Marketing Plan / Listing Terms

Even back in 2013, 9 of 10 home buyers relied on the internet as a primary research source.  The amount of information that can be conveyed is astounding and the result is that a buyer can run through more homes in less time than ever before which makes it imperative that a seller get their home online with precise information, proper pricing and rich photos making the home as attractive as possible.  The serious buyer and their agent are monitoring homes and searching the MLS with precise criterion; virtually any feature can be queried.  

Prescott Area MLS:  As mentioned, serious buyers AND their agents will be searching the MLS, at this point the MLS is still the most precise search tool available.  This is the base feed of sending home details, photos, videos, and status updates directly to agents, buyers, and other 3rd party search websites.  

Internet: There have been countless 3rd party home search sites over the last 10 years or so, the biggest and most commonly used still remain at this point: Zillow.com, Trulia.com (part of Zillow), homes.com, realtor.com, redfin.com, yahoo homes was up there but even then Zillow was the provider to Yahoo.  There are many more, we make sure the listing is pushed to as many of the main ones as possible; we get our listings to about 20 search engines including youtube.com.  We monitor for new sites, but currently Zillow is by far the most commonly used by the public.  It is a good basic tool but can be slightly behind the MLS in status updates and photo and video feeds.  Again, setting up your listing precisely and informatively in the MLS with high quality photos is imperative, even Zillow will get it’s internet data from 3rd party data collection vendors which get their information from county records and home listings, not directly from the local  MLS (horse's mouth so to speak).  

Visual: I, as a practice, hire a professional photographer at my expense.  This is part of the marketing plan in general.  We can even emphasize a particular aspect that you want as a seller, in most cases you can even express this directly to the photographer.  We are a visually oriented society,  remember buyers are ploughing through these images and making split second decisions on viable options.  Increasingly mobile portals are used to view these images on phones and tablets.   We get weekly stat reports on the amount of online hits and which photos are bringing in the most attention and at what times.  This way we get an idea of true exposure.  

Email: I have a bank of about two thousand local broker and agent email addresses and can send e-flyers with photos, brief descriptions, and links to the full virtual online tour.  This is a numbers game, we try to get a few serious inquiries from this.  We can track who is viewing multiple times and reach out depending on interest shown  in the marketing tracking.  

Signs: Of course we provide signs and color rich flyers if desired.  Flyers tend to get snagged by casual seekers and neighbors. But we will provide them, a serious buyer just may just be driving by and want to know more at that time.  

Listing Terms: I generally have 6 to 12 month term listings, 3% to listing brokerage- 3% to buyer brokerage, I have never forced a listing to term, right to cancel by client held.  

Iannelli & Associates Real Estate LLC: Bill Iannelli, designated broker, is a 4th generation native and born and raised in Prescott, Arizona. He has been in real estate for over 25 years and has extensive experience in both the Valley of the Sun and of course Prescott.  He brings a true competence and deep Arizona knowledge to the buying and selling process.

Teamwork: In many cases I do co-listings with a partner, it works pretty good, like having two heads manage the details instead of one.  We all seek to do a great job for every client.

Seller Hints

When preparing your home for sale, keep in mind the perspective of the potential buyer.

Here are some fairly simple projects and hints that can help make your home more attractive and possibly sway a buyer to make the offer. 

Exterior

Paint.

In Arizona we get sun worn decks, fascia, and anything else exposed.   A fresh coat of paint is not only excellent for aesthetics but for preservation as well.

Landscape

Clean the brush, twigs, and anything else that lies on the ground in between plants and trees.  If you have crushed stone, rake or form the surface to make it even and attractive.

Trim the bushes and trees off of the house, this can become a loan contingency in some cases.

Patio and Decking

Don’t leave rusty chairs and junk outside.  Make it look inviting; like someone would want to sit outside and have a meal outdoors.

Garage

It is ok to store items in the garage but when possible, make it appear organized.  This helps to show a seller you care about your home.  Buyers will try to visualize their cars, golf carts, clubs, boxes, and other items, in your garage.  I have seen tarps used effectively to wrap around items which simplified the look of the stored boxes, tools and paint cans.

 Interior

Reduce Clutter!

This cannot be emphasized enough.  Buyers are increasingly minimalist in their lifestyles, clutter can kill desire right away.

Paint

Paint and neutral colors can be so effective in making a good first impression.   It is simple, affordable in comparison to other upgrades, and fast.  

Lighting

If you have the windows and natural lighting available, use it during showings. Good light with lack of clutter can be a powerful force in attracting a buyer.  

Items/Decor

You do not have to go crazy stowing away personal items and photos, but don’t have too much personalization.  Find a happy medium.   Leave items that are room appropriate and put away the ones that are not.  Extremely personal decor touches such as extreme colors or unique art can connect with a very particular buyer but it is wise to neutralize a bit and appeal to the masses, you want to increase demand and get the best offer possible.