MAKE YOUR PROPERTY STAND OUT!  Here are a few of the powerful tools we use:

• Extensive website syndications
• MLS with high quality photos & information
• Satellite photo of your home from above
• Reverse match prospecting for buyers to your property
• Major search engine SEO
• Web buyer capture & routing in real time
• Automated buyer & agent feedback
• Quality photography on the internet
• Virtual tour

Dallas, Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Arlington, Mansfield, Cedar Hill, Mid-Cities and surrounding areas.

Most likely, one of the following applies to your situation:                  

1. You are wondering what your house is really worth.

2. You are thinking of selling your house in the near future.

3. You are wondering if now is the best time to sell.                                    

4. You would like to sell your house right away.                                          

5. Your house is currently on the market and not getting the results you want.

6. Your house listing has expired, or is about to, and you want to know why it did not sell.

Regardless of your situation, just take a few minutes to read over the following information. 

 If you are  interested mostly in marketing strategies then read  section # 4 on Marketing.  Even if you have experience from past real estate transactions, you will pick up one or two little nuggets of knowledge that will give your house the advantage over others on the market.  For most people, their property is their most valuable asset, so let's take a look at ways to make your property stand out, increase your exposure to buyers and ultimately sell for the most the market will bear and in the shortest time possible. Let's consider the 4 main factors that determine the outcome of a real estate sale.

Price, Location, Condition, and Marketing

1. Price

Price is the biggest determining factor and can make up for a multitude of sins however, it is just one piece of the puzzle in a real estate transaction.  Start by having an experienced local professional (preferably me) do a comparative market analysis on your property.  This will include property similar to yours in your area that are active (your competition), pending (have an accepted offer), and sold.  Also included will be price, square footage, price per square foot, subdivision, property type, lot size, # of bedrooms, baths etc., and days on market, just to name a few.  Note:  There are websites that claim they can set price for you.  Let's think about that.  Yes, they can hazard a guess, but does a website know: 1. Your tax appraisal district is way off.  2.Your square footage is incorrect.  3.The seller down the street contributed thousands to their buyer's costs.  4. That a seller was desperate.  5.You just remodeled your kitchen.  6. There is a highway being built nearby.  7.You have the most desirable property on the block...  OK, you get the point!   Maybe now is the right time to sell, or maybe it is not.  Let us help you make a sound financial decision by providing you with your seller's net sheet (or your "walk-away" amount).  Factors we'll look at are the following:  Is your property vacant? Are you making two or more mortgage payments? What is your payment amount and balance owed?  What is your current interest rate and type of loan product?  There are many factors, including your motivation for selling.

Now, lets touch on underpricing and overpricing.  It's obvious that you don't want to underprice and leave your hard-earned dollars on the table.  Conversely, you don't want to overprice thereby shooting yourself in the foot and not selling at all.  Pricing your property correctly is key from day one.  Price adjustments are normal in the real estate market, but if you start out with what you really know is an inflated price, the buyers will probably know, and if they don't, then their agent will. Many sellers will start off with the higher price and then lower it if they don't get any offers.  The risk here is that by the time the price is adjusted where it should be, agents will assume something is wrong with the property since its been on the market so long.  They don't risk showing it and now the sellers are really tired of keeping the house ready for showings that never occur.  But what if...  what if that right buyer falls in love with the house and is willing to pay the high price?  Good deal, right?  Wrong!  The buyer's lender will order an appraisal and it will come in too low and the lender will not loan more than the house is worth!  The goal is to sell for the maximum that the market will bear.

2. Location

We can't change it, but we can deal with it appropriately.  If your location is a positive, great!  We won't keep it a secret.  If it is a negative, then we'll find the positives and emphasize those.  Remember, even if your location is a negative to you, it may be a positive for a potential buyer!

