How we make you MORE money in less time

The listing process with Shenandoah Realty

The other week at around closing time, I got a call from a seller who said to me, “I looked at the closing disclosure and saw what you’re making on this.  And I have to say, it’s a deal for all the work you did.”  Commission was 33k on that one.  I got a text from my seller who had just gone under contract where she said “you're a true pro, everything has been so seamless!”  This was after getting quite a chunk of cash in a wire transfer for due diligence and - I won't share details, but - it went for quite a lot over list price. My aim, for every listing, is for the whole process to look and feel effortless for my sellers.  The truth is that I and my team are working our tails off behind the scenes, but I don't want my sellers to feel that burden, and it’s taken YEARS of experience to cultivate this.  Here’s a glimpse of what it looks like - 

Our listings go live as a coming soon on a Tuesday and then listed on Thursday. At that point, we have showings (plus an open house over the weekend) and I expect to be reviewing multiple offers by the following Monday.

It may “sound” easy, but there's a LOT of work that goes into getting a house prepared and up on the market as a coming soon - months and months and months of work and logistics.  My sellers have to move out.  And fill out some paperwork.  But they don’t have to do anything else after that except keep in touch with me. 

By the time our listings go live, we want it to be like when you see an athlete who is competing at the top level (Olympic trials anyone?!) and they go out and do something that looks effortless, but you know there’s years and years of work going into that one moment. That's what I try to have my listings look like by the time they hit a coming soon: like it’s effortless and masterful. But the fact is, there's been a lot of work behind that to make it look that way!

And, in my case, I’ve spent years selling, understanding the market, and knowing how buyer psychology works, which already puts my sellers in a position of power. Then, on top of that, we put in all of this extra effort upfront in order to make the listing look amazing (renovations - I project manage ALLLL this, down to picking paint colors and tile), to have it be aesthetically appealing (staging - I also help with this), and for the photographs to make it shine (I hire the BEST in town and I’ll admit - I often micromanage photographs, but thankfully I have somebody who will put up with me that way!).

The reason I put in all of that work is because I want buyers to be able to make offers quickly, and that comes from seeing the house at its best and being well-informed. 

With this latest listing, I had several agents call or text me to say “this was the best presented listing I've seen in a long time.” And to thank me for all the information. I always put way more than most other agents put up in documents about the home because I feel like when buyers are informed and they know what they're buying, they can move quickly.

And for me, getting leverage for my sellers is the whole game. How do you get buyers to proceed with a high degree of confidence? It's about understanding what they're getting and increasing the desirability of the home. Those are the two things I always aim for and all that work often results in having a listing go live on a Thursday and receive twelve offers by Monday (obviously a big win for any seller!).

I have done that time and time again and it turns out that when you can do it that way and you maximize leverage, you not only get better money at the end, you also get better terms. It's not just about the purchase price - of course, it's all going to be money in the end, but if you can get a high amount of due diligence, then that is buyer commitment. That shows they're going to move forward. It also typically ends in conceding less during negotiations because the higher the due diligence, the less the seller has to feel like they need to do anything. And then other terms can be sweeter as well.

I have found that this process is the fastest way to do it too. Because that's the other thing - nobody wants to be on the market for an eternity. One week can feel like a year when you're on the market. That’s why I’m so proud that my listings go under contract after just a few days (typically four or four and a half).

And that’s why I love receiving these kinds of texts from people I work with - whether it's other realtors or the seller - because I'm glad all the hard work, strategy, and everything is paying off and you can see it in the results.

I believe I’ve perfected the strategies for listing effectively, and it's ending up in more money and a better experience for my sellers - and that's really all I want.

Listing homes is my specialty - and it’s something I love to do! If you’re considering selling your home this year, get in touch by scheduling a free 15 minute call with me, so we can figure out how to get you more money and great terms.