Nerang Real Estate

Swimming Pools are always big hits for Summer Sales

Spring and summer are the most popular months to sell a home and First National Real Estate Nerang has some advice on how to make your home the hot item this summer.

Homebuyers thoughts will naturally turn to patios, outdoor entertaining areas, landscaping, air conditioning and pools during the warmer months.

First impressions are critical and nothing is more off-putting to a buyer than entering a stuffy, hot house on a 30-degree day, which is why it’s important to make your home summer-friendly.

With sunny days and gorgeous blue skies, everything is on display. Flowers will be in full bloom, trees will be fully leaved and yards should be kept as tidy as possible.

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Feedback from the agent is important when selling property

One of the most overlooked factors in a successful property sale is the quality of the relationship between the real estate agent and the seller.  First time sellers often think is exaggerated and overstated but experienced property sellers realise that the relationship they have with their agent is vital to a positive selling experience and achieving a successful sale.

An agents role can be broken down into two main areas: marketing and negotiating.

Within those two areas fall a whole host of skills and nearly all of them rely on the agents ability to communicate with buyers and sellers. If trust and rapport are non-existent or fizzle out during the course of the marketing, opportunities are missed, sometimes with costly outcomes. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s oh so common for sellers to find that once they appoint a real estate agent to sell their property and a For Sale sign is erected the flood gates are opened with calls from other agents chasing the listing.

Is this ethical or even legal for that matter?

A typical phone call will concentrate on extracting information about your current agency, usually suggesting that they have a buyer or buyers that the home will suit.

Virtually every time these sort of claims of having a buyer for your home are made they are fabricated. In fact you should always be asking yoruself the question that if they are contacting you specifically on behalf of just one buyer, who are they working for, you or that buyer? Read the rest of this entry »

There seems to be an unwritten rule in selling real estate: Your first offer is usually your best offer.

No seller wants to take forever to sell their home. The uncertainty is too stressful, and timelines are sabotaged. But many think that selling early in the marketing period is inevitably selling cheap.

Is this true?

Most agents say that the hardest sale to make is the one that comes along in the first days of marketing, especially if the sellers are inexperienced.

Lets be clear about this, we are not recommending blanket acceptance by sellers of their first offers but experience has shown that during its first few days or week on the market, a property is likely to draw the highest offer simply because real estate agents are primed to show the home during this period to their most serious or “hottest” current buyers.

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There are only two types of property on the market right now  those that are correctly prices and those that will never sell. This is one of the most profound truisms in real estate.

Over ambitious sellers often parrot the phrase “There’s a buyer for every home”, which is true enough if it meets the market. The “market” that everyone talks about  is literally the prospective buyers looking to buy property at that very moment.  Market Value is the price that a buyer is prepared to pay – no more, no less.

Sellers have every right to expect and get the highest possible price. So how does a seller truly identify their property’s real maximum market value and the right price to offer it to the market?

Ignore and beware of any agent that quotes you a set price, because nobody living on the planet can pick the exact price a property will sell for (unless it’ a lucky guess)

Ensure you receive an up to date Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) or Property Appraisal from your agent, detailing compatible properties in your neighborhood that have sold within the last six months, for what price and how long it took them to sell along with comparable properties on the market which will be competing with you for the same buyers. At best, agents should only offer a qualified price range estimate.

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Nerang First National has led thousands of property negotiations over just the past few years so we know a thing or two about the subject.  We would like to share with you a few negotiating tips for sellers when you are selling your next property.

Negotiating on the sale of a property can be one of the most difficult aspects of home buying and selling, particularly as both parties will want the best possible deal, and to walk away with the feeling of winning.

Successful negotiation is not about luck. Rather, it is based on the ability to use certain specialised skills and techniques to bring two opposing parties to agreement. While real estate professionals are trained in negotiation, there are some simple tips that home sellers can follow to help the process. Read the rest of this entry »

Nerang First National has led thousands of property negotiations over just the past few years so we know a thing or two about the subject.  We would like to share with you a few tips when buying your next property.

