Home Selling Guide Congratulations! The decision to sell your home is one that requires thought and careful planning. You ve made the right decision in creating a partnership with me! Finding your buyer is just one of my jobs. My experience with the real estate industry has come through working hard, learning the markets and seeing a lot of great changes. My associates and I promise to offer you five star service, and satisfaction is guaranteed! Dave Kinneberg, Realtor (507) 358-7059 Mobile www.coachkhomes.com
Please do not hesitate to pass along a business card to someone who has mentioned moving. In fact, take them to a phone and dial my number for them! That number is (507) 358-7059. Referrals are a big part of my business, and what better way to compliment a job well done! Make sure the person you are referring mentions who sent them. What clients say about Dave Kinneberg: Honesty Dave works hard and puts his clients best interests first! - Randy & Sherry Wittrock Dave takes pride in showing his clients that he really cares about their investment by working so hard for them. - Julie Overton-Lingen Dave is always willing to go the extra mile to make us happy. - Chris Lingen We felt every question was answered, all details were covered, and that Dave was willing to explore all options. Dave was respectful, hard working, and very professional. - Steve & Sara VanDriest Dave was always available to see me, answer questions, and look at property. Dave was efficient, honest and reliable in all aspects! - Ann Pittenger Dave is an extremely careful, discerning agent who obviously takes pride in going the extra mile. - Nicole Salucka Dave truly is At Your Service - his knowledge of the market, relationships with other real estate professionals, and attention to detail truly go above and beyond what you ve come to expect from real estate agents. - Jeremy Salucka Dave walked us through every step of a successful real estate transaction without any problems. His service is above and beyond what we ever expected from an agent. - Dallas & Sarah Waldemar
Dave can sell your home for TOP DOLLAR - FAST! Here s Why: In today s real estate market, with literally HUNDREDS of homes available for sale, it takes more than just a yard sign or newspaper ad to get a property sold. My marketing program for the Southeast Minnesota area is an aggressive approach that meets the needs of today s buyers and sellers. The following are the strategies that I will use to ensure the successful sale of your home.
A Memo From Dave If you are like most sellers, the period of time when your home is on the market is inconvenient and stressful. I understand this stress very well! Thank you for your cooperation with our system, and allowing showings as they are requested. I have your best interests at heart. No one is more committed to giving you the absolute best service, and I am thankful for being involved in this part of your life. With warm regards, Dave Kinneberg
Getting Your Price When a listing is new to the market it will have the most activity. It is important that the home is ready. A clean, good smelling home provides the best opportunity for your agent to showcase your home and its features. Minor repairs should be made - the ones you ve learned to live with. Our goal is to make your home look like a five star hotel! Price is everything. It can outweigh all other factors when selling your home, including location, condition, cleanliness and noise. You may think interested buyers always make an offer. However, if your home is overpriced, potential buyers in a lower price range will never see it. Those who can afford a home at your asking price will soon recognize they can get better value elsewhere. It can become stale fast. In past years we have seen prices rise in what some have called bidding wars - multiple offers on the same home. When entering into a multiple offer situation, all buyers know theirs is not the only one. They offer more money so the sellers will take their offer. This is a situation of supply and demand; the market itself sets the prices. We are experiencing less demand, which means home prices must be lowered to get an offer. No matter what the current market conditions are, pricing is still critical. Your property will sell faster as it will be exposed to more qualified buyers. Your home won t lose marketability. Offers will be closer to market value, and can sometimes generate competing offers. Agents will recognize that you are serious about selling, and will be enthusiastic to show your home!
What is a CMA? Thank you for the opportunity to assist in determining the market value of your home. I have performed a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) for you. The price that I recommend is based on price opinions by Coldwell Banker At Your Service sales associates as well as prices of recently sold homes in your area. Because no two homes are exactly alike, the above information will be balanced with any differences between your home and the comparable homes in order to establish a competitive price. Over pricing should be avoided in that it has been shown to be the single factor that can hurt the sale of your home the most. Positive and negative features which may affect the sale of your home will be noted. Once the market price has been determined, you will be provided with an estimate of proceeds, indicating the approximate amount of money you will receive when your house is sold. Thank you again for the opportunity to serve you!
