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What will you do for 6%?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Blend Real Estate, broker/owner 01179760

I have a client who is a family friend and I have known them for 17 years. Her husband died two years ago and she moved into what was their penthouse vacation condo in San Diego.  Now she has moved from there to a retirement home and I will be listing this former "second home" condo for sale with her family's blessings.  In fact I feel like family.  (I also bought her car to wrap with my company's logo ~ as a bit of a lark ~ it's an amazing car!)

This woman is a smart, educated lovey in her 80s and I absolutely adore her. But she had seen on TV that commissions were sometimes as low at 4.5% and wanted to have me explain why I was asking her to approve a 6% listing.

We don't often talk about commissions at Active Rain, do we?  I knew that I was going to throw everything at this condo to get it sold in a tough market. There are four other quasi-competing units in this building, although they are truly not as nice as this. This is a top floor, panoramic downtown bay and city view property that is tricked out!  Very very beautiful indeed.  It will be listed in about three weeks when the house is prepped.

I told her that it would be my great pleasure to do anything and everything to assist her with her transition to her new home. She is living in an upscale retirement community as I said but with no real square footage to absorb all her things.

So I said I would organize an estate sale and not only sell as much as possible, but arrange for the unsold items to go to charity. And I would have the kitchen painted from red to a softer color at my expense, and stage and basically allow the white glove treatment to take over.  The list is lonnnnnnnng. I will earn this 6% and get this property sold if it's the last thing I ever do.

I spent the better part of last week pricing her belongings and sat on the floor crying.  Dishes, crystal, champagne flutes that I had raised in a toast so many times over the years. I missed her and her husband. Those days are over now.  So I was sad and felt humbled to be surrounded by her/their beautiful things.   This terrific yet pragmatic family had taken what they needed out of the home. What was left, and it was a lot of magnificent items, was mine to control. There's a new Sheriff in town.  But I still cried.

So my first estate sale was Saturday. I sold a few collectibles in the first five minutes then due to a rainy and stormy day, no one else came. I called it off early and will resume next week.

I have to tell you, it's the sweetest feeling to be trusted enough to make this happen and I am asking you to HOLD OUT A GOOD THOUGHT for next Saturday!  I want to hand her about $500 or so for what I can sell. Maybe more if I can get all the furniture sold.

So I am curious: what's the most outrageous or helpful or daring thing you've done to earn 6%?

Have a great day and cross your fingers for my upcoming sale on February 8!

Posted by

Kimberly Dotseth broker/owner Blend Real Estate DRE #01179760

(858) 452-2599 info@greenboxhomes.com  

2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 5-Star "Best in Client Satisfaction Award" Winner, San Diego Magazine

Recipient of Realtor Magazine's "Broker Standout" http://bit.ly/KimberlyRealtorMag  

Named San Diego Association of REALTORS 'Broker of the Year' in 2012 for 2011 (10,000+ members)

 

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