Selling or buying a property represents one of the biggest financial transactions a person will undertake, and achieving the right price can be one of the hardest and most stressful things to do. Read the rest of this entry »

If you have your real estate agent photographing your home soon for marketing purposes it is vital that these photos are at their best to achieve an optimum marketing effect.  These photographs will be used extensively  in newspapers, magazines, the internet and in the agents windows displays.

Whether you are a property seller or a tenant you will want to minimise the distraction of the property being actively on the market and make it as as short as possible.  Poor and unattractive photos fail to attract the interest of buyers, extending the time taken to sell your home. In contrast, quality photos showing the property at its best will attract more prospective purchasers, increase enquiries and overall speed up the selling process.

Nerang First National Real Estate has invested significantly in the digital photography workflow in the office from Digital SLR cameras, professional lenses, photography training and high end software for post production.  Sometimes we will even suggest you engage a professional photographer to photograph the property.

What you need to do!

Regardless of whether you have engaged a professional photographer or the real estate salesperson photgraphs the property there is some things that you as the occupier need to do to assist with in preparations for the photos.

Remove The Clutter

You may have organised your home to express yourself – your travels, collections, interests, favourite colours and unique tastes. However, when selling a home, the goal is just the opposite. It is to create a clean, simple background that many different buyers would like to move into. Excess items and clutter confuses and distracts buyers during inspections.

They should not be required to “look past” your possessions that you will be taking with you anyway. They are there to see if your house fits them, and their emotional level response is a strong factor in their decision.

Sometimes clutter can look good “in person”, but when captured in a photograph the rooms can look very untidy and small.  We have created a checklist at the bottom of this article covering the majority of problems we find.

Straighten Up

Crooked blinds, window shades and curtains, lamp shades, picture frames, throw rugs, sofa pillows — all can show up glaringly in a photograph.

Remove Furniture

Small rooms sometimes open up and look larger if some furniture items are removed so remove excess furniture so the room isn’t crowded.

Move Furniture

Move furniture into a neutral position to best display the room and to emphasize the homes positive features.  You may not use the dining table so it’s pushed over in the corner but that is going to look very unusual in a photo.  Arrange your furniture as though it was a show home which is exactly the effect we are after.

Brighten the Room

Often having plenty of light makes a small room look much larger, whereas poor light can shrink a large room. Open the blinds and pull back the curtains to let as much light in as possible.  When the photographer arrives switch on all existing lights in a room: lamps, ceiling lights, appliance lamps… everything except fluorescents. Turn on lights in adjacent rooms too, so visible doorways don’t look dark.

Remember, you’re trying to create a difference from others that may well be the same as yours. Excellent presentation may not only get more interested buyers and speed up the sales process but if you are the seller it might also increase the perception of value leading to a premium price as well.

De-Clutter Checklist

We have gathered a list of tips to de clutter your home and have it looking at its best for the photos.

Outside

• Make sure the yard is mowed and edged, and remove toys, junk piles, empty flower pots, etc.
• An evenly cut yard is pleasing to the eye. Overgrown, woody shrubs give an old, tired look. Trim or remove them.
• Coil hoses and place any tools inside the garage.
• Remove cars from the front of the house and driveway and close the garage doors.
• Remove pool equipment and hoses for the day as pools look better without them in photos.
• Pickup toys and any loose equipment
• Take washing off the clothes line.

Living Areas

• Move large pieces of non essential equipment – musical instruments, telescopes, exercise equipment, children’s toys  etc. to the garage or off-site.
• Reduce as much as possible personal collections and photographs.  A few decorative items or photographs on tables are fine, but reduce these to just a few nice pieces.
• Brighten the room and open window blinds and curtains and for better lighting.

