Pascack Valley Real Estate The Discount Broker Foxtons is Closing It's Doors due to lack of funds to continue operating, as per
the September, 28th edition of the Bergen Record. This doesn't come as a big surprise to many in the industry since the rule of thumb for most business models is that you get what you pay for. The article goes on to quote various real estate professionals. Cooperation amongst agents offering reduced commissions to the selling side of the transaction was one of the points raised in the article. But lack of service to the Sellers was key to us. We had personally sold a couple of listings that were listed by the company Foxtons. We found that the company acted as an answering service to set up appointments where the homeowner had to conduct their own showings of their homes.
On one occasion, we were instructed to get our Buyer's offer signed by the Sellers. The listing agent was not even in attendance of the signing. It left us and the Sellers to wonder what exactly they were paying for. But sadly many homeowners only see the percentage of commission they are paying out in order to facilitate a sale. The marketing process entails more than what the average consumer is privy to. As Full Time Realtors® in the Pascack Valley area of Bergen County, New Jersey, we know that there is more involved than simply putting a listing into the Multiple Listing Service. Steps are taken that involve;
- Scheduling and Holding Broker Open Tours (usually with Lunch) for the community of agents to preview the home.
- Creating a description of the home to highlight it's best features.
- Input the Listing into the Multiple Listing Service.
- Scheduling showings & following up for feedback.
- Taking photographs of the home and doing Virtual Tours
- Inputting the Listing into several websites, such as our own: www.HammersTeam.com and www.Home2BergenCounty.com in addition to Realtor.com.
- Installing the sign and filling the Brochure Box with copies of the Listing Print Out for the sake of advertising to prospective Buyers.
- Create a Special Features Hand-out Booklet with details, photos & descriptions about the home.
- Advertising and Holding Public Open Houses.
- Mailing Just Listed Cards and following up with the local area property owners.
- Provide Sellers with professional council on the marketing analysis in setting the best price.
- Provide Sellers with staging ideas in order to present the home to Buyers in the most desireable light.
- Pre-qualify prospective Buyers.
- Negotiate on behalf of the Seller with other Agents.
- Follow-up throughout the Transaction to facilitate the smoothest "stress-free" transaction as possible.
These are the highlights of some of the many details that are skillfully managed by a Full Service Agent such as Lisa & Bob Hammerstein. So if you are thinking of Buying or Selling in the Pascack Valley area of Bergen County, New Jersey, call us direct at (201)218-6802 or visit us online at www.HammersTeam.com. We are your Pascack Valley Real Estate Resource at "Your Service"!
Like you say not a surprise. In a buyers market agents need to spend more to market listings and they stay on the market so much longer..$$$$$
We're even seeing less FSBO's!