EllieGeorge SERVING ROGUE VALLEY FAMILIES SINCE 20 05
Preparing for a Successful Home Sale
Welcome, I realize you have a choice when hiring an agent to help you sell your home and truly appreciate the opportunity to present my proven approach and the results I’ve achieved for my clients. As your agent, there are several services you can expect me to provide, including: • Accurately pricing your home • Enhancing the perceived — and real — value of your home, enabling you to command a higher asking price • Providing unmatched marketing including professional staging, photography, video and custom property web sites • Securing a qualified buyer within your specific time frame • Helping you avoid the two main reasons sales fall apart — low lender’s appraisals and problems with the home inspection. Regardless of the price of your home, when you hire me as your Realtor, both you — and your home — will be prepared for a successful sale. Warm Regards,
Ellie George Principal Broker/Owner Home Quest Realty
About Ellie Ellie George has been a widely respected member of Rogue Valley real estate industry since 2005. After more than 900 successful sales, her track record remains spotless, a record she attributes to always placing her clients’ interests ahead of her own, providing attentive one-on-one service and knowing the contracts and procedures extremely well. Ellie stepped out and founded Home Quest Realty in 2012. Her considerable experience in brokerage and residential properties throughout Southern Oregon have created an opportunity to help others learn more about serving southern Oregon buyers and sellers with 5 Star-Service. Featured in Wall Street Journal’s Top 250 Producing Team’s in 2012 and 2013, she specializes in new construction, traditional and foreclosure Sales. Ellie served on the City of Central Point City Council from 2012-2014, and continues to stay involved in civic volunteer opportunities. She loves her husband, three children (now in high school, at the UofO and a new realtor following in her footsteps), her husband and her career. She shows passion in everything she does.
Ellie’s Track Record of Success PERCENTAGE OF HOMES SHE’S SUCCESSFULLY SOLD DURING THE INITIAL LISTING PERIOD
93%
Successful Sales Since 2005
84%
Career Successful Sales
30%
Market Average
Only 30% of Homes Sell in the First Listing Period
Source: Southern Oregon Multiple Listing Service
Ellie’s Track Record of Success ELLIE’S CLIENTS’ HOMES SELL 38% FASTER THAN THE COMPETITION
Source: Southern Oregon Multiple Listing Service
Ellie’s Track Record of Success ELLIE CONSISTENTLY GETS MORE MONEY FOR HER CLIENTS’ HOMES!! I.E. ON A $300,000 HOME THAT SAVES YOU OVER $8,000
100.23%
97%
Percentage of list price my clients receive
Percentage of list price the Average Agent’s clients receive
Source: Southern Oregon Multiple Listing Service
Ellie’s Track Record of Success IN HER 11 YEARS OF REAL ESTATE SALES, ELLIE HAS HELPED OVER 875 ROGUE VALLEY FAMILIES ACHIEVE A SUCCESSFUL SALE OF THEIR HOME — CAREER SALES EXCEED $161 MILLION.
30X
the career sales of the typical agent.
BY COMPARISON, THE TYPICAL AGENT HAS 7 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND HAS CLOSED FEWER THAN 30 SALES.
Source: Southern Oregon Multiple Listing Service
Testimonials “Ellie George is very professional, has good ideas to help homeowners
“I gave Ellie my list of almost 20 requirements, including the price.
to set up their home to put on the market. She responds quickly
She looked at several places but only showed me two that worked
to emails and texts. She is very supportive during the whole
— very efficient. I bought the second one, which was perfect meeting
selling process. If a problem arises, she will address it quickly and
all but one thing on my list. When we moved into escrow, she sent
professionally. Any issues that arise during the sell with other agents
me an email of the process and timing so I knew when things were
she has your back always. My wife and I had a great experience with
happening and when I had to do something. She is a delight to work
Ellie as our realtor.
with and totally on top of things.” -GARY LEONARD
-AVA WALTERS
“Extremely helpful in buying our first house. She explained things in “Ellie is in one word...AMAZING when it comes to real estate. Her
detail, and helped us understand the house buying process. She was
dedication to her craft is paramount and her work ethic is tireless.
incredibly flexible and very easy to contact. I was referred to her by a
Having worked with her professionally (I’m not in real estate) — I
friend, and I would refer her to anyone looking to buy a new home.”