Kitchen

• Remove purely functional items – such as baking pans, small appliances, vitamins, phone books, plastic bags, etc.
• Remove notes, magnets, children’s paintings or photos on the refrigerator.
• Clear the counters completely, then add back a few decorator items. if you have them
• Some suggestions: Flowers, fruit, cookbooks, wine, bowls, antiques, small designer appliances, etc.
• Remove rubbish bins, dishes in the sink, washing up cloths and tea towels hanging up.

Bathrooms

• Start by removing everything from the bathroom counters.
• Put items that you use daily – toothbrushes, soaps, razors – in a container, and place the container inside in a cabinet.
• Carefully folded or hanging towels are fine as long as they are neat.
• Never leave medicines, money, magazines, jewellery, or personal possessions of this type on display.
• Clean shower screens and mirrors. Slight marks on glass look really ugly when lit up by a flash.

Bedrooms

• Bedrooms should appear restful and serene. Sparsely furnished is best.
• Use your best bed coverings.
• Clear off the bedside tables, and add back just a few books or nice items.
• In the children’s bedrooms tidy up the toys and avoid an overcrowded look.

Lastly, for a laugh, step by our Funny Real Estate Photos post we did a little while back which includes some photos that agents have posted on the internet for some clients.

Are you thinking of Selling this Spring?

One of the most common questions we get from potential sellers is when is the best time of the year to sell their property and it is also one of the most complex questions to answer. There are actually “pluses and minuses” to consider when selling at any time of the year.

Often making this decision will usually come down to your own personal plans and circumstances.

When you look at it closely, there and “pro’s and con’s” to selling at any time of the year, but there is no absolutely right or wrong time.

Spring is the Prime Selling Season

For many people, Spring is viewed as the “Prime Selling Season” for real estate.

And why not?

Our landscaping and gardens tend to be looking at their best, pools and outdoor entertaining area look at their best, the weather is normally neither too hot nor too cold, and many families like to buy at a time that will allow them to move and settle during a comfortable time of year.

Whether it has something to do with the birds chirping while the flowers are blooming or extra cash from tax time, spring is the number one time to sell a house. The only drawback to selling in Spring can occur if large numbers of people decide to do the very same thing!

Quite often the law of supply and demand can become very evident during spring if a large number of homes come onto the market all at the same time.

If the set number of buyers suddenly have a vast number of more options to choose from, this can lead to a drop in the number of buyers per property, and therefore diminished competition.

Because a property’s highest period of activity during the sales process is in the first few weeks it is absolutely essential to get the asking price right from the very start. With so many new properties coming on to the market and over priced property quickly becomes stale and is replaced by fresh listings. Re-assessing the list price can be too late and the missed opportunities can be expensive.

The simple fact is that the best time to sell your property is when it suits YOU best. For many that perfect time of the year is Spring. The secret to ensure you obtain the best selling opportunity in Spring is to get in early before the typical Spring stampede gains momentum and because of the increased competition ensure your price is right from day one.

If you are ready to sell at a particular time, then that is the time you should sell. With a little helpful advice from Nerang First National Real Estate, you can achieve an outstanding result at any time of year.

Not everybody wants to employ an agent to sell their property. Some people believe they have the available time and skills involved to sell the property themselves. That is certainly their right and in some cases owners have success selling their home privately, others withdraw from the market and many end up selling through an agent.

Many of these private sellers try and market their home privately by advertising in the classified section of their local paper.

Here is a video of one Aussie property owner who crossed the line with his FSBO (For Sale By Owner) advertisement which clearly displayed “No Asians thankyou” at the bottom of the ad. This video is a little old so we do not have A Current Affair or Today Tonight to hunt this man down and create an expose on him but a local tv reporter did take him to task over this racist and illegal comment.

Watch this incredible interview…. You will get a laugh out of it!

At least everybody walked away smiling and shaking hands.

If your considering selling your Gold Coast home privately check out our article “Selling Your Home Privately in the Current Economic Climate” as maybe using an agent might be your best option after all.