These successor trustee sellers did not know which agent to hire but they knew they wanted an experienced Sacramento Realtor. So, they went to a referral service that refers top producers in exchange for a piece of the action from the agent. This particular company sends seller’s information to a bunch of top producers and they let the agents fight it out to get the business.

As a top listing agent in Sacramento, I charge more than just about any other agent, because I’ve never lowered my commission from 40 years ago. It’s been the same amount. However, I am also confident I am worth the standard commission rate and so are my clients. They know better than to shop for an agent based on commission. We all charge about the same anyway; and they wanted the very best.

It also helped that I checked out the property before I contacted these successor trustee sellers. Even knowing that sellers often go with the very first agent who contacts them, I take my time to verify that I really want the listing. That means looking up the history of past sales and studying the specifics for red flags. This way I speak with authority when I talk to the sellers.

Upon checking, the public records showed no sales since 1989, and different sellers were in title than the names I had from the referral source. Due to experience, I guessed quite accurately that it was a successor trustee sale, as I do so many of them.

When I sent a quick email to the successor trustee sellers, I asked if this was a possible successor trustee sale. They called and asked me to come over. Said nobody else had figured out that this was not really their home or how they came in possession to sell it. I was the only agent who took the time to do my homework first before I chased a listing.

Every single listing I take is important and special to me. Few agents are as focused or dedicated to the sellers as I am. Sometimes I hear agents tell sellers that Elizabeth Weintraub can’t possibly do a good job because she sells so many homes, and they can do a better job because they sell so few. Which is the stupidest thing I’ve heard since Trump began tweeting.

Quantity does not equate to bad quality, just the opposite. The reason I sell so many homes is because I make each seller feel like they are my only client. I am devoted to their transaction and offer this service because I am organized, efficient and driven by my sincere passion for real estate.

Upon meeting the successor trustee sellers, I immediately felt a connection, and I think they did, too, because they hired me on the spot. I recall standing in the dining room with them and looking at what appeared to be wet spots around a window, which stained the wallpaper. The sellers asked me what I thought. They were puzzled because water intrusion had not happened. Funny enough there was a crochet curtain draped over the top and down the sides as a topper. It looked like the owner had removed the topper to wash it and hung it back up wet.

Which is exactly what had happened.

I gave the sellers the name of my handyman to remove the wallpaper from that wall and paint it. Then I suggested they call my carpet cleaning guy, who is obsessed with making carpeting look new again. Initially, I thought we would market it as a fixer since it needed updates. But after spending time in the home, I suggested a different strategy to maximize profit potential, and sure enough, that strategy worked.

We closed escrow at list price, $674,950. Which was also a very aggressive price, and we sold the home in four days. 2023 Lux Court, Carmichael, CA 95608 closed escrow on January 14, 2019.