know her to be an honest and straight-forward individual, and
-NEETZA DRAKE
passionate about helping her clients with their real estate needs. I also personally have the honor of being one of her clients. And, everything I witnessed as a colleague rings true for her as my Real Estate Broker. AMAZING!” – ROBIN BROWN
“I have purchased or sold five houses with Ellie. Her expertise and professionalism have made every sale or purchase a breeze. She is the only one I would ever use to sell or purchase a home with.” – DAVID WALPER
Testimonials “We were very pleased with Ellie and the service she provided. She was
“Ellie helped us get our ranch sold in a very tough market for
professional and very knowledgeable about our area and the market we
properties like ours. She stayed in close touch with the prospective
should target to sell our home. Her team of photographer, stagers and
buyer and lenders and made things happen whenever the process
background help combinded with her marketing skills came together
appeared to be bogged down. Ellie delivered!”
seamlessly to make our home sell in ten days. We will definitely use
-STEVEN SNOWDEN
her and her team again. -CHRISTIE HERBERHOLZ
Ellie George is the best agent in the Valley. She listens carefully to what you are looking for, then finds it. She doesn’t waste your time
“Ellie listed my husband’s mother’s home in Central Point for us;
taking you to every listing in your price range. She narrows the
we are out of state sellers who never lived in the home and had no
search so that the properties she takes you to see are ALL possible
knowledge of Oregon real estate. Ellie gave us great advice with regard
matches. I have worked with lots of agents over the years and find
to how best to market the property every step of the way, answered our
Ellie’s professionalism, her skill at finding what matches the criteria for
questions with regard to whether or not we should fix up the property
possibilities outstanding. I highly recommend Ellie as both a seller’s
or sell it as is (she was right on the money), provided us with all the
agent as well as a buyer’s.
professionals we needed to clean up and prepare the property for sale (and even had the bills sent to escrow), and handled the subsequent sale smoothly and without a single hitch! We accepted a very clean, all cash, over list price offer with a 10-day close of escrow, and closed right on time. Easily the smoothest real estate transaction we’ve ever done. We highly recommend Ellie! She’s AWESOME! -LAURA WEISS
-BEV CONE
How Homes Sell UNDERSTANDING HOW BUYERS EVALUATE HOMES
The marketing Ellie does to promote your home has only one purpose — to increase awareness among potential buyers leading to in-person showings. Once buyers reach your front door, the job of marketing is over. Your home must now compete with other homes in two areas — features and price. If your home has more features that appeal to buyers — or your home is priced lower than comparable homes — your home will stand out as the better value. Conversely, if your home lacks the features that potential buyers desire, your only option is to compete on price. To be effective, your home should stand out as one of the top two to three best values in your immediate market place.
Price PRICING YOUR HOME FOR A SUCCESSFUL SALE
Factors that Influence Market Value • • • • •
Supply & Demand Economic Conditions Asking & Selling Prices of Competing Homes Your Home’s Condition Buyer’s Perception of Your Home
Factors with Little or No Influence on Market Value • The Price the Seller Paid for the House • The Seller’s Expected Net Proceeds • The Amount Spent on Improvements
Pricing your home accurately is the most effective way to ensure a successful sale. Allow me to repeat that — pricing your home accurately is the most effective way to ensure a successful sale. No amount of marketing can sell an overpriced home. Many sellers are tempted to list their home with the agent who quotes the highest price. Please keep in mind, the agent doesn’t set the price, the seller doesn’t set the price — the market will set the price, or value, for your home.
Price PROFESSIONAL APPRAISAL
“Having a pre-listing
appraisal not only helped us
The most effective method of pricing your home is to have a professional appraisal. When you list your home with Ellie, she’ll recommend a pre-listing appraisal by Medford’s most respected appraisal firm. Benefits of having a professional appraisal:
to sell faster, but we saved
• You receive an unbiased, third-party opinion of the market value of your home by a trained professional.
appraisal to successfully
• You are positioned to quickly recognize and respond to a market offer.
appraisal. That savings more
• You are positioned to effectively challenge a low lender’s appraisal of your home, maintaining your higher contract price. A lender will consider a well-known appraisers valuation — they will not consider an estimate provided by a real estate agent.
over $40,000 by using our challenge the low lender’s than covered Ellie’s fee.”
