Why these Sellers chose an Agent from 60 Miles Away | Stories Behind the Sale

It’s a common belief that the best agent to sell your home is one that is familiar with your neighborhood.

Unfortunately, it’s a misconception that causes sellers to lose time, money, and in some cases, their sanity. 

We recently spoke with Kelly Fike, whose family learned this lesson the hard way. 

Selling in a Strong Market

Kelly and her husband, Chris, were ready to make the move from Northwest Connecticut down to the shoreline. Wanting to wait until their son was out of school for the year, they decided to put their home on the market on May 1st. 

In the months prior, they had spoken to several people (including their first Realtor) about how active the market was in their area, rented a storage pod, and prepared their home. 

Everyone was confident that the home would quickly sell, giving the Fikes time to pack up, find a new home, and move before the start of the new school year. 

They soon realized this would not be the case. 

Frustration Sets In

You know how, when you prepare for a big change, you can’t help but feel excited about what’s to come? That’s just how Kelly and Chris felt. 

The excitement quickly faded when they got their first glance at the listing photos and property description. Not being Realtors themselves, they weren’t exactly sure what to expect, but what they received was…lackluster. 

Within the first week, Kelly and Chris rewrote the description and requested for new photographs to be taken. Their Realtor brushed off their request, stating everything was fine. 

Sixty days later, it was clear that things were not fine. With only two showings, two price reductions, and zero offers, the Fikes were ready to give up. Houses in the area were continued to sell, and virtually no activity was happening with their own. 

60 Miles Away, an Agent Makes an Impression

The last weekend in June, Kelly was with her mother along the shoreline and suggested stopping in at an open house. Even though she wasn’t very interested in the house, she loved the location and wanted to check it out. 

That’s when Kelly met Jocelyn. 

From the initial conversation, Kelly was impressed with Jocelyn’s knowledge of the process of buying and selling homes. Although she knew another Realtor represented Kelly, Jocelyn took the time to listen to her frustrations and offered suggestions that she could bring back to her listing agent. 

Unfortunately, the original listing agent was not able to make any changes, stating they did everything they could. For the next two weeks, Kelly thought about Jocelyn’s knowledge and skill. The Fikes terminated their contract and hired Jocelyn. 

“We didn’t know how she would pull that off from 60 miles away,” said Kelly, but they trusted that she had the skills to make it happen. 

A Change of Pace

As soon as Jocelyn entered the picture, things started moving. Since the photos and marketing exposure were not up to speed, Jocelyn and the Fikes quickly got to work. 

“I would say not only the biggest factor (the house didn’t sell) but the ONLY factor was lack of marketing exposure. In today’s digital world, we market homes like it’s 2021,” Jocelyn explained. 

With Jocelyn by their side, they staged the home, got new listing photographs, and scheduled an Open House for the first weekend after relisting on the MLS. That first Open House drew in several people, one of whom put in a written offer a few days later.

“We were blown away. We had been on the market with essentially no activity for over sixty days, and here comes a Realtor from over an hour away, and she gets an offer in less than a week,” Kelly said. 

The Balancing Act of Buying and Selling

Ecstatic that their home was under contract, they now had to find a new home to move into. With just a month until the school year started, they also wanted it to happen quickly.

Jocelyn had listened to and understood exactly what the Fikes were looking for in a new home, and patiently worked with them as they looked at over 30 houses, narrowing in on the perfect one. 

Jocelyn negotiated the price of the home and the closing date, so the Fike family could close on both homes on the same day. During the inspection and appraisal process, the buyers who would be moving into the Fikes house had an endless list of requirements (which is another story in itself!). Jocelyn’s communication and negotiation skills helped to smooth out the draining process. 

In the end, the deal was done, and both houses closed on the same day.

Happy Homeowners

“We are not Realtors; we just wanted to move,” Kelly said. “A Realtor should tell you exactly what to do to make that happen.”

The Fikes quickly learned that their first Realtor, although local, was not able to get the transaction completed. With her knowledge of the industry, marketing package, and staging demands, Jocelyn took command of the situation and received an offer within days of listing, from over an hour away. 

So, who is the best agent to sell your house?

The one who gets the job done. 

Because we believe it’s important for you to see the other side, this series is for you to learn the ins and outs of the real estate industry. We’ll dissect 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.

Contact Us to Buy or Sell

Jocelyn Romano
Real Estate Agent | One + Company
William Raveis Real Estate
e: jocelyn@oneandcompany.com
c: 561-459-7445