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It’s understandable that home owners contemplate selling their home themselves. Doing so would seem to save money and may look pretty simple; clean the house, put up a sign and do some open houses. For those home owners thinking about this approach, I’d like to provide some details you may not have thought about.

Know the market

First, pricing a house needs objectivity and excellent knowledge of the current market. What is the current inventory in your estimated price range? What are the prices of comparable properties? How long do properties stay on the market before they sell? Why are some houses on the market for a long time and others sell right away? Are there lots of buyers in the market right now? It takes all this information to price a house to sell in a reasonable amount of time and get market value for your it.

Stage your home properly.

Proper staging prepares a house to show from the buyer’s viewpoint, not the seller’s. Buyers are very influenced by their first impressions of a house, inside and out. It only takes seconds for buyers to get a first impression, a few seconds to look at the yard and the entry way, and another few seconds to get the feel of the house as they walk in and glance around. Staging is critical to capturing a buyer’s interest and making sure there are no major distractions. You may not notice where repairs are needed, but they will.

Hold open houses.

Once a house is ready to show, you need to have open houses that get traffic from interested buyers. You need to balance being available to describe your property’s attributes with leaving buyers to look on their own. Buyers can find it very awkward when home owners are in the house as they walk through.

Make your house is available to show for the convenience of buyers and their realtors, not for your convenience. That means making the house available during the day and during the week. Just nights and weekends won’t sell the house. When showing the house, be organized and relaxed. Plan ahead how you are going to handle showings and practice.

Evaluate offers.

As the home owner, you will be working directly with agents to negotiate offers. Receiving an offer is just the start of negotiations that determine the sale price and other important terms. You need to know how to evaluate buyers as well as their offers.

There is much more to selling a house than you might think. An agent knows all these details and represents the seller’s best interests — from setting the right price to negotiating the best sale. Before you decide to sell your house yourself, think realistically about all it takes to be successful. You might want a professional agent in your corner.

Are  you looking to Sell or Buy a home in Calgary and need someone who won’t rest until you’ve found your dream home or until your home is sold? I’ll work hard to earn your trust and to deliver exactly what you need. Contact me at 403-589-0004 or at TheHowardTeam.net.

About Bryon Howard

Bryon Howard and his team of Calgary real estate professionals sell an average of one home a week. He is a member of the MLS Million Point Club, which ranks him roughly in the top 1% of productive realtors in Calgary. His aim is not just to please clients but to help them buy/sell a home in Calgary at the best price, in the shortest time, and with the least hassle. He is a member of the RE/MAX House of Real Estate that leads in the Canadian market. Learn more about Bryon at TheHowardTeam.net.

Real estate investors who are considering condos as investments are entering a solid condo market. Condo sales have been doing very well in Calgary because of the migration into the area for jobs. No investment is a sure thing, though, and even in a good market, investors still need to do their homework. No matter what the market is like, I can offer a few tips based on my experience in this market.

Always do the math.

Every investor has a different set of financial circumstances and expectations. What you pay for a property is obviously a big factor. However, investment calculations need to consider mortgage carrying costs versus cash in the deal. Look at any tax implications in the short and long term. Plan how to handle utility costs and property taxes in establishing the right rental fee.

Have a good idea of how long you are going to hold the property and why.

This is important to factor into expectations for return on your investment. In the short term there is the cash from rental income but it takes time to build value from market appreciation.

As with any real estate, it’s all about location.

Know the neighborhood, current rental rates and who makes up the rental population. Some neighborhoods are in transition either up or down. Get details on the local rental market from your Realtor®.

Check too the economic trends outside the local neighborhood.

Those trends have a significant impact on neighborhood real estate, e.g., mortgage rates, employment figures and market stability.

Consider the pros and cons of new construction versus established properties.

With new construction, you can get a better price and staggered payments in the pre-selling phase of a condo development. Initially, you will have significantly low maintenance and upkeep costs. However, there is uncertainty in the final value of the property once it is finished. It’s good to know the track record of the builder regarding on-time completion and building quality. You will need to find tenants who are looking for new construction. Existing condos have a track record of income, and the sale price reflects this value. The characteristics of current tenants give you a good foundation for finding the right tenants for your purchase.

I have a lot of experience working with condo investors. Some have made good investments and others, not so good. I’m glad to put my experience to work in making the right information available to my clients to help them make the best business decisions.

Are  you looking to Sell or Buy a home in Calgary and need someone who won’t rest until you’ve found your dream home or until your home is sold? I’ll work hard to earn your trust and to deliver exactly what you need. Contact me at 403-589-0004 or at TheHowardTeam.net.