What Does The Commission Fee Pay For? Most full service brokerages require listings to be taken at 7% to 10%. This fee is not a law nor is it the same across all brokerages. It is an industry standard, however. Our association guidelines suggest that 45% of what is collected be set aside to pay the buyer s brokerage. Since statistically most sales are cooperative, this money pays the buyer s agent for doing their job. The amount of money varies between 2.7% and 3.5%. This is called the payout, which is published in the MLS. The payout is also important because the higher the payout, the more eager agents will be to show your home. After doing the subtraction, what is left over is what the listing agent has to work with to market your home. Each listing costs us money out of our pockets, until the home sells. I get paid when your home sells. The remaining 55% of what is collected goes for equipment we use every day such as lock boxes, cell phones, digital cameras, advertising, sign installations, time spent in open houses, association fees and other valuable efforts described in our marketing plan.
Commitment Makes All The Difference. If selling your home is important to you, then please review my commitments: 1. To be honest about every aspect of the home selling process. This will allow you to make difficult decisions with confidence and peace of mind. 2. To be aggressive in my search for potential buyers. Our active marketing techniques have helped hundreds of families move fast. 3. To communicate weekly, all events relating to the sale of your home. You will never have to say, We never heard from our agent. 4. To use our experience and track record to get the job done fast. Success is a history, not a promise. 5. To give your family exceptional service, to care genuinely for your needs, and earn the right to become your family real estate agent for life. Make the Right Decision. Choose Dave For Results!
Our Ultimate Plan Of Action: #1 List your home with the Multiple Listing Service - Minnesota s computerized MLS system accesses over 25,000 realtors. The Southern Twin Cities Association of Realtors has over 2,300 members and provides 24 hour access to information and photos of your home for all agents. Why is this important to you? Within 24 hours of listing with us, all Association members will have access to information about your property. At any time, should any of these members have a buyer looking for a property similar to yours, they would have immediate access to all the features and benefits of your home. Due to the fact that 80% to 90% of all buyers are currently working with a realtor, we want to immediately expose your home to these agents for their potential buyers. #2 Promote your listing to the local offices in the area. We especially want the local agents to know about your home. Why is this important to you? Some agents specialize in just one area. Your home may fit a buyer they have in mind who wants to buy in that neighborhood. A professional brochure in hand will cause agents to keep your listing in mind. #3 Expose your home to the professional sales team at Coldwell Banker At Your Service. We currently have over 50 active realtors with buyers looking for homes RIGHT NOW. We hold weekly sales meetings as well as open houses. Direct agent to agent communication often results in the sale of a home like yours. Why is this important to you? Currently, our office is rated among the best in Minnesota, selling multiple homes every day. We have assembled a group of the most committed, professional and successful agents in the marketplace. As a team, we work together to get properties sold, and that means more professionals exposed to your property, which results in more qualified buyers seeing your property.
#4 Offer honest, professional advice regarding the marketability of your home. The truth is hard to get these days! We will tell you exactly what you need to do to get the home SOLD, like it or not. Why is this important to you? We have the integrity and professionalism it takes to tell you the truth. It is our job. Many agents simply tell you what you want to hear, and that could cost you time and money. #5 Provide more exposure with a Coldwell Banker For Sale sign. It is likely that a buyer will call for more information on one of the hundreds of Coldwell Banker listings and end up seeing your home. Why is this important to you? The For Sale sign in your front yard has very little value, or you could sell your home yourself. It is the hundreds of For Sale signs all over the community that presents a tremendous value to you. #6 List your home on the WORLD WIDE WEB - thousands of potential buyers are using the internet to find homes. You ll find our listings at: www.coldwellbanker.com - National Company Website www.atyourservicerealty.com - Local Company Website www.davekinneberg.com - My Professional Website...as well as thousands of other sites, including www.realtor.com and www.homesearch.com. Why is this important to you? Today s buyers are using the information super highway to find their dream homes. We provide a detailed listing of our properties for sale, as well as any information about the Southeast Minnesota area that a client might need. We will always stay on the cutting edge when it comes to marketing your home. #7 Actively prospect for your potential buyers daily - buyer seminars, newsletters, mailings, contact with past clients and newspaper ads are only a few examples of how we look for buyers every day.
