Personal Service From Prudential

The service our clients receive from Prudential Burroughs & Chapin Realty professionals go well beyond the sale. Whether you are moving across town or across the country, they are your trusted advisor in real estate. Consider this letter from a client in Wilmington, NC to the broker-in-charge regarding their recent experience:

"I felt it necessary to personally let you know how much of a wondeful job Shari Murray has done for my family and I. We feel she has performed her job above and beyond what was called for.

She became a part of our family and truly understood our needs and wants in purchasing our home here in Wilmington. If she was unsure of something she reassured us she would gather the correct information from you and relay it to us. She devoted endless hours over a 2 to 3 month process that has not gone unseen by my wife and I. She continuously extends herself in every way to make our transition here more and more pleasurable. She was extremely professional, always courteous, and very supporting. She connected almost instantly with my wife Barbara and had an amazing amount of patience with my 2 boys.

I would like you to know I think you have an outstanding and amazing, wonderful lady working on your team. She has, through this househunting time, become a close, personal and family friend. Thank you for your time and assistance. I will recommend Prudential Burroughs & Chapin Realty and Shari Murray to future folks I come across."

This is not an exception among our clients, but a common response we hear about each and every one of our agents. Looking for the Finest Real Estate Experience? Visit one of our offices and find out for yourself.

Make Sure You Have a Marketing Plan

Only for the rare few sellers, simply placing a “For Sale” yard sign on the front lawn creates a line of traffic filled with potential buyers. If you want buyers to see your home, you’ve got to find them. The key is marketing. To get the most exposure for your home, you should have a marketing plan with clear objectives and specifically outlines the resources that will be used to reach potential buyers.

Each marketing plan should be designed around your property and capitalize on its most desirable features. Therefore, you need to be honest with your real estate professional about the condition of your home, and the final price you are willing to accept for your home.

Next, you need to determine what marketing options work best to reach your desired audience. Generally there are two audiences you are trying to reach—home buyers and other real estate professionals. Make sure the plan includes action steps on how each audience will be marketed to.

Seldom is the successful marketing of a property the result of a single activity. Your strategy should include a variety of marketing activities. Using only conventional marketing strategies such as Open Houses, newspaper ads and direct mail can limit your outreach. Most homebuyers now begin their home search online. Having a presence on your real estate professional’s Web site and other portals such as Yahoo! Real Estate gives you worldwide exposure. Besides the increased exposure, online listings also allow buyers to get a sneak peek of your home. Therefore, you may want to complement the listings with plenty of photos and a virtual tour, which allows viewers to get a 360-degree preview of your home without leaving their computer.

Also, don’t forget the power of email. Sending email flyers or electronic postcard are easy and cost efficient. During your planning, your real estate professional may recommend other marketing tools such as company/broker tours and an Open House.

Work with your real estate professional to determine the best options for your market.
Besides identifying marketing tools, an effective marketing plan will also spell out specific dates for the marketing activities. It should leave room for unscheduled events such as following up with sales professionals or brokers who preview or show the home.

Make sure the marketing plan includes checkpoints, possibly at the 15-, 30- and 45-day marks, to review activity on the home and determine if changes need to be made to the marketing plan.

As the home seller, you should be kept in the loop on activity of your home. The marketing plan should state how you will be communicated with (mail, phone, email, in person) and the frequency (daily, weekly, etc.).
Of course these are just guidelines, but can give you an idea if the marketing plan your real estate professional has proposed to you has to be refined. You need to be comfortable with the marketing strategy for your home. An effective plan will not only put you at ease, but also give your home maximum exposure to increase your chances of a quick sell.

The sales professionals of Prudential Burroughs & Chapin Realty have effective marketing plans to fit your situation, so contact one today!

A Homeshopper's Must-Haves and Wish Lists

Shopping for a home is an exciting adventure and it’s easy to get lost in a sea of dazzling for-sale homes and all of their fabulous amenities – which can cause you to temporarily forget that a large backyard is your top priority. To keep yourself focused, take time to identify and organize exactly what you’re looking for in a home by creating thorough “must-have” and “wish” lists before you begin home shopping. You may also want to make a third list that details your dislikes.

To get started ask yourself these questions: Which items and features must your home have? Which items and features would you like to have, but could live without? What would your dream house include? And, what features or issue must you avoid?

For the must-have list, try to focus on essentials and hard-to-change details, like a home’s layout. If you must have a three-bedroom, two-bath house, put it on the list. Ranking your must-haves in order of importance is also a good idea.

Hard-to-change, must-have features can include the type of house, for example a two-story colonial or sprawling rancher; the number of rooms and square footage; the home’s proximity to shopping; or its overall condition. Your must-have list can’t be too detailed because it aims to itemize the features that are most important to you and your family.

Your wish list is the flexible and fun list. Wish lists are good for cosmetic features that would be great to have, but that can be changed. Hardwood floors can replace old wall-to-wall carpeting. If the yard is large enough and has adequate open space, a pool can be installed later. And landscaping can be a work in progress. Since the wish list is secondary, there are no limits so be sure to also include your dream amenities.

While compiling your lists, don’t hesitate to confer with your real estate professional, who is a great source for information about neighborhoods, homes and other pertinent “must-have” information.

Once you’ve determined your must-haves and optional features, create a checklist to take with you during your home tours. Besides helping you stay focused, it will provide an organized review of each house.

Your lists will most likely change as you tour homes and see what the market really has to offer. It’s also unlikely that one house will include all of your must-have features. But, your efforts will be well worth it once you find the perfect house that includes just enough must-haves and even a few wishes. Your perfect home might not include that must-have basement, but its view may be a dream come true.

Trends for Homeseekers

A recent survey of real estate agents revealed the latest trends in what homeowners are seeking in a home:

• 93% indicated their clients showed interest in having a room specifically to use as a home office;
• 44% of real estate said they have had clients requesting a home theater in their new home;
• 26% said clients have wanted an exercise room;
• 18% had clients wanting an arts & crafts room;
• 8% said clients have wanted a music studio.

It hasn't been all about the indoors however; homeowners are seeking ways to make better use of their outdoor space and have shown interest in outdoor kitchens and fire pits. Even outdoor "great rooms" that incorporate a living room, dining room and kitchen are seen as trends for the '08.

What's your fancy in new home? Let us know in the Comments. Whatever it may be, a Prudential Burroughs & Chapin Realty professional can help you find it!

Statistics and trends provided by the JELD-WEN Real Estate Agent Community Trends survey, American Society of Landscape Architects, and Real Trends.