Real Estate Companys - Independent, Unknown National or Well Established Name?

At first glance the answer to which type of company should I choose is obvious.  Having worked for all of the above I'm here to tell you that the choice is not all that clear.  Over time, the benefits of each type of company have worked for different types of agents, buyers and sellers.

When I first was licensed in New Jersey to sell real estate I placed my license with an established national company.  This allowed me excellent training which is what all of my future success was built upon.  Being a small fish in a big pond however, did not give me the personal guidance someone with no clue about the actual customer service needed in the real estate world.

I moved to a local independent office where I received daily guidance and my hand was held through every aspect of my first deals.  An independent office allowed me to learn at my own pace with very little in the way of restrictions on my movement.  The drawbacks to this type of office became evident as I became more knowledgeable in the business and technology started to become a necessary tool in buying and selling homes.  An independent office does not usually have the funds required to establish a web-presence.  As the years went by this became a huge drawback when the person wanting to list their home started to search for the office.  Unless the owner of the independent company is very web savvy and is willing to invest in technology the independent office is not the best place for the business of real estate.
After 5 years I was once again on the move.

I moved to a larger, statewide, Internet based office.  The draw for this type of office was limited in office time was required, with the magic of the Internet most of our business could be preformed from home or on the road as long as there was Internet access.  This type of office worked very well for me as long as the market was booming.  As soon as things started to slow down the into the office mind set was important to keep my head in the game.  When there is alot of business you don't need to go to an office, you are out with buyer's and meeting with seller's, when business slows down if you don't have a business environment to go to life in general takes over and home chores become a focus and your business goes out with the trash.
4 years I was moving on out

The next 3 years found me back at an independent office, but with a twist.  We handled much of the foreclosure market.  I became very efficient at the distressed home sale but my heart was not in it, I do not enjoy profiting from others problems.  I don't think that agents who handle distressed property are wrong, they actually preform a necessary function and without them the people who have fallen on hard times would be in worse shape, this is just not the business for me.
So I moved yet again, hopefully for the last time!

I am now at a huge ,international, very well established company.  Ironically the same company I started with.  I feel they still have the best training.  Each office is independently owned giving it the small independent feel.  It is a huge company which affords an Internet presence that is unbelievable!
With the advent of Internet in Real Estate I have the choice of offices to work out of, so, of course, I've chosen one of the top 10% offices in the entire company even though there are offices closer to my home.  I am lucky enough to have an office full of successful agents behind me.   My new move, my last move looks to be my best move yet.

Century 21 Cedarcrest Realty in Caldwell NJ has welcomed me with open arms, and I thank them for that.  If buying or selling a home is in your future and you are located in northern NJ give me a call, I'd be happy to help!

GETTING YOUR HOME READY TO SELL

Deciding to sell your home is only the beginning of the process, you have alot of work ahead of you.  Before you list your home you need to make you home desirable to the public, this means you really have to remove you personality from the house and allow potential buyers to place themselves in the rooms.

I recommend that seller's follow the three C's of home sales.

1.  CLUTTER - Remove any clutter around the home.  This does not only mean get rid of the trash but remove you personal items from counters and walls.  Basically, start packing, anything that is important to you pack away.  Pictures, books, small statues, childrens hand made gifts are what make your house your home.   Buyers need to see a house as their home and that is difficult when they are looking at pictures of your children.  The things you keep on your kitchen and bathroom counters may make your life more convient, but they reduce the visable counter space which is very important to a buyer.  Putting these things away not only makes the rooms seem larger it also reduces the possabiltiy of items important in your life being broken or lose.

2.  CLEAN - I know your house is clean, you wash the floors, dust the furniture and vacuum the rugs.  When I say clean, I mean deep, hands and knees, scrub brush cleaning.  When you take your personal pictures off the walls there may be light marks on the walls.  Paint is cheap and a quick coat of neutral color paint makes a room seem bigger and brighter.  Clean the windows and it dosen't take much to change the mini blinds on all your windows.  Make sure all your light fixtures have new bright bulbs.  Removing one piece of furniture from a room can make the room much bigger. Check the pathways around your house.  Three recliners lined up in the family room may make for easy football watching but re-positioning those chairs may free up room for more open floor space.

3.  CURB APPEAL - The first impression of your home is not from the inside, as soon as a buyer drives up to the front of your house decision making begins.  Make sure your front entry way is inviting, if its February remove the Christmas decorations.  Check the window treatments on your front windows.  Red livingroom curtains and purple dining room curtains may go with the interior decor of the rooms but they are not very appealing from the exterior.  Rake your leaves, shovel your snow or mow you lawn, whatever the season calls for.  You don't want to remind the buyer of all the outside work homeownership requires, they already know, but if it isn't done they start to think it is an overwhelming task.

Remember, you don't want a buyer to think that an unpainted wall or and unraked yard is a good reason to make a low offer.  A home presented in it's best possible light will sell for the best possible price.

Why should a buyer use a Real Estate Agent

I often hear buyers state that they don't need an agent because they can find everything they need on the internet.  Finding the property that meets your needs is only the beginning of the home buying process.  Agents are trained to negotiate the best price for their client  unemotional negotiating will always have a better result.  Agents also have contacts with home inspectors, mortgage people and real estate attorneys to help you through the process.  When using an agent buyer's have the voice of experience on their side.  You will probably only buy a few homes in life, Agents do this everyday!  In addition, in New Jesey, the agent's commission is paid at closing by the seller so you basically get experience and education for free.  If you thinking about buying find an agent you trust today.


Gail Vinnal
Broker Assoicate
Realty Executives
gailvinnal@verizon.net

Ready to Buy?

Once you have a mortgage pre-approval in hand you know what price range you will be looking in but that is not all you need to know to find your dream home.  You need to decide what area you want to look in, what type of home you want, are you willing to do some work and if so how much.  You can then contact your realtor and tell them what you are looking for.  I always ask my buyers to make a list of 10 things they want in a home in the order you want them.  Please keep in mind very few buyers find 100% of what they want in the home they buy.
 Narrow you location choice to a few towns but try not to be too specific, it is fine to want to live in a certain town or a certain school district, looking for a home a a specific street makes finding you a home almost impossible.  Also, be open to looking a a home that does not seem (on paper) to be what your looking for you could be surprised!  Many buyers refuse to look at a certain style of home but if they walk in it is a perfect fit.  I don't advise making you agent show you hundreds of homes but I do suggest that you look at a broad spectrum of homes that meet your needs.  In my experience when you find the right home you know it almost as soon as you walk in the door.  Don't be afraid to ask to see any home you may like this is the biggest purchase of your lifetime and it is the agent's job to find the right fit.
Keep an open mind, trust your Real Estate Agent and have fun if you make the right purchase you may only do this once in your life!

Happy New Year!

Now that the holidays are over it's time to get serious about your Real Estate plans for 2012. This year is predicted to be a better year for seller's which can be good news for both the buyer and the seller.

For the buyer a better sales year means that you should start your search NOW. Prices and interest rates are still very low making a purchase an excellent way to start the new year. If things do pick up this year you will begin to see prices increase over the next 12 months making starting the search early in the new year critical to getting the most home for your money. Have your real estate agent send you e-mailed new listings in the area and price range you are hoping to make you purchase in.

For the seller a better sales year means that you should start preparing you home for market and keep an eye on current sales and listings in your neighborhood so when you are ready you have a good idea of the sales value of your home. The easyist way of doing this is to contact a real estate agent and ask to have new listings and sold homes sent to you weekly via e-mail.

The best stratagy for both the buyer and seller is to keep informed of the market in your area so you know when the time is right for you to make a move.