A tale of two sales. Both homes listed after advise, tweaking, repairs, decluttering, late night spent on pricing strategy and market analysis.
Seller #1 after accepting an offer within one week. "Wow, I'm an easy one for you. You barely had to do anything to earn your commission." Hmmm think I. He wants me to reduce my commission, I bet.
Seller #2 after accepting one of two offers within one week on the market. "Wow - you were worth every penny. No one can believe we sold so quickly. And for full price! You really know your stuff!"
I asked him what he meant by that. "Intellectual property is worth its weight in gold," Joe says. "You didn't fall off a turnip truck and list my home. I know you have spent years perfecting your craft. We did everything you told us to do, and it all made us money. YOU made it work because of your knowledge... your intellectual property." Seller #2, Joe, is an event planner. He gets it.
As an agent, I tend to forget how powerful the years that I spent learning these things are:
- What repairs/remodeling bring a bigger bang for the buck. Which bring in more money than they cost.
- How to get the other agent on my side, so we are both working for the same goal instead as opposing adversaries.
- How to relate to people so they want to work with you.
- How to present the disclosures to the seller so they lessen their likelihood of a lawsuit later.
- Why the best pest company is the one who finds EVERYTHING. Better now than when the buyer finds it on their own, then mistrusts everything you have told them.
- That a thick layer of shredded cedar fixes most yard woes.
- That funky furniture tanks the value of a home.
- How to talk to owner of said funky furniture about staging.
- Why paint is the #1 activity before selling your home.
- And mostly - how 20+ years of building a reputation of trust, honesty and respect within the industry benefits my clients. Agents want to work with me, because they trust me.
All that is called Intellectual Property. And it's worth something. Just ask Joe!
©2011 Sally Dunbar
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