TIM SHIELDS SERVING CENTRAL INDIANA FAMILIES
Preparing for a Successful Home Sale
INFINITY TEAM Office: (317) 434-4444 • Cell: (317) 787-SOLD (7653) timshields@kw.com • InfinityTeamKW.com
Welcome, We realize that 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 we’ve achieved for our clients. As your agent, there are several services you can expect us to provide, including: l
Accurately pricing your home.
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Enhancing the perceived — and real — value of your home, enabling you to command a higher asking price.
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Providing unmatched marketing including professional staging, photography, video and custom property web sites.
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Securing a qualified buyer within your specific time frame.
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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 us as your Realtor, both you and your home will be prepared for a successful sale. Warm Regards,
Tim Shields Associate Broker The Infinity Team
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About Keller Williams Realty
INFINITY
A lot of companies say they function as a family. At Keller Williams
TEAM
Realty, we truly do and this approach guides us everyday in how we conduct our business. We support one another in achieving goals and celebrate the accomplishment of milestones. We treat each other with
TOP TEN REASONS TO WORK WITH THE INFINITY TEAM
respect and integrity. We challenge ourselves and our colleagues in a productive, meaningful way. We encourage growth and self-discovery, and have fun in the process. And we lend a hand whenever it is needed.
1 A strong negotiation: We treat your home sale as importantly as we do our own — we look out for your best interests.
What does this mean for you? As a Keller Williams/Infinity Real Estate
2 We have extensive experience with custom home builders/renovators and related trade professionals.
Team client you can expect only the best in client care, confidence and
3 We use the latest in technology with the ability to do a real estate transaction right from the comfort of your own home.
are expected to share their knowledge to create client experiences,
4 We utilize the latest and best practices on the Web to expose your home to a greater audience of potential buyers. 5 Fully networked: Our affiliation with associates will assist you. 6 Helpful and accessible: We can be easily reached by phone, email or text. 7 Hard working: We have a balance of strong work and family ethics.
trust. We are not only trained to be the best in our industry, our realtors second to none.
The Keller Williams Culture KW Cares is a public charity that is the heart of Keller Williams culture in action — finding and serving the higher purpose of business through charitable giving in the market centers and communities where Keller Williams associates live and work. Helping those in need when disasters
8 Diligent and responsible: We are constantly upgrading our skills to better serve our clients.
strike, people are stricken with hard times or sickness. Any individual
9 We value quality service versus quantity, first and foremost.
from every sale to support this great cause.
10 Loyal: We are passionate about real estate and making sure that our clients are kept up-to-date on the latest trends.
can apply when in need. The Infinity Real Estate Team donates $150
KW Red Day Every May, Keller Williams Centers around the world gather together to help communities by volunteering a full day of time to get out and make a difference in the lives of others. Always a fun day, making a difference in the lives of others.
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How Homes Sell Understanding How Buyers Evaluate Home The marketing we will do 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 — Price and Condition. 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.
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Price Pricing Your Home for a Successful Sale 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. 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.
Determining the Value of Your Home The market ultimately determines the true value of your property. Before you compare your home to similar properties and establish a competitive list price, the following points should be considered:
Factors that Influence Market Value l
Supply & Demand
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Economic Conditions
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Asking & Selling Prices of Competing Homes
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Your Home’s Condition
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Buyer’s Perception of Your Home
Factors with Little or No Influence on Market Value l
The Price the Seller Paid for the House
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What the Seller’s needs or wants
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The Seller’s Expected Net Proceeds
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The Amount Spent on Improvements
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Cost to re-build it today
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What neighbors say it’s worth
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What other agents say it’s worth
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MOST OFFERS ARE RECEIVED The WHEN Right Price is Critical A property generates the most interest when it first hits the market.
ACTIVITY LEVEL
When most offers are received.
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WEEKS ON MARKET
The Result of Overpricing Many sellers believe that if they priced their home high initially, they can lower is later. Often, when a home is priced too high, it experiences little activity. Gradually the price will come down to market value, by that time it’s been for sale too long and some buyers will be wary and reject the property. On occasion, the price is dropped below market value because the seller runs out of time. The property sells for less than it’s worth.
No amount of marketing can sell an overpriced home.
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WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PRICING RIGHT? l
Your property sells faster because it is exposed to more qualified buyers.
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Your home doesn’t lose its “marketability”
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The closer to market value, the higher the offers
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A well-priced property can generate competing offers.
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Real Estate Professionals will be enthusiastic about presenting your property to buyers.
Percentage of potential buyers who will look at property.
ASKING PRICE 15% above
10% above
Market Value
10% below
15% below
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10%
30%
60%
75%
90%
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Maximizing Your Home’s Value One of the benefits we offer our clients is advice on which remodeling projects bring the greatest added value at resale. Our experience has taught us which improvements are valued most in this local area. Your specific return on investment will depend on the value of your home, value of similar homes in your neighborhood, the availability and pricing of new homes, and the rate at which property values are changing in surrounding neighborhoods. Ultimately, a remodel can increase your equity when you sell. Our goal is to net you the most money possible. We will help you decide which specific projects will maximize your home’s sale price.