3. Condition

The idea here is to ready your house so that it will appeal to as many buyers as possible, without spending a great deal of money.  Also, you'll want to consider any issues that may be found during an inspection and decide how & when to resolve these issues.  We will help you by identifying the most frequent problems and the most appropriate solution for each.  First, let's look at curb appeal.  This is the first thing a buyer sees.  We'll want to get their interest and make them curious to see the inside.  Quick tips:  For less than $100 you can "punch up" the front of your house by cleaning or replacing light fixtures, adding a new brass kick plate to the door, replacing the welcome mat, and the mailbox, and spreading some red cedar mulch around any flower beds. Also clean the windows inside and out, rinse off any dust and cobwebs, and de-grease the driveway.  Want to take it a step further? There's always landscaping and paint which always is a big help, but we'll want to assess your situation before you spend the money. 

 Next, the buyers step inside.  One of the first things they'll notice is the smell.  Smoke and pet odors are the big issues.  Try the following in order:  Air out the house, use air neutralizer and/or freshener, carpet fresh powder, scented candles, and potpourri.  If that doesn't work, have the carpet and drapes cleaned (they probably needed cleaning anyway), and possibly fresh paint.  If you need paint and perhaps new carpet, now you're talking money.  Let's explore a buyer allowance or better yet, have the work done, and most often our connections network can defer payment until after closing, saving you the up front expense.  Carpet and paint usually is the best and most obvious improvement you can make to your house as long as you stay with neutral colors that will appeal to the greatest number of buyers.  Note:  Wallpaper is almost always a negative.  Also, declutter as much as possible to maximize space in all areas, including closets.  Remove family photos wherever possible to help buyers envision the house being theirs, instead of invading someone else's space.  Houses that are updated/upgraded usually sell faster and for more than those that are not.  This may be a consideration for you.  Again, contact us before investing in updates to see if you will be able to recapture your investment when you sell.  Generally, investing in kitchens and bathrooms make the biggest positive impact in buyers' minds.

4. Marketing

This is where we make the biggest difference!  Century 21 Judge Fite Co. is the # 2 Century 21 in the world, and on our way to # 1 !!  This is certainly not by chance.  As a Century 21 Judge Fite Realtor®, I am equipped with powerful advertising tools that give my clients an unfair advantage over the competition, creating maximum exposure to buyers and agents.  Selling a house in today's market means more than just putting up a yard sign!! Today, internet marketing is incredibly important. You would not be reading this if it were not. Various studies show that over 88% of buyers begin their property search online.  That is huge!  That is why I have taken my technology capabilities even further and have become an e-PRO. Approximately 3% of Texas agents have earned the e-PRO designation.   

Buyers don't just want property information, they want to see it before they go visit in person.  Wouldn't you?  This is why I believe that quality photography and information on the MLS, as well as on multiple websites is essential.

Here are just a few of the websites included in my extensive syndication systems. 

MLS,  Realtor.com, Zillow.com, Trulia, Century 21.com, MSN Real Estate, Homes.com, Yahoo Real Estate, Dallas Morning News.com, Star Telegram.com, Century 21 Dfw.com, Century 21 Judge Fite.com, Rapattoni MLS, Texas Real EstateOnline.com, Immobel.com, Point2Homes, Google, Oodle,  Live Deal, Prop Smart, Real Estate.com, as well as AllensHomeSite.com.

Myself, and the Judge Fite organization are constantly changing, updating, and enhancing our internet presence.  A good example of this is our recent upgrade on Realtor.com.  Realtor.com is the largest, and most visited real estate website.  All of my listings are highlighted showcase listings, meaning that they have priority and will show up in the first few pages, rather than page 30.  The same is true with Dallas Morning News.com, as well as other advertising partners that drive traffic to our sites.

Another incredible new technology we employ collects keystroke data of interested buyers on our partnered websites, transforms it into a voice mail message, and calls my cell phone immediately during daytime hours.  If the buyer is online late at night, it will hold the message and call first thing in the morning.  Our advertising is at work 24 / 7.

Of course, in addition to cutting-edge technology, we utilize several other methods of marketing.  Our listings are published in The Real Estate Book magazine who distributes to grocery stores, convenience stores, and kiosks all over the metroplex.  We have call centers in all of our 21 offices responding to buyer inquiries, as well as weekly sales & training meetings, and agent home tours.  Our connections network is standing by to help with any real estate related need that our clients may have. 

I work hard to provide my clients with outstanding results.  When you're ready to get things done or if you just have questions call me directly at (817)875-7295.