The Right Exposure Makes a Difference | Stories Behind the Sale

I am not a Realtor. Although the topic of real estate has always surrounded me, the idea of buying, selling, and renovating homes never sparked much of my interest.

And then I started working with Realtors.

As a content writer who shares an office and works with One + Company, I began listening in on the role-playing, phone calls, and appointments. I hear the other side of the conversations – the part that agents don’t always tell their clients. So much of the work they do is not stated in a contract. Because at the end of the day, a seller doesn’t necessarily want to know every tiny detail. That their agent made 27 calls before 9:30, went to the town hall, dusted before an open house and skipped lunch to make sure a verbal offer is finalized and sent in writing. Sellers want to know their home is getting sold.

For me, it’s stories that draw me in. I love to know the ins and outs, the whys behind the actions, and the untold truths.

Because I think it’s important for you to see the other side, we are launching a new series of posts so that you too, can learn about the other side of the industry. So that you can understand why some homes sell when others don’t, what agents do behind the scenes, and what homeowners do that benefit – or sometimes destroy – the transaction.

These are the stories behind the sale.

An Expired Listing in Lords Point

After months of follow up, Realtor Nikki Short signed a new listing.

The house at 6 Walnut Street in Lords Point, Stonington was an expired listing. Before it was listed the first time, the owner had initially interviewed two agents. He chose one and signed a contract for six months. When it didn’t sell, he planned to list with the other agent he interviewed the first time around.

But then Nikki entered the picture.

The thing you should know about Nikki is this – she does her research. With less than a year in the industry, clients feel at ease with Nikki, because she puts in the work required to be a top agent. Whether she is searching for a brokerage to join (love that she chose us!), working with buyers, or calling expired listings, Nikki’s thorough and strategic attention to detail is one of her greatest strengths.

Knowing the property at 6 Walnut Street was previously on the market but expired without getting sold, Nikki called, explaining she and the team at One + Company would be able to market the home differently.  She first contacted the seller in November of 2018 and continued to follow up before signing the listing in January.

What made the seller switch to One + Company? He already had an agent in mind, but his discussions with Nikki made him rethink things.

“(The seller) liked all of the marketing we do, combined with the door knocking and prospecting we do around an open house,” Nikki explained.

He was also impressed with the use of the iPad at Open Houses and how One + Company uses that to follow up with prospecting.

What the seller didn’t know, however, is that his property wouldn’t even need an Open House.

Full-Service Realtor

Before any home goes live on the MLS, there is a lot of work to do. Getting the house ready, staging, listing photos, coming soon programs, and marketing the home are all essential in the initial stages of selling a home. Nikki proved from the start that she goes above and beyond for her clients.

Since the seller lives out of town, he asked Nikki if she knew of any cleaning services in the area to get the home ready for photos. Her response? “I’ll take care of it.”

The house, previously used as a summer home, did not have anyone living there and was pretty bare. In addition to cleaning the home, Nikki brought in bedding, items for the kitchen counter, and decorative items to stage the interior. “My kids walked in and said, ‘This is our stuff!’ I explained we needed it for the photos and showings,” Nikki said.

Marketing Exposure Makes a Difference

After professional photography, Nikki and the seller developed a plan for listing. The waterfront home, which could be a seasonal or year-round residence, would definitely attract buyers who want to enjoy the summer months.

“We wanted it to come out before other summer homes. One was out already, but listed too high. We ended up listing early in February, even though I was going out of town that weekend.”

They planned to do the Open House the following weekend, which would give Nikki and the team plenty of time to deliver the Open House marketing campaign.

Live on the MLS mid-week, interest was high, and showings were being lined up. Initial online marketing was targeted to an audience who was most likely interested in summer homes in the area. One couple came to the house the day it was listed. More showings were scheduled.

And the very next day, a written offer came in. Followed by two verbal backup offers, one of which was all cash. No Open House needed.

By strategically choosing to list before the spring market, staging the house, and exposing the home to the right people, a home that previously sat on the market for six months was under contract in one day.

“A lot of people wanted to see it that first weekend, but we never made it to the weekend,” Nikki said. “It really is all about the right marketing exposure.”

Nikki Short

Nikki Short
Real Estate Agent | One + Company
William Raveis Real Estate
e: nikki@oneandcompany.com
c: 860-574-5352

 

 

 

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