It’s common for Realtors to talk about how much their listings sell over list price. While that’s a good place to start, a more accurate metric for the success of a past listing is how it performed against similar homes that sold in the same neighborhood around the same time. During the pandemic, houses regularly received offers 10-20% over the asking price. So while 10% over list price might sound impressive, it’s not actually so if similar homes sold for 20% over list at the same time. I can provide case studies of some of my past listings that sold for tens of thousands of dollars over comparable competing listings, which shows the impact of top-notch marketing.

I sure do! Professional photography should be the bare minimum for any listing. For staging, it’s common for the homeowner to cover the cost. However, I feel so strongly about the power of professional staging that I cover the cost myself.

What many Realtors get wrong is that not all staging is created equal. I work with stagers to carefully curate everything based on the most strategic target buyer demographics for your home. While any staging is better than no staging, you won’t find my listings looking like lackluster Ross catalogues.

Listing at an appropriate price is absolutely critical. Overpricing can be detrimental, while underpricing can leave money on the table. I first look at recently sold homes in your area and make adjustments according to how they differ from your home. From there, we can determine a price range. Whether we list on the high or low end of that range will depend on market conditions, the unique needs of each seller, and a little bit of psychology. This is something we discuss in our initial listing appointment.

When it comes to pricing, I can promise two things:

1) If you follow my guidance, your home will sell for the highest possible price that the market can justify for your home.

2) I will never spout out a high number simply to “win” a listing. Honest communication and appropriate expectations will benefit a seller way more than the icky bait n’ switch tactics that some agents resort to in an effort to impress a seller at an interview.

I have a dialed-in process to maximize profit for my sellers during bidding wars. Once we receive an offer, we will set an offer deadline. I then call and email every agent who showed your home or attended an open house to provide updates. As we receive offers, my sellers have a spreadsheet that makes it easy to compare the details of each one.

Once we receive everyone’s offer, the real work begins! You’d be surprised how many times I hear about buyers who lost bidding wars by an amount that they would have been willing to pay. To make sure that this doesn’t happen with my listings, I go back and forth with every agent and communicate how they can strengthen their offer. Sometimes that means increasing the price, but it can also mean improving terms around inspections, appraisals, financing, and/ or closing timelines. My communication allows every buyer to put their best foot forward rather than missing out on their dream home by an amount they were able to afford. It’s a delicate dance, but all the work is worth it when my seller gets to walk away with additional cash as a result of the extra effort!

I strive to provide my client’s with a personalized, boutique experience so that they can feel truly supported at every step. While my sales put me amongst some of the best in our area (top 4% as of 2022), I strive for quality over quantity. I’ve worked on larger well-oiled teams in the past, but I’ve found that my clients get the best service when I oversee every touch point in the process. Working with me means that nothing gets lost in translation between team members and that you always know who to reach out to when questions arise. I get to know your home like the back of my hand and all communication and questions about your home go through me, not a co-listing agent. Buyers coming through the open house will get information from me rather than an assistant.

The only tasks I outsource are non-client-facing ones. I have an administrative assistant who takes care of a plethora of tasks on the back end, which allows me to spend more time addressing client needs.

No—and that’s a good thing for my sellers! While my unique background and skill set gives me a particular advantage when it comes to preparing and marketing homes, I’m also an excellent buyer’s agent. I firmly believe that working with buyers makes me a better listing agent and vice versa. In lieu of having a showing assistant on my team, I’m out in the trenches looking at homes in person with buyers. I get to hear how my clients react to certain features, keep up with trends, and know what different features buyers love, hate, or expect to see at different price points. This also allows me to seamlessly serve clients who need to sell and buy a new home at the same time.

It’s my job to make sure that you’re never left in the dark at any point in the selling process. On top of frequent phone/email check-ins, I provide you with an interactive multi-tab Google Doc that spells out every detail. I even share my own task tracker on this document so that you can see the status of all the behind- the-scenes tasks that I’m doing for your listing (175+ line items!). When your home goes live on the market, this document is also where we’ll keep track of information pertaining to showings, buyer feedback, and offers. You will also receive a series of beautifully-designed emails that provide helpful resources, links, and reminders relevant to whatever you should be focusing on at different points before and after an offer is accepted.

Double ending is a slang term for what we call dual agency—representing both the buyer and the seller in the same transaction. It’s illegal to do in many states (and for good reason), but allowed in Oregon. I consider this a conflict of interest, as there is no possible way to represent the best interests of both a buyer and a seller at the same time. In fact, the majority of real estate lawsuits are a result of dual agency situations gone awry. If a buyer comes to me directly, they can choose to be unrepresented or referred to another agent so that I can continue to best serve my seller client.

Yes, you absolutely can! The question is how much will you be able to net in profit. I can’t blame anyone for wanting to save a buck, but think of it this way: you can SAVE money, or you can MAKE money. Which one do value more? If a higher net profit is your goal—investing in the services of a licensed Realtor is the way to go.

Working with a Realtor is not only about maximizing your profit, but also about protecting you legally and taking the stressful parts of the process off your plate. For anyone who chooses the FSBO route, you’ll need to hire a lawyer to execute contracts, have confidence in your ability to negotiate repairs, and coordinate with Title and Escrow. If the buyer is financing the purchase, you’ll need to know how to advocate for the purchase price to the appraiser and be prepared to navigate a scenario where the appraisal comes in low. You’ll need to understand the legal nuances of seller disclosures and be aware of legal risks should there be any oversights.

iBuyer programs are a valid option for a seller that needs to prioritize offloading a property quickly and easily over net profit. When a homeowner sells to an iBuyer, they pay a hidden premium for the convenience of skipping the listing process. If selling for top dollar is the goal, an ibuyer won’t be able to provide that.

Online valuations are automated estimates based on tax records and sales data from the MLS and should be taken with a grain of salt. They don't take into account such things as hyper-locational nuances and the condition, and marketing quality of the homes sold within the radius they use. In other words, the algorithm doesn’t factor in awkward layouts, the positive impact of some well-curated design moves, the impact of a good Realtor (or lack thereof), or the dilapidated house next door that turns away buyers. Those tools can be a helpful starting point, but when it comes to determining an appropriate price for your home, the best course of action is to contact a local Realtor (like me!) to do an extensive CMA report for you. You can request one of those here.