The Story of Closing 4800 Westlake Parkway in Natomas

4800 Westlake Parkway #1805 is one of 8 three bedroom units.

People tend to believe that all agents are the same, but the owner of 4800 Westlake Parkway knows better. She bought this condo in Natomas from my team member, Barbara Dow. So when it came time to sell, she listed with Elizabeth Weintraub. That’s because I take the listings for the team. I am a listing specialist. My team members are exclusive buyer’s agents. This is how I predict real estate will be in the future. Agents will pick a specialty and not try to do dual agency nor work both sides of the street.

The seller was a little confused as to why, but she went along with our strategy. Soon enough she figured out why she hired me as her Sacramento listing agent. It became clear early on. Not only do I sell a lot of homes in Sacramento, but I pride myself on producing spectacular results. I am very analytical. No way do I just stick my finger in the air and say, oh, the wind is blowing gently this morning, so the price for this condo at 4800 Westlake Parkway should be XYZ. I consider the comparable sales but I also take into consideration market demand, Bay Area buyer views, price point and more.

When you look at the square footage of this condo, it comps out around $256,000. Yet, I suggested a list price of $269,000, knowing full well there are no comps to support it. Sometimes I say forget the comps. Look at the market. Now, that’s not to say another agent could take that price and run with it, because no other agent markets the way I do. My systems are my own. I always go a few steps beyond what I should do. This is part of what makes me different.

We received an offer that was $4,000 lower, which was too low in my opinion and the seller agreed. The following day, we received another offer at $3,000 over list price, based on conversations with the buyer’s agent. I helped to guide the agent to that number. I also talked with a resident who disclosed an amazing fact. She told me there are only 8 three bedrooms in the entire complex! That statistic alone meant a higher price, in my mind.

After we went into escrow, the buyer asked for repairs. Buyers often do this because they don’t want to listen to their buyer’s agent and they think there is no harm in asking. To help facilitate the transaction, I sent do-it-yourself websites and instructional materials on how to do the repairs the buyer asked for herself. This made the buyer feel comfortable and she backed off the request for repairs.

However, when the appraisal came in, it was $5,000 low. I talked the buyer into splitting the difference in cash, so the seller still sold over list price. It meant that the buyer brought in more money to close. Also, there were no credits, no repairs. We closed escrow yesterday. The seller made a nice profit over the 5 years she rented out the condo and gained $100K+ equity upon resale. We steer our investment clients in the right direction.

I should mention that I listed this condo at 4800 Westlake Parkway while I was in Hawaii last month, and I also sold it from Hawaii. This is now the highest priced sale at 4800 Westlake Parkway. Think about this when you look for your next listing agent. I was able to do all of this without even looking at the property myself, much less being physically in town. Sacramento Realtors are not all the same. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759 and put 40 years of experience to work for you.