Email Elizabethsacramento real estate
How Do Top Listing Agents Market Homes for Sale in Sacramento?
My seller called today to ask just how does a top listing agent like me market homes for sale in Sacramento? She did not ask this question before listing her home for sale or maybe I answered it during our discussions. I often try to anticipate what a seller will want to know before she asks the question. Thinking ahead is one of my specialties, you know. This seller wanted to know what happens when her listing goes live in MLS, where does it go and how does it get there. And specifically, what do I do to market homes for sale in Sacramento?
This took me longer than I thought it would, to fully explain. I’ll try to share those thoughts with you in the limited space and time I have available. First, my listings go live at midnight on Thursday, usually. That gives time for photos to download throughout the internet. The listing usually shows up live in Zillow the follow morning, which feeds into Trulia, and the information is generally wrong. There might be old photos, or the number of rooms is off, or it doesn’t show correct stats for the property. So, I go in to Zillow and manually fix its errors. Wish I didn’t have to, but I do.
Next is the independent website with the property address as the URL. Followed by a virtual tour. Then I check the listing on my own IDX on my Elizabeth Weintraub website for accuracy and photos. Sometimes they don’t show correctly and I have to notify my IDX of an error. I also subscribe to a digital ad service, the type that follow buyers who exhibit buying behavior all over the internet. Most agents who market homes for sale in Sacramento do not pay for an IDX like I do.
When it comes to my specialized method and how I market homes for sale in Sacramento, my website receives a high ranking in Google for a lot of real estate terms. I’ve been online since 1991, and I write many home buying and selling articles for The Balance (the former About.com) vertical. All of this elevates my listings in search engines in ways other agents can’t begin to do. My SEO is organic and real.
To top it off, I write a personal blog about my new listing, and I prepare many links back to my blog from other real estate related resources. My seller’s home enjoys a presence in Facebook, on Twitter, and other popular social media platforms. It’s like leaving no stone unturned. You can’t spin around without running into a listing from Elizabeth Weintraub and Lyon Real Estate. The way I market homes for sale in Sacramento is unrivaled. Can’t be duplicated.
Nobody else really does it this way, and certainly not the discount agents, although they try to claim to. They don’t do it. Agents can’t. They aren’t Elizabeth Weintraub. Nobody can be me, but me.
New Listing: Spacious Mid-Century Home in Rancho Cordova
Who would not love a big mid-century home in Rancho Cordova? Especially a home with 3 baths and updates! This gorgeous single-level story is more than 2,100 square feet, according to the Sacramento County Assessor’s office. The layout includes a permitted family room addition, about 20 x 20 feet, that looks like it was original. If you need 3 bedrooms (all large) and 3 baths, you can’t do any better than this home in Rancho Cordova.
Oh, my goodness, will you look at those beautiful hardwood floors? This living room is spacious and open, with a floor-to-ceiling painted white brick fireplace. What picture will you hang in that spot? It’s the first room you see when you walk into the sheltered entry. Through the living room, you can see the bonus family room with sliding glass doors. Why you could fit two pool tables easily in that space.
Into the updated kitchen, the first thing you will notice, of course, is the light earth-toned granite counters. So much storage available. Plus space in the kitchen for a table and chairs. There is a double oven and a gas cooktop, including a built-in black microwave. Right off the kitchen is a formal dining room, which also features sliding doors to the bonus family room.
Down the hall of this Mid-Century home in Rancho Cordova to the bedrooms. Apart from a 1/2 bath, a vintage bright yellow sink, there is another full bath (also vintage in pink) in the hallway with a tub and shower, and yet another full bath (white) in the master with a shower. All three of the bedrooms are larger than you might expect. But then, the home was constructed in 1959 when larger bedrooms were more common.
The back yard — wow, so many fruit trees: orange, mandarin orange, lemon and peach trees. On top of which, for your entertaining, a roomy covered brick patio, too. See the virtual tour. It will give you a better feel for how large the yard actually is!
Restricted hours for showing this Mid-Century home in Rancho Cordova. Call your own Sacramento Realtor or the listing agent, Elizabeth Weintraub, at 916.233.6759 for more information and details.
