Selling Your Home
If it's Time to Sell Your Home
Your Home is Not Merely the Place you Live
For many of us it is also a family heirloom and even a friend. But, putting emotion aside for the moment, it is also where we store much of our life savings and wealth. (I’m not talking about cash under the mattress.) For most of us, our home itself, is one of our most prized possessions. Statistically, that building and the land it sits upon is one of the greatest financial assets that we can own. So much that it should be an integral part of our wealth portfolio.
Yet life is such that there are times we must sell this old friend, prized possession and valued asset. Whether it’s by desire or by necessity the sale of our home becomes essential to the accommodation of changes in our lives and the improvement of our situation.
At times like these, we should carefully consider the marketing and sale of this asset. Do we do this ourselves, or do we hire someone to do it for us?
Planning and Strategy are Key to Success
When it’s time to part with our home, it’s important that we set aside the emotion of the parting and approach the sale in a methodical and strategic manner. The sale of our home should be carefully planned and professionally represented by a third-party marketer that is not emotionally tied to our home yet is professionally and financially motivated to by its sale. And not just motivated by the sale, but by the maximum return possible for us as the owners and sellers of this old friend and valued asset.
A third-party professional that will plan and strategize right along with us, to promote the appeal, the benefits, the charm and the reasons why everyone looking to buy should be standing in line to own our home. When such a marketing plan is strategized, carefully set in place, and boldly, methodically and professionally promoted by experts the results are always the highest return possible for us the sellers.
Avoid the Garage Sale Mentality
The Lowest Cost versus the Highest Return
Yet, from time-to-time homeowners approach us who are neither methodical nor strategic. They begin the home sale process by shopping for and making choices based not on the highest possible return for them, but on the least possible cost to them. Many times, the first question these sellers ask us is “What’s the least you will take for selling my home?”.
Never mistake saving money (in the sales process) as if it were equivalent with making money. Saving money and making money are not now, nor have they ever been the same thing.
A Garage sale is not the same as selling a Garage
From the very start these homeowners approach the sale of their home as if it were a swap meet or garage sale. This mindset in which they equate cutting costs and saving money as equivalent to carefully planning and making money is historically proven flawed and expensive to the seller. Thus, the old adage of stepping over dollars to pick up dimes.
When we choose to treat our lives and our assets like they are ON SALE instead of FOR SALE then we generally get exactly what WE BARGAIN FOR.
Here's How We Feel
Our Resume and Job Interview
What Should I Look for in an Agent?
What attributes constitute an effective and professional real estate representative? Certainly, there are numerous attributes that constitute the profile of a professional; too many to list here. However, since we created our website to be our resume, and of course you reading our website is like interviewing us for a job, it makes sense that we should answer this question by listing our top attributes and values.
First on our list of attributes is integrity. A character trait that goes to the core of who people are. Integrity incorporates honesty, morality and principles. People who lack integrity may fake it for a while, but it doesn’t stay hidden long. People who have integrity and are guided by principles such as honesty and morality have the key to unlock virtually any and all doors. We would just refer you to our client’s testimonials on the about us page.
Our second attribute is a little tricky. Tricky, because we have been in business, (the sales business) for almost 40 years. And in those 40 years we have met many “sales professionals” that do not have this second critical attribute. This second attribute is attitude. Sales professionals cannot survive (let alone thrive) without a positive attitude and a cheerful disposition. More sales are lost by poor first impressions and personal disposition problems than any other reason.
Third on our list is work ethic. The principle that hard work is in and of itself a key to success. We get it, working smarter instead of harder is a thing, but, from years of experience and great success in sales, we know that very little takes the place of hard work in producing real results. Hard work is an attribute that can be taught but must be believed and used to produce results. We believe in work hard and we roll up our sleeves.
The fourth attribute of a great sales professional is knowledge. It may not go without saying, but I hope you will concede this point after my explanation. A foundation for knowledge comes from a good education and then real-world experience builds upon that education through the years until a professional becomes proficient in the knowledge that they continuously accumulate. First year interns are educated. Yet whose advice do you seek on a serious medical issue, a first-year intern or a 30-year veteran doctor? Knowledge is power and success, and knowledge comes from education and experience.
The old adage that the three most important factors of real estate are location, location, location, reminds us that certain concepts are just that important; that they cannot be overemphasized. One such concept and our fifth attribute is sales skill. Again, medical schools do not produce skilled surgeons, they educate doctors that become skilled surgeons through years of experience. Sales skill is the toughest attribute to learn, while being the easiest for people to fear. This essential skill takes experience, practice and time to master. We have 40 years of experience mastering this skill.
Our sixth and last attribute is so simple that anyone could do it, but almost no one does. Asking for the sale may seem a given, yet day after day, salespeople forget to do it. A person with integrity, a cheerful disposition, a strong work ethic and all the knowledge and skill in the world, who presents a flawless sales presentation, yet fails to ask the “golden question” still won’t sell much. Salespeople must ask for the sale. I assure you that asking for the sale is what we do best.
So, to answer the question, “What should I look for in a professional representative?”, we here at Kenai Realty have a very clear and concise answer. If your next question is “Who should I hire?”, well, you know what we believe.
Professional Representation
Professional Promise
We are sales professionals who understand people, property and real estate from start to finish.
We have integrity, a great attitude, a strong work ethic, knowledge through education and experience, sales skill from 40 years of sales, and of course we are never afraid to ask the golden question. We take each and every one of our clients, their buildings, businesses, homes, and lots very seriously. When you hire us, we are more than temporary employees that serve a short-term purpose. On the contrary, we will serve you and your real estate needs for as long as you buy, sell and own real estate. We consider you a partner and your property an asset to be treated with care.
Did we mention that we are not afraid to ask for the sale? Come on, hire us and see for yourself.