About Bryon Howard

Bryon Howard and his team of Calgary real estate professionals sell an average of one home a week. He is a member of the MLS Million Point Club, which ranks him roughly in the top 1% of productive realtors in Calgary. His aim is not just to please clients but to help them buy/sell a home in Calgary at the best price, in the shortest time, and with the least hassle. He is a member of the RE/MAX House of Real Estate that leads in the Canadian market. Learn more about Bryon at TheHowardTeam.net.

The new year brings good tidings for Albertans, like projections of sustained economic and housing market growth. But for those who are building a new home in this booming city, there’s more great news. In case you didn’t know it yet, hopefully by next month, home builders will already be mandated by law (specifically by the Government of Alberta’s New Home Buyer Protection Act) to provide warranty protection for new homes, so all new home buyers and investors in Alberta will soon enjoy protection for their investment! That should give you peace of mind like no other.

Here’s a quick look at the coverage:

• one year for labor and materials;

• two years for defects in labor and materials related to delivery and distribution systems;

• five years building envelope protection (protection for the building’s exterior shell, including its roof and walls), with a requirement for the warranty provider to offer the consumer the option to purchase additional years of coverage; and

• 10 years for major structural components.

Covered are single-family homes, condominiums, modular homes, mobile homes, and dwellings on recreational properties, but not dorms, work camps, hotels, and rental apartments.

Alberta Minister of Municipal Affairs Doug Griffiths described the warranty program as “one of the strongest warranty programs in the country.”

When the Act takes effect, the Alberta government will require builders to show proof of home warranty coverage to obtain building permits for all new homes constructed in the province.

Currently, new homes in Alberta are not legally protected by warranties, but people are encouraged to choose builders who offer such protection.

I just wanted to quickly share with you the good news, but if you need more information on this exciting development, you can visit the Government of Alberta website. Now you have all the more reason to choose Alberta for your new home!

Are you looking to Sell or Buy a home in Calgary and need someone who won’t rest until you’ve found your dream home or until your home is sold? I’ll work hard to earn your trust and to deliver exactly what you need. Contact me at 403-589-0004 or at TheHowardTeam.net.

About Bryon Howard

Bryon Howard and his team of Calgary real estate professionals sell an average of two homes a week. He is a member of the MLS Million Point Club, which ranks him roughly in the top 2% of productive realtors in Calgary. His aim is not just to please clients but to help them buy/sell a home in Calgary at the best price, in the shortest time, and with the least hassle. He is a member of the RE/MAX House of Real Estate that leads in the Canadian market. Learn more about Bryon at TheHowardTeam.net.

Planning for success (Photo courtesy of Tatiana12)

All real estate agents promise to sell a home fast and at top dollar, but how will you know upfront who can really deliver? Well, a promise is just a promise unless one has a plan of action for achieving it; and then you’ll know who really knows what he’s talking about. What’s more, an agent with a clear plan can be held accountable for what he says he’ll do, every step of the way! Those are exactly what my team had in mind when we developed an 18-point plan of action for selling homes, and it has helped us sell an average of two houses a week for the past two years! Eighteen steps make for a pretty long plan, but they should tell you loud and clear that we do everything possible to sell a home fast and at the highest possible price.

You’ll find our full 18-point plan here, but we’ve grouped the 18 steps into just three big ones because they’re really as simple as these!

We’ll get your home as ready as it can be to realize its full market potential.

Chances are someone out there needs a home exactly like yours and will be happy to pay you what it’s worth to him, but you’ll need to be able to find him and let him know as clear as day that your home has the features he wants. So first, we’ll highlight what we know most people want in a home like yours. And if your home can use some improvements to make it more saleable or to jack up its price, we’ll suggest what changes you can make to it. Then we’ll help you price your home strategically to open the market for it or to invite higher bids.

We won’t rest until we sell your home.

When we’re sure we’ve done everything we could to make your home as attractive as it can be to buyers, we’ll lose no time and leave no stone unturned to find your best buyer! We’ll submit your home to our local Multiple Listing Service to make sure everyone knows you’re selling it; promote it at our company sales meeting to get our entire team on board; fax a feature sheet to the top 40 agents in the marketplace for their potential buyers; contact our buyer leads, centers of influence and past clients for their referrals, and prospective buyers directly, over the next seven days, and prospect for at least two hours a day and talk to at least 20 people a day to look for potential buyers (we surely won’t be sitting on the job!); catch even casual passersby through a professional sign and lock-box in front of your home; and when possible, have cooperating agents in the area tour your home.

We’ll relieve you of all the stress – Relax!