• You avoid the common practice of a real estate agent “buying your listing” by suggesting a higher price than can be achieved. Because the agent would then be reluctant to suggest a price reduction early in the marketing process, you lose valuable time during those critical first several weeks on the market.
Condition PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR A SUCCESSFUL SALE
With the typical agent, you only discover potential deal-killing repairs after you are already under contract — when the buyer hires a home inspector to scrutinize every aspect of your home.
In a Maritz Research poll, 63% of buyers responded that they would pay more for a house that is move-in ready.
When you list your home with Ellie, you will have a pre-listing inspection by one of Medford’s most experienced, and respected, inspection firms. Discovering and repairing problems early in the marketing process places YOU in control, eliminating the stress of making repairs on the buyer’s schedule. Having your house in move-in condition also helps you avoid delays to closing and demonstrates to buyers, agents and the buyer’s home inspector that your house has been very well maintained. We want buyers to focus on how they would live in your home — not what they would have to repair. Additionally, your house will stand out from the competition as a better value and command a higher price. Ellie will also recommend trustworthy, professional contractors to address any repairs that are needed. The extent that these repairs are made will directly affect your listing price. You have the ability to command a higher asking price, and substantiate it, when your home is in top condition.
Condition HOME STAGING
“Ellie recognized that our lack of a usable back yard and our location on a busy street would not appeal to buyers seeking privacy and a place for children to play. We followed her suggestions and redesigned the landscaping. An equivalent price reduction would have had no effect at all. And we sold a few weeks later for our full asking price.�
Once we have had your home inspected and made the necessary repairs we will focus on presentation. You will only get one opportunity to make a positive first impression with potential buyers. Well staged homes look better, photograph better, show better and sell faster than non-staged homes. When you list your home with Ellie, you will have a staging consultation with one of Medford’s most experienced and talented professional stagers. Home staging is not decorating. Decorating appeals to the person living in the house; staging is positioning the home to appeal to the psychological needs of buyers by creating a series of impressions that build an emotional connection to help buyers imagine living in the home. An AOL Money & Finance poll revealed that 87% of respondents said home presentation makes the difference in most sales.
Also, while many agents overlook the presentation of your home and push for price reductions, the problems, whether perceived or real, still exist.
Condition HOME WARRANTY
While your home is listed with Ellie, it will be covered by a nationally-recognized home warranty from American Home Shield. The benefit to you is that many of the normal day-to-day repairs are covered under this plan while your home is listed. When you list — and close — your home with Ellie, she will have an American Home Shield warranty transferred to your buyer. By advertising a comprehensive warranty for your home, we increase buyer confidence in your home and set you apart from the competition.
Marketing MARKETING YOUR HOME FOR A SUCCESSFUL SALE
Your home is now priced accurately and looks great. Let’s show it off! The marketing of your home will reflect an established history of how buyers search for, and purchase, homes. • 95% of buyers use the Internet during their home search. • 85% of all home sales in the Rogue Valley are co-brokered. This means there is a listing agent who represents you, the seller, and another agent who represents the buyer of your home. As a result, marketing to Realtors® is our most productive activity. • The most effective way to get the attention of productive agents and buyers is through accurate pricing and great photography.
Marketing PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
After your home is staged, Ellie will have your home professionally photographed. With 95% of buyers using the Internet to search for homes, professional photography is essential to any comprehensive marketing plan. More people will view your home online than will ever visit it personally. Getting, and holding, their attention online with professional photography is one way to increase the probability of an inperson showing. “Buyers perceive homes with professional
photography to be worth, on average, 12% more than the actual price.�
-The Wall Street Journal
Marketing 360 DEGREE PHOTOGRAPHS
In addition to professional photography, Ellie will use the newest technology to feature your home in a 360 degree presentation, virtually fill it with furniture and decor if it is empty and provide easily accessible floor
plans so that potential buyers can gain a feel for living in the house — even before they step through the front door. These state of the art tools help the buyer move in mentally and entice them to visit.
Marketing INTERNET MARKETING
Ellie will place your home on 500 of the world’s leading real estate web sites for unmatched exposure. Your home will be prominently featured on all the major Internet sites in the nation. The graphic to the left shows just a few of the sites where your home will be found. Depending on the marketing strategy customized for your property, your home may qualify to be featured in prestige ads in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Robb Report, Jet Set Magazine and more.
