buying

Is Your Agent Keeping Your Home From Selling?

Terri Pontzious Leave a comment

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I recently spent a few days with clients being transferred to San Diego. They had never been to San Diego so we toured several areas and homes that seemed to fit their needs. My clients were here for a very short period of time, just a few days, and had limited time available to view homes each day.

I never expected to experience such difficulty in showing homes. Only two of the homes I showed had a seller’s phone number available for scheduling appointments. The others required an appointment made through the listing agent or their assistants. I have no problem with calling the listing agent for an appointment. What I do mind is the lack of cooperation we experienced for about half of the appointments.

When I show six to eight homes in a day, during a specific time period (usually two to four hours), I provide the seller, or their agent, an hour window of time when we expect to be there. I always call if we are running early or late, but that window usually works out. Being told that I need to “narrow it to a 15-minute time period” so the listing agent can meet us is an impossibility. Being told that “1 pm doesn’t work, can you be there at 5 pm” doesn’t either.  So, there were several homes we were not able to view, and my clients are well-qualified and motivated.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a listing agent also. I know what it is like to have agents who have made appointments to view a home and then they do not show up; I have received those phone calls from irate clients. I have had clients who had a situation that prevented the use of a lock box – an elderly client, an illness, when children are at home alone after school, a newborn, and other extenuating circumstances. But, the number of instances I encountered this past week makes me wonder if the industry is creating an illusion for sellers. That we, as the listing agent, need to be present at all showings; that we are somehow “protecting” them.

The new lock boxes actually track who has been in a home, the date and time. By making a home difficult to show it significantly reduces the number of buyers who can see your home. One of the buyers who can’t view your home may be the perfect buyer, but you will never know it. And, while we are experiencing a “Seller’s Market” in most areas of San Diego County, there were plenty of homes to view this last week, even though we were unable to view many.

Is this trend actually preventing buyers from being able to view the homes? We all know that we want as many buyers as possible through a home.  It will bring the best price and best buyer. Making a home difficult to show is like opening a new store in town and then have it open only an hour a day, and not at a time when most customers will be able to visit.

I recently sold a home in an area in which I was showing homes this past week. We had multiple offers within a week and sold the property for the full list price, much to the amazement of the “area expert”.  The home was priced well, but I wonder if the fact that it was on lock box and I had a very cooperative seller who let the home be shown at the convenience of the buyers and their agents made the difference?

Should we do a better job of educating our sellers about the importance of having their homes shown? Are we playing into our own egos when placing ourselves at every showing appointment?

And, don’t get me started on only being able to communicate with a listing agent via texting….

Cultivating a Garden, Isn’t It What Life’s All About?

Terri Pontzious Leave a comment

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We have been planting and harvesting gardens, in some size or another, for almost 25 years. We usually planted pumpkins along with tomatoes, peppers, corn, zucchini, you get the picture. When our daughter was growing up, we wanted to have home-grown pumpkins to carve into jack-o-lanterns for Halloween. Most years, we were lucky if we had one or two pumpkins out of the crop, and they never got really big.  We harvested them and used them for decorations during the fall holidays. They served a purpose, but we were always a little disappointed. We could buy really big pumpkins, better for carving, at the grocery store.

This year, we have the most amazing pumpkin patch ever. It has expanded into garden space never intended for the pumpkin patch. But, we are so amazed at what’s happening, we are just letting it go and see what happens. I knew we had a few little pumpkins growing. But when I peeked under the leaves this weekend, I was astonished by what I saw. Pumpkins, lots of pumpkins. And they are going to be big!

In a way, the pumpkin patch reminds me of my business. I sell homes in San Diego, and have been for over 20 years. While I never “farmed” (as they call it in the real estate business) an area, I did try to cultivate relationships with the people I worked with, all over San Diego. Why? Well, I really do like and care about the families I work with. I have always believed that the best business is referral business, word of mouth, people recommending your services. You work hard to provide great service and really care about clients. You take care of their needs; you care about their families, their problems, their triumphs. You help them over rough patches and celebrate the good times with them. You answer questions and give advice.  And, one day, you realize you have this wonderful group of people who want to help you, too! And, 20+ years later, I am amazed and grateful how my business has grown. Kind of like our pumpkin patch!

Want To Make More Money When You Sell Your Home?

Terri Pontzious 1 Comment

ImageSo, you have been pleasantly surprised by the increase in prices and you have decided to take the plunge and put your home on the market. You have watched the TV home improvement shows and know you should “get your home ready” or “stage” it, but what does that mean?

I can’t stress the value of “curb appeal” enough. When potential buyers arrive at your home and walk to the front door, are they making a list repairs that need to be completed? Or, are they drawn to the freshly painted and welcoming front door? The new door mat? The colorful flowers in the pot? It makes a big difference.

I recommend you stand across the street from your home and pretend you are a buyer…what do you see? Let your emotional ties to the home go and be honest.  Is the front door dusty and in need of paint? Can you see the trash cans? Are the walks clean?

Most homes show better with less furniture.  You have decided to move, so start packing! Rent a storage unit for furniture that blocks paths through your home and put them in storage. Do you need all the books on the book shelves – probably not, pack them. What about out of season clothes or toys your kids don’t play with anymore?

Now is the time to de-clutter – if you haven’t used it in a month, does it really need to be out on a counter? If not, donate it or pack it away!

You must de-personalize! Pack up those personal photographs. You want potential buyers to say “I can see myself living here” not wondering what kind of people live here now, looking at your family photos to see if they know you!

Your house needs to shine! Wash windows inside and out. Re-caulk tubs and showers if needed. Polish faucets and mirrors. Replace worn rugs. Hang up fresh towels. Keep the beds made!

Now is the time to make minor repairs. Even better is to have a home inspection that you can provide the buyer with a list of the items you have or will take care of.

Taking a couple of weeks to prepare your home for sale can be worth literally thousands of dollars…REALLY.  I would be happy to share more details for how to prepare your home for sale, just let me know how I can help you!