10829 Glenhaven Way, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670, offered exclusively by Elizabeth Weintraub and Lyon Real Estate at $375K.
Solutions for Sacramento Listing Agents Who Will Not Call You Back
The only excuse for listing agents who will not call you back.
Little is more irritating than Sacramento listing agents who will not call you back. Well, it’s most likely irritating enough that so many do not even answer their phone in the first place. I am not in a position where I talk to a lot of listing agent because I mostly chat with buyer’s agents. Being a listing agent myself. And I always try to answer my phone. Not only do I answer my phone, but I do in a cheerful manner.
Even if I’m feeling, “what the hell do you want from me?” like busy days can do to a person, I make myself be happy to talk. Because whatever might be going on with me is not my caller’s fault. My caller needs some kind of help. Either to sell a house or more information on a listing. It’s generally all good. For spammers, there is the End Call button and block caller function. No need to get upset.
However, not every listing agent answers the phone. Is it on purpose, like some people believe? Sometimes, I’m sure it is. The listing agent doesn’t want to answer calls from other agents about offers because the listing agent might not be interested in presenting offers that are not the agent’s own buyer. Yes, it’s unethical behavior, but it happens. Or, maybe the agent feels he has enough offers (although the seller would beg to disagree). Or he’s sleeping under a bridge because, hey, rough night, where is the car? You never know.
So, what can you do when dealing with listing agents who will not call you back? I’ll tell you what I do. First, I call that agent every hour on the hour and I leave a cheery message until the agent’s voice mail box is full. Sometimes the box is already full because the agent never answers the phone at all. In those cases, you can call the agent’s broker and ask if the broker will get a message to the agent.
You can also go to the agent’s Facebook page and leave a message, detailing your efforts to reach the agent. Try Twitter and send a direct message there. Look up the agent via Google and call his parents. How about uploading the agent’s photo to Instagram as a Missing Person notice: Has anybody seen this agent? Send an urgent fax to the office fax number.
I have also been known to go to the company website and call every single agent in that agent’s office until somebody tells me how to find the agent. I am absolutely relentless. This is in addition to borrowing a stranger’s phone at the grocery store and calling from a number the agent does not recognize.
On the other hand, maybe for you, well, maybe you should call an agent who answers her darned phone? Because listing agents who will not call you back are not professionals.
New Listing in Land Park: Charming Vintage Bungalow Remodeled
Look no further for a new listing in Land Park! This is a perfect home for first-time home buyers. Especially if you’re looking for the charm and vintage detailing found in Land Park homes built in the 1930s. This home marries beautiful updates with original architectural features. Just feast your eyes on that storybook photograph above showcasing enormous curb appeal!
A beautiful flagstone sidewalk welcomes visitors to the door. There is a covered front porch where you can sit to enjoy all of your neighbors parading by: walking dogs, pushing babies in strollers, darn kids walking on your lawn (just kidding about the kids). McClatchy High School and California Middle School are nearby but this home sits on the north side of the street so it does not back up to the school.
Once inside, the open floor plan will amaze. Hardwood floors, arches, crown molding, plenty of windows, formal living room and dining area with wainscoting and a fireplace, a breakfast nook, and recessed lights greet you. But nothing prepares you for the gorgeous kitchen.
Your fabulous new listing in Land Park features a to-die-for kitchen. Granite counters, a wine refrigerator, dining bar, super cool exposed bulbs in the hanging pendant lights, a GE Monogram 6 burner gas stove, convection, built-in refrigerator are only a few of the amenities found in the kitchen. Plenty of storage space; every inch is utilized.
This home boasts 3 bedrooms, one of which is used as an office, a newly remodeled bath with a walk-in shower, newer copper, newer sewer line and a 200-AMP electrical panel. In addition, the room you see above is like an extended family room under an attached covered patio. You also get a built-in outdoor kitchen with grill. What a great space for entertaining and hanging out!
This shows only part of the back yard. For starters, check out the two-car garage. All of that concrete allows for so many possibilities. You could work on cars, park an RV or a boat. Why, if it were legal, you could probably land a helicopter at this new listing in Land Park.