Why is this important to you? There are two ways to find a buyer. To sit in the office and wait for a buyer to call, or to take time every day, go out in the field and look for a buyer. The first option is a function of the market and luck. The second option is a matter of numbers. Every week our team works the numbers by contacting hundreds of potential buyers and sellers. Active prospecting allows us to control the market rather than waiting for the market to do our job for us. The only variable the market determines is the number of contacts we need to make to our past clients, sphere of influence, renters, and for sale by owner s before we can generate a potential buyer for your home. #8 Advertise your home in the appropriate publications at the appropriate time. We advertise hundreds of properties generating many buyer calls, and it only takes one. I will place weekly ads in the Post Bulletin s Real Estate Marketplace, as well as the Home Gallery publication and hand out flyers around the area. Why is this important to you? There are hundreds of homes listed in many sources of advertising and it only takes one home to attract the eye of a potential buyer. That buyer will call the office and be qualified as to their needs and shown all properties like yours until the buyer has chosen the perfect home. It is the hundreds of homes advertised that benefit you, not just your personal advertisement. #9 Communication - a personal call every week with a complete update. These calls will include updates as to the current market conditions and how they affect your property, feedback as to what agents and buyers say about your home, and what I m doing personally to market your home. Why is this important to you? For a successful sale to take place, all parties must be educated. You have important decisions that need to be made, and it is my commitment to make sure you have all the information necessary to make good decisions. #10 Negotiate the best price for you! Offers are difficult to get. Don t trust your money with an amateur. Deals can be made or lost during mere hours of negotiation - I have been trained and have attended seminars on how to negotiate. Remember, I represent you!
Why is this important to you? It is critical that you realize marketing your home is only half the battle. With thousands of homes to choose from, most buyers have second, third, and even forth choices in homes that meet their needs. Keeping your buyer interested while getting your top dollar is an art and a skill not common to all agents. #11 Coordinate all financing and closing activities to deliver your check at the closing. Coordinating with the closers and mortgage officers is a job in itself! Because of our systems and partners, we are always on top of and available for any action necessary to get our transaction closed. Why is this important to you? Attorneys and banks do not have a personal stake in our transactions like we do. The incentive to see that the ball is not dropped is not there in many cases. We have to monitor every aspect of the closing daily and agents who work alone cannot possibly give your file the same level of attention that an entire team of professionals can give. #12 Preview the competition. I will go inside other homes like yours that are on the market and will be coming on the market during our listed period. Why is this important to you? Knowing the market is just one of our jobs and previewing helps to keep us informed as to what the competition looks like in comparison to your home. #13 Send Just Listed cards to the area residents. Why is this important to you? Sometimes neighbors know people who want to live in their area and are keeping a watch. Sometimes the thought will come up after they have received an attractive postcard in the mail. Either way, it s one more way to expose your home to a ready audience. #14 Install a lockbox on the front door so all agents can show the home conveniently. Why is this important to you? Lockboxes are very impenetrable without the correct code or a licensee s key pad. Lockboxes allow agents greater ease of access to bring their clients through conveniently.
#15 Order a 360 degree virtual tour of your home and link it to the MLS and other websites. Why is this important to you? A virtual tour is done from a digital camera that records a room as it rotates from a fixed point. Most areas can be shown this way, to give a good feel of the home before people enter. It may also eliminate some lookers if they see something they can t live with. #16 National relocation exposure to over 4,000 offices and 1,000,000 agents worldwide. Why is this important to you? Our association membership with NAR is over one million agents. There are also about 500,000 agents in Canada. Any one of these agents may have a buyer relocating to our area. Coldwell Banker agents are members of the relocation service and will have a chance to sell your home first to a transferee. #17 Place Special Feature cards in the home to highlight the extras that someone might miss. Why is this important to you? You know what you love most about your home and the special features you enjoy most. These should be highlighted so everyone can find them. #18 Provide a Neighborhood Facts book to be displayed in the home. Why is this important to you? People base their desired location on different criteria, such as good schools, nearby parks, or convenience to highways. After looking at several homes in one day, it s easy to lose proximity to landmarks, or not realize a park is just around the corner.
