A GUIDE TO SELLING YOUR HOME
“To give real service, you must add something which cannot be measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.” - Douglas Adams
Table of Content 04
Prospective Client
05
Why Keller Williams Realty
06
13 Step Marketing Plan
08
Extended Marketing Reach
09
Pricing
10
What You Can Expect
12
Preparing Your Home For Sale
13
Closing 101
14
Client Reviews
INTRODUCTION - A LITTLE ABOUT ME Born and raised in Vancouver, WA, I am a native Washingtonian with years of experience in all aspects of home ownership. After graduating from high school, I worked in the residential construction field, specializing in kitchen and bathroom renovations. After over 12 years remodeling homes in both the Northwest and in Texas, I pursued a life-long passion for real estate. I provide guidance and assist sellers/buyers in marketing/purchasing property for the right price under the best terms. I advise clients on market conditions, prices, mortgages, and related matters and ensure a fair and honest dealing. I am passionate about maintaining great relationships with appraisers, escrow companies, lenders and home inspectors as well.
Real Estate Broker •
Husband
•
Father
•
Dog Dad
•
Outdoor Enthusiast
•
Explorer
•
Adventurer
•
PNW Native
Having grown up in SW Washington I am your local expert. My knowledge of the surrounding area has been gained through life experiences. When I’m not at the office, I can often be found with my family and chocolate lab camping and hiking throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Josh McCuistion
YOUR REALTOR We are interviewing you as much as you are interviewing us. If we decide we can work together, we will be able to guide you throughout this extensive process to help you sell your home in the quickest time possible and at the highest price. We will show you how we will be a resourceful guide helping you with one of the most important processes of your life. We want you to know and be involved with WHAT we are doing for you, WHEN and WHY.
4
Dear Prospective Client, Thank you for the potential opportunity to represent you in the sale of your home. Your home is unique and special, as a place you’ve built so many memories and as a significant portfolio asset to you and your family. We are respectful of your home and mindful of our responsibility to maximize its value in a time frame that fits with you and your big picture goals. We pride ourselves in our knowledge, availability, responsiveness, expertise, and professionalism. We’d like you to know we are always available to you with any questions or concerns. As time is a valuable asset to all of our lives, we pride ourselves in responding to any questions or concerns you may have as soon as we are available. Our goal is to provide you with a full-service experience that meets your needs and exceeds your expectations. We are absolutely committed to finding you the RIGHT buyer, negotiating on your behalf, handling all the paperwork, and smoothly closing the sale of your home in a timely manner.
For most people the sale of their home is one of the most important financial transactions of their life.
5
Why Keller Williams Realty
Technology
Teamwork
Knowledge
Leading-edge tech tools and
Keller Williams Realty was
Keller Williams Realty helps
training give me the edge in
designed to reward agents for
me stay ahead of trends in the
effectively marketing your property
working together. Based on
real estate industry through its
online, 24 hours a day, seven days a
the belief that we are all more
comprehensive, industry-leading
week! Through the exclusive Keller
successful if we strive toward
training curriculum and research
Williams Listing System (KWLS),
a common goal rather than our
resources. It’s what prepares me
your property is fed to more than
individual interests, I’m confident
to provide you with unparalleled service.
350 online search engines and is
that every Keller Williams
available on KW’s Web network of
professional shares the common
more than 76,000 sites.
goal of serving you, my client, in the best way possible.
Reliability
Track Record
Founded on the principles of trust
I’m proud to work for the world’s
and honesty, Keller Williams Realty
largest real estate franchise by
emphasizes the importance of
agent count. It’s proof that when
having the integrity to do the right
you offer a superior level of service,
thing, always putting your needs
the word spreads fast.
first. It reinforces my belief that my success is ultimately determined by the legacy I leave with each client I serve.
6
MY 13 STEP MARKETING PLAN Designed to capture the maximum exposure for your home in the shortest period of time, I’ll implement my proven 13-step marketing plan.
Price your home strategically so you’re competitive
01
with the current market and price trends.
Target my marketing to active real estate agents who
08
Aggressive PRE-List marketing!!!
02
Include your home in our company and MLS
09
Stage your home to cast a positive light on the
03
features most important to buyers: uncluttered rooms and closets, fresh paint, and terrific curb
specialize in selling homes in your neighborhood.
tours, allowing other agents to see your home for themselves.
Advertise your home in my real estate magazine and
10
neighborhood newsletter, as well as in direct mail campaigns, email campaigns and social media.
appeal.
Place “for sale” signage, complete with a permanent
04
property flier for prospective buyers to call me and allows me to “sell your home” to them.
Create an open house schedule to promote your
11
05
your home.
12
information in the Keller Williams Listing System (KWLS), as well as in local and global MLS systems, including professional photographs and a description of your property. Create a home book, comment cards and fliers to
07
place inside your property.
who are looking for homes in your price range and area.
Provide you with weekly updates detailing my
Optimize your home’s Internet presence by posting
06
open houses.