Why not come to our open house on Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00 PM, March 11th? Hosted by the amazing Amy McMullen from the Elizabeth Weintraub Team. Call Elizabeth with questions at 916.233.6759.
1731 Bidwell Way, Sacramento, CA 95818 is offered exclusively by Elizabeth Weintraub and Lyon Real Estate at $549K. Check out the virtual tour, too.
The Story of Closing a Home in Greenhaven in Sacramento
This pool home on Greenhaven Drive is now under contract.
Our story of closing a home in Greenhaven begins with an email I received from the sellers last September. I’m finding many of my listings lately involve sellers who are planning ahead. I could be working on a listing for 6 months before it hits MLS, unlike the fast-paced world of 2016 — a distant memory now. My experience shows better results when working in advance on a listing because that gives us a lot of time to get it just right. To tweak and perfect.
The seller mentioned his wife might find a job out of state. It could happen a year from then, or two months or a couple of weeks. Their timeframe is mine. They wanted to know if I could please come over to discuss which things they could fix up. What could be sale-worthy improvements. They also mentioned that they had been reading my blogs for years. Which means they decided a long time ago that when it came time to sell, I was the listing agent they wanted to hire.
Apparently, they weren’t very happy with their agent when they bought the house. There were also quite a few drawbacks to their house. But because every listing is a customized job for me, I don’t give cookie cutter advice. I consider the market conditions, how much a buyer is likely to pay, and minimum work required to sell. Part of how much a buyer is likely to pay in my mind depends on how I market the listing as well. Not any Sacramento Realtor can take my suggested sales price and run with it. To get top dollar, you need strategy.
Every super blood moon or so, I spot a listing in which the seller hired some other agent at a price lower than perhaps I suggested. I just think to myself: their loss. And then I get a bit irritated with myself that somehow I failed to show what I can do. They hire a cheap agent at a cheap price and I feel a bit sorry they lost money. But they don’t know. They wrongly put too much emphasis on commission.
Not these sellers. They wanted to hire me and I wanted to do a good job for them. That’s a good match. To spruce up the kitchen, I suggested they replace the worn, tired counters with granite and replace the broken electric range. We discussed staging and moving furniture. The rest of the house could stay in its present condition because we have a hot market in Sacramento. Yes, it is on a busy street. Yes, you can hear freeway noise. Can’t ignore the funky layout.
Time passed and I did not hear from them again until January. I was working from our home in Hawaii then. We agreed on a price of $395K. In line with the comps for a 4 bedroom with that square footage and being a pool home on Greenhaven Drive. I promised them I would work diligently for an AS IS sale without any credits or repairs. My goal was closing a home in Greenhaven with no hassles. I listed the home from Hawaii, and a team member attached a lockbox for me.
Sure enough, after 2 open houses, we had a full price offer at $10,000 over list price. I warned the agent that if her buyer tried to cancel, I would drive over to the agent’s house and let the air out of her tires. So many buyers go into escrow today and immediately cancel. But the agent assured us her buyer was committed. However, the buyer made a contingent offer, with her home presently in escrow. That status allowed me to keep the listing active in MLS and to hunt for backup offers.
This all happened with me working from Hawaii. Due to technology, I do not have to physically be in Sacramento to work miracles and focus on my Sacramento real estate business.
As luck would have it, we later received a back-up offer that was now $20,000 over list price. We held on to that offer as insurance, just in case the existing buyer wanted to renegotiate. (I’m telling ya, if you have a difficult home to sell, this is the market for you.)
We met the goal of closing a home in Greenhaven with no repairs or credits and closed last Friday. I called the sellers on the East Coast to let them know the home recorded. At that point, the seller confided to me that I did exactly what I said would do. He said many agents say they will do a good job and they talk a good game, but it’s just talk. I actually performed on everything I promised. They got exactly what they had hoped for and then some. I exceeded expectations.
Well, I did not realize they had any doubt, LOL, but even so, the best thing a seller can tell me is how happy they are. That means I did my job right. I want every review to be a 5-star review. That is my goal and I never lose sight of it. Further, there is no question that the sellers wrung every dime out of that sale they possibly could. A very happy ending to closing a home in Greenhaven.
