Aventura & Sunny Isles Beach Luxury Real Estate

While preparing for a listing appointment this week, I had concerns before meeting with the owners since their home appeared to be priced correctly. What could the problem be? What was wrong with the house? As I pulled up to the house, the street appeal and location were a plus, however, when I went through the house several issues stood out. The home has a North-South exposure which allows for a lot of natural light and minimal heat… however, all the window treatments were only partially opened. That was the first mistake, they had never been prompted on how to set up and make the house ready to show. The kitchen and family room, amongst the most important rooms of the house were over crowded with toys and “stuff”.

The closets and garage were over loaded as well. Outside, the rear patio needed pressure cleaning and some minor straightening up. All-in-all the house is well worth the money, it just wasn’t being presented in its best light.

Our conversation confirmed “the rest of the story”. Most of the showings were made by the owners or the nanny. As a rule, the listing agent should always accompany the showings of his/her listings. Accommodating agents on short notice is only acceptable if you can be present. Professionals have a plan, they arrange their appointments in advance, and they don’t “wing it”. A professional knows that requiring a customer to set a definite appointment qualifies that prospect as a buyer as compared to a looker. With my 27 years of experience, when an agent or buyer calls and says they are “in front of” and “must see” the house now or they’re buying another home… Having to wait a few hours, or until the next day will NEVER result in the loss of a sale. On the other hand agents that conduct their business independently with disregard for their fellow Realtors will find out quickly that doesn’t work either.

After our meeting the Sellers agreed that although most of what I pointed out was considered staging of a home, it was all common sense used to properly present their home.

So, price it to sell, make it look good enough to buy and have a professional at Koslovsky Realty close the deal.

I walked out of today’s closing feeling very good… I represented the Seller in this particular transaction and the buyers happened to be “seasoned” Realtors. The transaction was handled professionally and businesslike and each person had a wonderful respect for each other and it finished with sweet wishes and kisses.

While walking to the elevator with my clients after the closing, the husband thanked me one more time, probably the 4th or 5th thank you that hour. He went on to say how he appreciated the professionalism in which I handled his transaction and continued by saying “If you remember during the pricing of the home, the negotiations, and the inspections, and then the repairs and the financing issues up until today, whenever there was an issue, I said, What would you do? And, whatever you said, I did, and that’s because when I hired you I placed my trust in you.

I believe that if you don’t have trust and confidence in who you hire, you hired the wrong person. I knew I hired the right person; I had the confidence in you that you would sell my house, especially in this market. ”

In essence he was saying, I hired you, I trusted you, and you delivered. The kind words from both the husband and wife I received this morning is equally as important to the commissions we earn.

We have been experiencing a buyer’s market for several months now… Sellers are finally getting the message that “price is what sells!” Of course location and condition have a lot to do with the final price and the time it takes in which to sell your home. But in a market such as this… price is number one. If you have been following the market recently there have been more price reductions over the last few months than there has been in a very long time. Reductions of 10% - 20% and even some cases 30% are not uncommon. Most of those reductions have come from the overpriced listings to begin with. Homeowners who purchased in 2004 and 2005 who probably didn’t have a Koslovsky Realty professional at their side have come to see that the property they purchased didn’t really meet their requirements and now have to sell are in a difficult position since they had purchased at the top of the market. Most of those owners will have to come to the understanding that if they want to sell, they will have to accept the fact that they will lose money. Sellers who have owned their homes for long periods of time will realize very nice appreciation, however, considerably less profit, than had they sold just 2 years ago. Those are the sellers that buyer’s are targeting presently.

It appears that the more recent purchasers who have a need to sell will ultimately come to the realization that they are better off selling sooner than later even if it means taking a loss now. Traditionally in real estate “the first loss is your best loss”. Remember you can’t “make up” the loss by waiting. It always humored me when I meet with sellers who HAVE to get a certain price or they won’t sell, or those who don’t have any mortgage so “I have nothing to lose.” If they have a home worth $500,000 without a mortgage, are these the same people who if they have $500,000 in the bank, would also not expect to make any interest on their money? Timing may NOT be everything; however, it is an important factor when determining actual profits. A Koslovsky realty agent at your side can be the difference in helping you decide “good timing.” Call us today to see why?