I don’t know how many times over the years I have vacuumed and cleaned a home, hauled away garbage, polished windows and even weeded yards and power washed sidewalks and driveways. I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty to get the work accomplished. I have even had a couple past clients rent my basement until they either find or can get into their homes.

My preference is to coach my sellers to complete the tasks at hand, and take the time they need to get their property to look like “Metropolitan Home”. It is truly a team effort with me to do whatever it takes to make the listing look the best it possible can - even if I, sometimes, have to do it.

I recently closed on a transaction that was a perfect example of this team effort and going beyond the call of duty. The sellers had lived in the home for thirty years and had a lot of stuff. A LOT. In my listing presentation, I included a one page “suggestion” sheet within my market analysis that outlined names for professional organizers, painters, flooring contractors, etc. I told the sellers that they would spend $25K or more getting the home ready, but it would pay off in the end. Major remodeling endeavors were discouraged since I felt that the new owners would do what they wanted, but there was a lot that could be done without breaking the bank to present the home.

A calendar was established with the owners to determine how much time they needed to get the house completely empty, then we built in a time frame to get the entire interior painted, and new floors and carpet installed. Then I backtracked what time I needed for staging and photos before it could come on the market. In all, it turned into a four month calendar.

During the preparation phase I did not disappear. On a weekly, sometimes daily basis during this period, I was called upon to make suggestions on paint colors; what flooring should be used; what appliances should be replaced, etc.  Many calls and property visits were made to both affirm the sellers on their decision making, as well as for me to make suggestions on what buyers would want in our market. On the morning of the photo and video shoot, I arrived to find the painter’s blue tape still on the door and window frames. I had come early anticipating surprises, so immediately removed the tape and cleaned the windows before the photographer arrived.

The sellers were wonderful. They did everything that was suggested (and even a bit more) and it paid off! We got four offers and it closed for $200,000 over list price. I do live in one of the hottest markets in the country, but if the sellers would not have listened and valued my input and recommendations, the outcome would most likely not have been the same.