We know your life doesn’t stop when you’re selling your home, so we’ll make sure you won’t get stressed. We’ll follow up with the salespeople who have shown your home for their feedback and response; constantly update you on any changes in the marketplace and inform you of the various methods of financing that a buyer might want to use; whenever possible, pre-qualify prospective buyers ourselves; assist you with arranging interim financing if needed; represent you on all offer presentations to negotiate the best possible price and terms; handle all the follow-ups before the contract-signing such as the mortgage, title and other closing procedures; and deliver your cheque at the closing!

The beauty of my 18-point plan of action is that you can go back to the list anytime and make sure it’s been done, so that you won’t have just pretty promises to hold on to but detailed action commitments that will give you the best assurance that you’ll get that cheque with the right price fast!

Are  you looking to Sell or Buy a home in Calgary and need someone who won’t rest until you’ve found your dream home or until your home is sold? I’ll work hard to earn your trust and to deliver exactly what you need. Contact me at 403-589-0004 or at TheHowardTeam.net.

About Bryon Howard

Bryon Howard and his team of Calgary real estate professionals sell an average of two homes a week. He is a member of the MLS Million Point Club, which ranks him roughly in the top 2% of productive realtors in Calgary. His aim is not just to please clients but to help them buy/sell a home in Calgary at the best price, in the shortest time, and with the least hassle. He is a member of the RE/MAX House of Real Estate that leads in the Canadian market. Learn more about Bryon at TheHowardTeam.net.

Source: www.sodahead.com

This week, I’ll be taking a quick break from the Calgary real estate scene to attend Mike Ferry’s One-on-One Retreat, “The Art of Selling,” in San Diego, California. It’s not all sun, surf, and sand for me however. I’m constantly honing my skills and constantly keeping myself abreast with all the latest industry trends and developments. Now, I caught myself in a reflective mood and while packing my things for the trip, I thought of how, as a realtor, you could spend ALL your time attending seminars with each real estate guru offering the “Latest Magic Pill” on how to sell a lot of real estate–while sitting in your pajama’s at home doing nothing.

It’s true that while the Internet and the tools and technology have made things easier, the basics of selling, nevertheless, are what have enabled my success.

When I started my career, there were less seminars or conferences that I could attend. A lot of what I know today I learned from mentors and first-hand experience, which in itself is a good way to understand the ins and outs of any industry. Which brings me to the idea behind today’s entry: I thought I’d share with you a few ideas on how to be a great salesperson: based on my own experiences and the ideas of people I met over the course of my real estate career.

Being polite and friendly will win you friends—and clients

Early on in life, we learn that, to make friends, we needed to be friendly. I learned from selling in the Calgary real estate market that being polite and friendly makes you more approachable. Not everyone you meet is a potential seller or buyer, but people will never forget that positive and energetic realtor. Who knows, they may even refer possible clients to you – especially when you ask them to!  No matter how many people you’ve talked to in a day, make each person feel as though he’s your first customer. Let them know you are a professional realtor and ask them if they know anyone who could use your help. Also, never forget that a sincere smile and a firm handshake are sure to win over potential clients.

Do your homework

If you want to be a great salesperson, it’s also important that you know your product very well. People looking for property want someone who has extensive knowledge of the real estate market, one who can answer their questions and give great advice.  Aside from knowing everything about a house or a project that I’m selling, I keep abreast of real estate trends and developments. This way, I can give clients a better assessment of how a potential investment will turn out.

Be honest and straightforward

Aside from being well-informed and having a positive demeanor, another winning trait of a great salesman is honesty & integrity. An honest salesperson won’t hide the bad if any are present; instead, he or she will present both the pros and cons of a particular decision or purchase so the potential buyer can weigh their decision carefully.  A rewarding career in real estate hinges on your reputation. Don’t forget that word does travel fast. If you sell someone a lemon and pretend it is not, people will find out about it and there will be repercussions.

Becoming a great salesperson is not only about being able to close the deal. It’s also about building relationships. By doing my homework, working with integrity and honesty, and treating everyone with respect, coupled with hard work, I’ve managed to build a network of satisfied customers who won’t hesitate to put in a good word for me or refer me to a possible seller or buyer.  That is my secret to being a great salesman/realtor in the Calgary real estate market.

Bryon Howard is a top-producing real estate agent with Re-Max House of Real Estate in Calgary, Alberta. He is in love with his high school sweetheart, an enthusiastic dad, and crazy about endurance sports. To learn more about Bryon and his real estate tips, head on over to his website

Know someone who is looking to make a decision in real estate? If you know any friends, family, or co-workers who are looking to buy, sell, or invest in real estate within the next six months, would you forward this email to them or reply with their contact information? I’ll send them important information about the Calgary, AB surrounding area real estate market and politely ask for their business. I greatly appreciate your valued referrals; it’s the only way I build my business.

Free Market Report on value of your home: www.CalgaryMarketSnapShot.com