Marketing INTERNET MARKETING
Your property deserves to be showcased in all its glory! Ellie’s website earns the attention of today’s modern, mobile buyers. Her website is user friendly, beautiful and captures hundreds of leads each month. She showcases your luxury property on it’s very own website. Some 90% of home buyers use the internet to search for a new home or property. The internet is THE place to market your properties. And there is no better place to start than with a targeted website unique to each home or property you’re selling. Each property site comes complete with unlimited photos and links, ample space to identify all the unique selling characteristics of your property, automatic maps, local school and community information and much more. Custom designed to link to Facebook, and other social media, single property websites connect the dots between a myriad action points across the web, giving nearly unlimited reach.
Marketing SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
Facebook represents an opportunity to reach tens of thousands of prospective home buyers on a site where they already spend a lot of time. Facebook has become a marketing powerhouse. Ellie will create a custom Facebook marketing campaign for your property, plus target only the best demographics for your area. Bottom line? She knows how to turn “Likes” into “Leads!”
Marketing E-MAIL MARKETING
Ellie has a huge email database of buyers who are looking at properties right now, to which no one else has access. As soon as she lists your property, she will send a mass email to her exclusive buyer list. This typically leads to immediate showing requests and can even start a bidding war! Ellie responds to every lead the second they register using a sophisticated auto SMS and email messaging system. You’ll never have to worry about a missed opportunity because a lead fell through the crack.
Marketing A MARKET WITHIN A MARKET
In addition to being marketed through universal channels such as the Internet, postcards, the Multiple Listing Service and signage, Ellie also markets your home internally to the top producing agents in the valley and with agents who work with home sellers who are moving to our area from out of state — each with their own connections forms a rich source of prospects, buyers and referrals. This “market within a market” results is the most efficient transaction environment in Oregon real estate.
Marketing INTERACTIVE MOBILE MARKETING
Ellie creates a custom mobile web site for your home that can be accessed from any smart phone, replacing the need for paper flyers. This provides numerous advantages for you: • Potential buyers are able to immediately access a detailed description of your home, along with beautiful photos and video. She can also make useful documents available such as your Seller’s Disclosure, Inspection Report and more.
Give it a try! Text Home15015 to 878787.
• Unlike paper flyers, Ellie receives an immediate notification with the potential buyer’s cell phone number, allowing her to follow up while the prospective buyer is still in your neighborhood. With a paper flyer, real estate agents have to wait until they call them — if they ever do. • This technology is the flyer box that is never empty. Nothing is more frustrating to potential buyers — and sellers — than an empty flyer box!
Marketing PRINT MARKETING - POSTCARDS
Ellie combines mobile’s ability to provide property information and photos instantly to prospective buyers from anywhere, with the strength of real estate postcard marketing’s personal and targeted approach. She mails thousands of postcards each month to area residents. Your home will be featured on at least two of these mailings, increasing awareness among potential buyers. For over 50 years real estate postcard marketing has been rock-solid, time-tested. Postcards have always been great for directly targeting prospects and making them aware of neighborhood properties on the market. Unlike an ad, your postcard competes with only a handful of items in the mailbox on that day, rather than with the 250-300 ads in a typical newspaper or magazine. Postcards are powerful for personally targeting ideal prospects.
Service WHAT ELSE YOU CAN EXPECT FROM ELLIE
In addition to the services we’ve covered, you can expect Ellie to provide the following: • Attentive one-on-one service. • Personal phone calls to all agents who show your property in order to stay on top of the market’s pulse and how your home is comparing. • Regular communications regarding every aspect of her efforts and the results of those efforts as well as any changes in the market, including new listings, price changes of competing homes, sales and how we should reposition your property to remain competitive. • Assistance negotiating offers and preparing contracts. • Attending the closing to ensure all contract provisions have been met and that you are fully satisfied with the results of your sale.
Thank you Thank you for the privilege and opportunity to work with you. As always, feel free to call me if you have any questions. I look forward to meeting with you and helping you achieve a successful sale. Ellie George Principle Broker/Owner Home Quest Realty 1575 E. McAndrews Rd. #200 Medford, OR 97504 Office: 541.362.8769 Cell: 541.601.9582 Ellie@HQOregon.com EllieGeorge.com