INDIANAPOLIS AREA Here’s the average return on investment for some common projects in the Indianapolis area. BATHROOM REMODEL
59.4%
DECK ADDITION
70.2%
WINDOW REPLACEMENT
77.9%
ATTIC BEDROOM
85.3%
FAMILY ROOM ADDITION
64.3%
ROOFING REPLACEMENT
59.9%
MASTER SUITE ADDITION
65.0%
KITCHEN REMODEL
70.0%
BASEMENT REMODEL
73.8%
SUNROOM ADDITION
49.1%
*2014 costvsvalue.com
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Professional Appraisal The most effective method of pricing your home is to have a professional appraisal. When you list and close your home with us, we’ll pay for a prelisting appraisal by a certified appraisal firm. BENEFITS OF HAVING A PROFESSIONAL APPRAISAL: l
You receive an unbiased, third party opinion of the market value of your home by a trained professional.
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You are positioned to quickly recognize and respond to a market offer.
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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.
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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.
When you list and close your home with us, we’ll pay for a pre-listing appraisal by a certified appraisal firm.
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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. When you list and close your home with us, we’ll pay for a pre-listing inspection by one of the areas 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. We 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.
In a Maritz Research poll, 63% of buyers responded that they would pay more for a house that is move-in ready.
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Home Staging Once your home has been inspected, and the necessary repairs have been made, 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. 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. Also, while many agents overlook the presentation of your home and push for price reductions, the problems, whether perceived or real, still exist.
A Money & Finance poll revealed that 87% of respondents said home presentation makes the difference in most sales.
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Home Warranty While your home is listed with me, it will be covered by a nationallyrecognized home warranty from America’s Preferred Home Warranty, Inc. 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 us, we will pay to have an America’s Preferred 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.
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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. l
95% of buyers use the Internet during their home search.
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85% of all home sales 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.
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The most effective way to get the attention of productive agents and buyers is through accurate pricing and great photography.
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Professional Photography After your home is staged, we will have your home photographed by a professional photographer. 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 in-person showing.
“Buyers perceive homes with professional photography to be worth, on average, 12% more than the actual price.” — The Wall Street Journal
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Video Tour In addition to professional photography, we will create a video tour of your home. Video enables us to “tell a story” about your home — making an emotional connection for buyers. A well-scripted and produced video gives potential buyers a feel for what living in the house could be like — long before they make a personal visit.
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Internet Marketing Your home will be placed on 350+ of the world’s leading real estate websites for unmatched exposure. Here are just a few of the sites where your home will be found.
If a Buyer doesn’t see it, you won’t sell it.
Aol Real Estate.
REAL ESTATE
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InfinityTeamKW.com Your home will be featured on our website where it can be seen by thousands of daily visitors. Your home is also directly accessible by leading real estate companies of the world affiliates with offices across the country and around the world. Additionally, all open houses are promoted on our website and the Keller Williams’ site, increasing the exposure of your home. Finally, we will promote your house to agents in the KW network, as well as our own network.
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Social Media Marketing Your home will also be marketed extensively on the leading social media websites. I will market your home using several proven approaches, including highly-targeted ads, video, photos and more. Social media represents an opportunity to reach tens of thousands of local residents on sites where they already spend a lot of time.
David Myers and Tim Shields The Infinity Team at Keller Williams IMS
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A Market within a Market Your home will not only be marketed through universal channels such as the Internet, print advertising, the Multiple Listing Service and signage. We will also market internally with our own business connections which will form a rich source of prospects, buyers and referrals. This “market within a market” results in the most efficient transaction environment in real estate. Furthermore, Keller Williams Realty has the highest market share in Metro Indianapolis for most price categories.
Above-and-Beyond Marketing I want to make certain you understand that I am not like all agents. Many agents will LIST YOUR HOUSE, and they do what I call the “Three Ps of Real Estate.” They will:
1. Place your house in multiple listings
2. Place a sign in your yard, and lastly,
3. Pray someone else will sell it.
I do the fourth and fifth Ps, which are:
4. Prospect for buyers everyday, and
5. Price watch
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Interactive Mobile Marketing We will create a custom mobile website for your home that can be accessed from any smart phone, replacing the need for paper flyers. There are numerous advantages for you: l
Potential buyers are able to immediately access a detailed description of your home, along with beautiful photos and video. We can also make useful documents available such as your Seller’s Disclosure, Inspection Report and more.
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Unlike paper flyers, we receive an immediate notification with the potential buyer’s cell phone number, allowing me to follow up while the prospective buyer is still in your neighborhood. With a paper flyer, we have to wait until they call us — if they ever do.
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This technology is the flyer box that is never empty. Nothing is more frustrating to potential buyers — and sellers — than an empty flyer box!
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Service What Else You can Expect from Us In addition to the services we’ve covered, you can expect me to provide the following: l
Attentive one-on-one service. The responsibility of managing the sale of your home is never passed off to other agents or assistants, to ensure and gather valuable feedback.
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Regular communications regarding every aspect of our 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 re-position your property to remain competitive.
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Assistance negotiating offers and preparing contracts.
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Attending the closing to ensure all contract provisions have been met and that you are fully satisfied with the results of your sale.
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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.
Tim Shields Associate Broker
timshields@kw.com Office: (317) 434-4444 Cell: (317) 787-SOLD (7653) InfinityTeamKW.com
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