Target active buyers and investors in my database
Distribute “just listed” notices to neighbors, encouraging them to tell family and friends about
property to prospective buyers and market those
13
marketing efforts, including comments from the prospective buyers and agents who have visited your home.
7
Extended Marketing Reach When you list with me, we’ll have access to the Keller Williams Listing System, or KWLS. This proprietary, exclusive system ensures your property is marketed online 24/7 through more than 350 of the most popular search Websites.
Jaclyn McCuistion
Marketing Director BA Marketing / Graphic Design
8
RIGHT PRICE
ATTRACT BUYERS PRICING YOUR PROPERTY This is about strategy. I have based your recommended price on: •
A detailed, custom market analysis
•
The unique characteristics of your home and its selling
•
My expertise in the real estate market
My primary goal is to net you the most money possible. I believe this pricing plan, matched with my 13step marketing plan will draw agents and buyers to your home and position it as highly appealing, highly competitive property. AVERAGE SALES PRICE: $ AVERAGE SALES PRICE ( $ / sq. ft.): $ RECOMMENDED LIST PRICE: $ RECOMMENDED SALES PRICE ( $ / sq. ft.): $
Pricing your property competitively will generate the most activity from agents and buyers. Pricing your property too high may make it necessary to drop the price below market value to compete with new, well-priced listings. The #1 mistake sellers make is thinking “I will list at a high price and if it doesn’t sell , I can simply lower the price later.” However, looking at the chart on the next page, most buyer activity peaks in 3 weeks, yet most over priced sellers don’t reduce their prices until week 5 or 6, effectively missing the peak of buyer activity. Pricing properly the first time enables you to maximize exposure and increase your chances of attracting the highest possible offer during the peak activity period. Overpricing is a critical mistake that costs homeowners valuable time and money.
9
ACTIVITY
LEVEL
WHEN MOST OFFERS ARE
RECEIVED
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
WEEKS ON THE MARKET
ASKING
% OF
PRICE
15%
BUYERS
10%
IN THE MARKET
COMPARED TO MARKET VALUE 10%
MARKET
VALUE -10% -15%
30%
60% 75%
90%
10
Communication
Experience & Expertise
Marketing
I will provide the service we agree to and
The complexities of your real estate
Your home will get the exposure it deserves.
communicate in the ways that work for you,
transaction will be well-handled. Smoothing
My marketing systems maximize your
whether once a week, once a day, by phone,
the way for your listing and sale, I will
property’s exposure to buyers. Neighborhood
email or text message. You’ll always be kept
capably remove many potential challenges
tracking tools and automated buyer calling
in the loop. From listing to closing, you’ll
before they have the opportunity to appear.
systems allow me to reach active buyers
know the status of our marketing efforts, the
who want to know about your listing.
offers on the table, and the steps leading to a successful closing.
Selling Your Home. What You Can Expect.
MARKETING
Your needs always come first.
be working with us out of duress. Our goal is to create long lasting relationships
Selling your home requires marketing to the RIGHT prospective buyers. This is why we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee to all of our clients. If you are not completely satisfied with our marketing plan or the service that we are providing, you can cancel anytime. We want you to “want” to work with us! We do not want you to feel trapped OR through our hard work and follow through with what we say we will do. We write this directly into our agreement.
11
Pricing
Staging
Satisfaction
Your home will be priced right, adjusted
Homes sell because of correct pricing and
I’ll guarantee your satisfaction. Our
as needed and sold quickly. With a keen
great presentation. I know what it takes to
relationship is dependent on meeting
understanding of both the big picture and
make the terrific first impression that will get
and exceeding your needs. We identify
the very latest local and neighborhood listing
your home sold.
those needs together, and my cancellation
and sales data, the information you need is
guarantee protects your right to end our
at my fingertips.
relationship if you’re disappointed
LISTING COMPENSATION STRUCTURE
6%
• • •
FULL MARKET LISTING WE PAY:
Buyers Agent Marketing Everything to get your home sold for the most money in the least amount of time.
100% SATISFACTION Cancel anytime
NO
UPFRONT FEES Or cost to you until we sell.
NO
OBLIGATION
12
Preparing Your Home For Sale The majority of home-buyers prefer a home that looks new or is recently upgraded, yet most homes that come to market aren’t upgraded. Because of this, home-buyers will pay a premium of 5 -7% for a home that is upgraded or recently remodeled. To help maximize the value of your home, we offer expert advice on where to invest to ensure your maximum return when you sell. Did you know well-placed furniture can open up rooms and make them seem larger than they are? Or that opening drapes and blinds and turning on all lights make a room seem bright and cheery? Here are some inexpensive ways to maximize your home’s appeal:
01 02
It’s a fact: acquiring the highest market value and elevating your home above others in the same price range often comes down to first impressions.
Exterior •
Keep the grass freshly cut.
•
Remove all yard clutter.
•
Apply fresh paint to wooden fences.
•
Paint the front door.
•
Weed and apply fresh mulch to garden beds.
