Tips

Frustrated? Let’s Try This Approach

For Today’s Buyer, it is tough. The Market remains tight, and nothing at the present moment is showing that it will loosen any time soon.

Yes, some houses are sitting for a while, while others are getting 20 offers in a weekend. And winning a bid when you are 1 of 20 is a nightmare. So the struggle is very real and very frustrating.

Last month, I sat down with a client to have a ❤️ heart-to-heart. Since time was not in his favor, we needed a new approach. What did that look like: He needed to look at properties that were winnable.

What do Winnable Homes look like:

Not built within the last 30 years
Not in pristine condition
Need about 10-20K of home improvements

Hey, I get it…it doesn’t sound very appealing at first. And it didn’t sit well with him until we started talking through the details. Like many, he was looking for a move-in-ready home. With this new approach, he could still get that move-in ready home, and it would be exactly what he was looking for.

Seem like a pipe dream? Let me assure you that it is possible when you have the right partner with experience in all aspects of the industry.

If you are interested in hearing more, give me a call at 317-625-0655 . Let’s start looking at properties that are winnable instead of going to war!

And only 10% accept??

iBuyers companies continue to make the news with their gimmicks on offering a faster, more convenient way to sell a home. I just saw an interview with the Zillow CEO, stating, “…while people would come to our site (iBuyer) and we’d give them a good offer, only about 10% accepted the offer.”

Let that sink in…. “A good offer” and “Only 10% accepted”

I’ll bet that less than 5% of people who received offers actually sold their homes. That’s less than 1/10 of what a good Realtor would get done for their clients.

There’s a whole LOT more to taking a property from “For Sale” to a successful closing than the technocrats understand.

At Top Choice Real Estate, we are with you every step of your journey. We have a long track record of getting the job done for our clients. So give me a call to see how we can help!

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Sellers Beware of Online Agents – This is a true story!

I have been working with a client for a few months now, searching for a home. As you know, the market is moving pretty fast even in these cold months, so we have been on “high alert” as homes are coming on the market. Finally, one popped up, and within the day, we walked through, and I was writing up an offer. I wish I had the happy ending to share. But unfortunately, that was weeks ago, and we are still waiting for a response.

Most know that the seller’s agent responds back within 24 hours when an offer is made. But for whatever reason, this seller’s agent is on its own timeline. I do wonder if the seller knows about it???

If you know anything about me, is that I follow up. I always call the seller’s agent to let them know an offer is sitting in their inbox. This is also an excellent time to answer any questions they may have. With this particular call, I got his voice mail and left a message. (First RED FLAG 🚩 though I get it. People are busy 🤷)

Another day goes by, which is strange, and I make another phone call. This time, I am pushy and get a “not so friendly” person informing me that the agent I am looking for may not even know there is an offer. This property had a “team,” and it could take up to 5-7 days for a response. (More RED FLAGS 🚩🚩! First, shouldn’t the entire team know the status of an active property? And secondly, 5-7 days to respond to an offer? The seller agreed to this??)

I have to tell you that this property should have been sold weeks ago and would have been if their “online” agent had made them a priority. These online platforms promise a lot (strong cash offer, no showings, free local move, etc.) and prey on people’s emotions without delivering.

The bottom line is that this is bad business, affecting everyone involved – the seller, the buyer, the agents. I hope you never get into this type of mess (either buying/selling) though if you do, be sure you have the right person in your corner. Putting you first!