of whether or not you think the open house will result in a sale.
Why You Should Do Open Houses Reason #2 (of 4):
You can gather … (26 comments)

sellers: No! Open Houses are NOT a Waste of Time! - 04/15/08 12:15 AM
Do you think Open Houses are a waste of time? The verdict is divided on this - some agents swear by them, others refuse to even consider doing them.
Well, I'm going to do my best to encourage you to do an Open House for each and every one of your listings - at least once.
So... here we go:
Why You Should Do Open Houses Reason #1 (of 4):
It makes your seller happy.
Don't discount the power of a happy seller. And don't let the Old Fogies tell you it's possible to convince a seller that Open Houses … (29 comments)

sellers: Are Listing Presentations Really Necessary (or effective)? - 04/03/08 11:16 AM
We're having a lively discussion over on my private SOI Blog Forum about the "best" way to do a listing presentation. The reason it's up for discussion is that many of us work primarily with people we already know (our SOI's), and feel kind of silly doing a formal sales presentation for them.
Well, one of the most brilliant members (and there are plenty), Susan Haughton, made the following comment:  
"I never do a formal listing presentation; I take comps so it looks as if I at least came with something.  I talk with the sellers about the market, about their home, … (50 comments)

sellers: No Wonder Houses Aren't Selling... - 02/14/08 09:41 AM
Okay, rumor has it that the real estate market is in a slump. Is it true? S'pose so, everyone says it is.
I've been previewing my little heart out here in Charming Old Denver, catching back up on the market since my return to the trenches. I gotta tell ya, if YOUR market is anything like MY market, I can see why buyers aren't buying.
The inventory is CRAP! I've looked at 25-35 houses in the last two weeks and of those 25-35 homes, I found 4 that I would actually consider showing a buyer. The others? Well, they're way overpriced … (56 comments)

sellers: Jennifer Hires a Listing Agent - 01/11/08 10:06 PM
 
I'm getting ready to move across the country from Alabama to Colorado, and need to sell my beautiful home-in-the-country-on-four-acres. Not being an active real estate agent in Alabama, I hired my local agent, Millie Miller to get it done for me.
This is only the second time in my life I've not sold my own property myself. The first time was a new construction townhouse assign & flip deal in Steamboat Springs (Ski-Town USA) which wasn't even built yet, so that doesn't really count. This time... it's the real deal.
It's SO enlightening to be on the Other Side.  When Millie came out … (26 comments)

sellers: Is There Really an A$$ for Every Saddle? - 11/09/07 09:42 AM
Last fall, I wrote a book specifically for the NAR convention called: 74 Ways to Sell Your Listings in Today's Market.
But after it went to press, I slapped myself in the head because there's one topic I didn't cover in the book and I should have.  So, I'll address it here. 
The question I didn't answer was: "If I do each and every one of your 74 thingees to sell my listing, can you guarantee that it WILL sell?"
Nope.
Sure wish I could. With all my heart, I wish I could promise everyone who buys my book and puts my … (28 comments)

 
Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul)

Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn

Author of Sell with Soul

Pensacola Beach, FL

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