#19 Review agent feedback from showings with you as we receive it. Why is this important to you? Although some agents don t care to provide feedback after showings, we always try to get it. Any comments, impressions or thoughts about the home are helpful and gives us a chance to make corrections before other showings. #20 Establish a price-point evaluation at a certain point in the marketing process to ensure we are in the market. Why is this important to you? As homes come on and go off the market daily, it s important to know the competition and evaluate your home s standing - before it outstands the competition. A new price analysis will be provided to make sure we are all staying competitive in the marketplace. #21 Provide additional pictures, supplements or links such as city, county or school websites directly onto the MLS. Why is this important to you? The MLS can accommodate up to six photos, unlimited text describing the photos, a rich-text formatted info sheet, and an unlimited number of links. It s important to take advantage of this space and advertise to our biggest audience: other agents. #22 Develop and produce the one page We thought you d like to know seller autobiography of the home. Why is this important to you? This page gives you a chance to tell everyone about schools in the area, the nearby parks, shopping, freeway access, and anything else you want to share. No one knows what you ve enjoyed most about the community better than you.
If you will be updating, neutral colors and bland patterns are usually recommended as they will appeal to most people. Buyers will see that some simple improvements will save them both money and time. Inside Trinkets off the refrigerator Lock up valuables Take out the garbage Refold items in closets and straighten storage rooms Repair sticking doors and windows Wash windows, clean drapes and curtains Touch up paint, plaster and woodwork Clean and sanitize rugs and carpets Repair broken switches Replace burnt out light bulbs inside and out Repair leaky plumbing Abolish objectionable odors Repair or replace discolored or damaged caulking in bathrooms Replace shower liner Remove up to half of your decorations, pictures and political or religious sentiments Polish mirrors, fixtures and faucets Clean everything: floors, walls, appliances, closets and cupboards, or hire a cleaning service Outside Inspect and repair exterior walls, masonry and caulking Check the foundation, steps, retaining walls, walkways and patios for cracks, heaving or crumbling Repair or replace loose, damaged or blistered shingles Repair/clean gutters and downspouts Apply a fresh coat of paint to the front door Replace the welcome mat Check working order of doorbells and lights Repair concrete driveway or reseal blacktop if necessary Clean garage, check electrical outlets Mow and edge lawn, reseed or sod if necessary Trim hedges, prune trees or shrubs, weed and mulch flower beds Check for low grade around the foundation and add soil if necessary Shovel snow and ice from driveway and walkways Leave a light on over the door for evening showings
Who Will See My Home? Once your paperwork is turned in and the information is put into the MLS, it is available to all agents immediately. Agents will be bringing their clients with them (whom they represent), or they may want to look at the home without having a buyer with them. Occasionally a buyer without an agent will call and want to see the home. You will have the most requests for showings in the first weeks. Those are the educated buyers who are with their agents, seeing all of the market. Please try to accommodate as many showings as possible. Should it be necessary that you are home for a showing, simply say as little as possible and let them look.
Will they ask for an inspection? When making an offer, buyers have the right to make their purchase subject to an inspection. They will have an agreed upon number of days to get a qualified inspector out to your home. Once the buyers know what they are buying and any repairs were negotiated, then we can go ahead and take it off the market. An inspector will go through the home with lots of tools and flashlights. He will inspect the major systems in the house and see everything! One added benefit we can offer is to have the home preinspected. This gives you the opportunity to correct any hazards and eliminates the inspection contingencies before listing. The transaction is smoother and a buyer is less likely to discount your price later. If your home is pre-inspected, the buyer will have an opportunity to go back through the house with the inspector for a nominal fee.
Moving Checklist/Countdown to Closing Schedule the closing Schedule the appraisal Title work is ordered Prepare sources of funds for closing (if buying) Address Change _post office _charge accounts _subscriptions _banks _insurance providers _investments _friends & relatives Put utilities in your name _city for water, sewer and sometimes rubbish _local energy and gas _cable TV _phone company _internet service providers Medical service providers _dentist _physician _optometrist _veterinarian _transfer medical records and prescriptions _get birth records Last minute details _pet or infant care _moving insurance and services _pick up dry cleaning _return library books _defrost and clean fridge _save a phone book _register kids for school At the new home _change of address of drivers license and vehicle registration _confirm utility changes _pick up mail at the post office _register for voting _check your furnace operation