•
Clean windows inside and out.
•
Wash or paint home’s exterior.
•
Tighten and clean all door handles.
•
Ensure gutters and downspouts are firmly attached.
Interior •
Remove excessive wall hangings, furniture
03
For Showings •
Turn on all the lights.
and knickknacks (Consider a temporary self-
•
Open drapes in the daytime.
storage unit).
•
Keep pets secured outdoors.
•
Clean or paint walls and ceilings.
•
Infuse home with a comforting scent like
•
Shampoo carpets.
•
Clean and organize cabinets and closets.
•
Repair all plumbing leaks, including faucets
apple spice or vanilla. •
Vacate the property while it is being shown.
and drain traps. •
Clean all light fixtures.
When Preparing to Sell Your House Ask yourself: If you were buying this home, what would you want to see? The goal is to show a home that looks good, maximizes space, and attracts as many buyers as possible. It’s necessary to look at a home through the eyes of a prospective buyer and determine what needs to be cleaned, painted, repaired and tossed out.
13
Closing 101 The closing process finalizes the sale of your home and makes everything official. Also known as settlement, the closing is when you get paid and the buyer receives the deed to your home. Here are a few things to bring to the closing: •
House keys
•
Garage door opener(s)
•
A picture ID
What can you expect?
What are your costs?
The closing agent will look over the purchase
Sellers commonly pay the following at
contract and identify what payments are
closing:
owed and by whom; prepare documents
•
for the closing; conduct the closing; make sure taxes, title searches, real estate
•
commissions and other closing costs are paid; ensure that the buyer’s title is recorded; to you.
Mortgage balance and prepayment
•
Copies of all closing documents
penalties, if applicable
•
All home improvement receipts on the
Other claims against your property, such as unpaid property taxes
•
and ensure that you receive any monies due
Unpaid special assessments on your property
•
After the closing, make sure you keep the following for tax purposes:
Document stamps (or taxes) on the deed
•
Real estate commission
•
Legal fee or title insurance premium
home you sold
14
Josh was extremely attentive and kept things moving forward despite delays on the buyer’s end. He was very helpful in determining what repairs were needed to help streamline the process and avoid closing delays.
Jeremy Vancouver, WA So thankful to have Josh’s help during the sell of my house. He made sure I got what I wanted for the house and followed up after the sell to make sure everything was taken care of. I look forward to working with him in the future!
Tami Yacolt, WA We are so lucky to have found Josh. His knowledge of the area and the market and his availability and willingness to spend a huge deal of his time explaining the selling and buying process made us feel that he was working just for us. I don’t have enough space and there aren’t enough words in this language to express our gratitude to him for all
100% Satisfied Clients
of the work he’s done to ensure we sell our home quickly and get our dream house. Josh is so reachable any time we have a question or need a little guidance. He’s not just a 9-5 agent. He’s come through on every promise he’s made and then some. There are few transactions as stressful and potentially heartbreaking as home buying and Josh is the guy you want in your corner when you’re navigating these waters. There’s always room at our new dining room table for him. :)
Candace & Chad Vancouver WA We were relocating from out of state and had just one week to find a home. Josh was incredibly patient and flexible as we toured many homes on short notice, with a toddler in tow. We found a a great home and Josh remained patient and diligent as he worked on the remainder of the process while we were split in different states. He was great to work with and we’d definitely recommend him.
Christie Vancouver, WA
Josh helped us find the home of
Josh is a fantastic real estate
our dreams and helped us every
agent to work with. This was my
step of the way!! As we went
first time purchasing a home
Josh was extremely attentive
Josh really went above and
through the process he was
and he was very helpful walking
and kept things moving forward
beyond! We enjoyed working
very responsive and was always
me through the process and
despite delays on the buyer’s
with him and will definitely work
available via email, phone and
keeping my best interests at the
end. He was very helpful in
with him again in the future.
in-person. In addition, he helped
forefront of everything. There
determining what repairs were
He made our first home buying
us sell our old home. In less
were 20 other offers on the
needed to help streamline the
process as easy as possible,
than 2 months we purchased
home that I purchased and he
process and void closing delays.
and work so hard to get us
a new home and sold our old
was knowledgeable enough to
home. Great experience all the
write a competitive offer that
way around.
was able to get me my home.
Jeff & Jessica Washougal, WA
Jeffrey Vancouver WA
through it!
Zillow Review Vancouver, WA
Scarlet Vancouver, WA
To see more reviews and homes sold checkout: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshmccuistionkw/ Zillow: https://www.zillow.com/profile/Mccuistion-josh/
Let’s Work Together! & Get You Happily Moved!
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to discuss with you the benefits of allowing me and my company to service your real estate needs. We believe that quality blended with excellent service is the foundation for a successful business relationship.
Josh McCuistion - Mt. View Realty 2211 E Mill Plain Blvd Vancouver, WA 98661
360-713-2100 josh@mtviewrealty.com www.mtviewrealty.com