As a seller with a property to sell as part of your relocation, you have a huge task ahead of you. Selling your current home in order to buy a new one is a big piece of this.

If you are like many folks, you NEED to sell in order to buy another home. And in many markets this is a challenging undertaking given inventory levels, competition, pricing shifts and more. So how does one accomplish this successfully.

Working with a REALTOR who has the CRS designation (is a Certified Residential Specialist) is one of the best decisions you can make. Here are some reasons a CRS will benefit YOU, the homeowner.

An agent with the CRS designation must complete a number of intensive 2-day classes on a variety of real estate topics to benefit consumers (a favorite class is the one on listing strategies - all the things that we can do to help you market and sell you home effectively; another is technology - kearning all about the many ways technology shuld be used to effectively makret a home, commununicate, and run a successful real estate business).

There is significant time commitment on the part of an individual who decides to gain this designation, and the training classes are some of the best available in the real estate world.

We must pass an exam for each class we take, so you can't just sit there pretending to learn but must demonstrate this before being awarded credit for the class toward the overall CRS designation.

Classes involve significant interaction among attendees so there is a huge opportunity to further learning from others in the business

All candidates for the CRS designation must meet certain production requirements, either a minimum specific number of transactions (the minimum is 25 transactions, or $8 million in production with a minimum of 10 transactions within a 2 year period). This means you MUST have substantial experience as a real estate agent in order to become a CRS. Another great benefit since you will be able to work with someone who has demonstrate significant real estate experience.

Having a CRS is likened to having a Ph.D., and it's considered to be THE most rigorous designation (only about 4% of all REALTORS posses this certification). And many CRS  agents continue to attend classes or to repeat classes as they are revised,  and to participate in the CRS organization either nationally or at the local level (as I do on the Board of Directors for the Southern California Chapter of CRS).

Don't you want someone who has the best knowledge and training, and can provide the competitive edge YOU need to sell your home?

One last thng to consider. You will need someone in your new location to help you BUY a home. A CRS can make the right connections to other CRS agents around the country and find you the best person with THE SAME training and experience.

What IS the real estate world coming to?

You bet. There are tons of predictions floating around, and everyone wants to know:

• will my house sell?
  
  • When will the market hit bottom?
    
    • Should I buy or sell now or wait?

Whether you believe in the power of St. Joseph to sell your home, wish your REALTOR had a crystal ball, or are one of many folks who consult psychics on a variety of subjects, predictions seem to be the mainstay of our housing market these days.

Read more about a growing trend.

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If I can provide more information about Carlsbad and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by

phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.

All content copyright © 2007 Jeff Dowler

Selling your Carlsbad home is a challenge. And you want to know that the REALTOR you hire will get the job done. Of course I am assuming that you have priced the home to sell, since we know that no matter how much marketing you do, an overpriced home will not sell.

Read: What’s Important to You as a Seller?

This is not so much about how to go about finding the right agent, but more about what will the listing agent do for you.

Read: What do You Want to Know About Your Agent?

Also: What Kind of Agent do You Want?

There are many strategies a listing agent can employ in order to help you find the right buyer for your home. The operative word here is CAN: some agents take the easy (or lazy) way and do the minimal work needed to get a home sold, or don't have a clue about Internet marketing where most of today's buyers are.

Gaining the maximum exposure in today market is critical since there is so much competition. Buyers are being picky and are not willing to pay more than what they perceive market value to be. So, to reiterate…PRICING is the most important thing you can do to sell your home. And of course your home will be free of clutter and personal items (i.e., staged), and repairs will have been taken care of. Assuming that is on target, then, what sorts of things might you expect the agent you are considering hiring to provide you with regarding to marketing and advertising?

• Standard offerings
  • listing in the MLS – accurate information, no typos hopefully, and lots of high quality photos
  • signage in the yard
  • attractive feature sheet in the house and in a brochure box (there is some debate about the brochure box)
  • An ad in the local newspaper, an open house or two (or perhaps one every weekend – hmm, is that what you really want, given we know few homes sell this way?) and broker caravan
• Other offerings
  • Single site webpage or blog (see 6547 Calle Valperizo for an example of a blog I am using for my newest listing)
  • Unique URL for YOUR home (see above)
  • Virtual tours – these are easy to do and pretty common, yet lots of agents DON’T use them…and buyers say they WANT to see them. Here’s an example.

• Written marketing plan – many agents do not have one and look at you like a deer in the headlights if you ask to see one. How do you know what they plan to do to target market YOUR home?
• Lots of photos – buyers tell us they WANT to see photos, lots of them. Some buyers will not even look at a listing that has no photos…and many don’t. Here is an example of a slide show of a recent listing of mine.
• On-line flyers and postings on multiple websites – here is a Vflyer for my latest listing. This gets posted on multiple sites. And there are dozens and dozens of real estate website where your listing should be (Trulia, Realtor.com, Zillow are just a few of the big name ones that get the most Internet traffic).

• Video – is there a video of the home, or better yet the community? Here is an example I did.
  

There’s more, but you get the idea. Don’t short change yourself. Selling your home is TOO important, if you are really serious about it.

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If I can provide more information about Carlsbad or surrounding communities, and the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your home search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.

If I can provide more information about the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360
or email me at JDowler@remax.net.

• Are prices stable or trending up or down?

• What are the conditions for your particular price range (in some areas the low end market is doing very well, while the mid range is much slower)?

Start your CARLSBAD HOMES SEARCH here (and other San Diego communities)

Download FREE BUYER AND SELLER REPORTS here

Visit CARLSBAD COMMUNITY REPORTS for profiles on communities, subdivisions and neighborhoods (including other areas)

Are you a first time home buyer. Check out FIRST TIME BUYER CENTRAL.

I have started to use a new application that I believe will be helpful for both buyers and sellers.

Map My Pix allows me to put photos on a map that are easily viewed by clicking. The viewer not only sees the photo (or a tourist site, home, etc.) but also the location.

I see some great utility and plan to use this is a number of ways for clients.

1. I will include the map with relevant photos in my on-line listings (check out the first one here to see the Mapping with Photos in action) for buyers to learn more about my listings
2. I'm going to start using the mapping in my listing presentation so sellers will see yet another way in which I use technology, and how will use it when I list their home!
3. My relocation buyers will receive a map with the photos of the homes they will be touring when they meet with me for their house-hunting trip.
4. I will also share copmmunity profiles and a map with photos of the areas my relocation clients are interested in (e.g.,photos of restaurants, sights, parks)

What do you think? Will this be helpful?

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Start your CARLSBAD HOMES SEARCH here (and other San Diego communities)

Download FREE BUYER AND SELLER REPORTS here

Visit CARLSBAD COMMUNITY REPORTS for profiles on communities, subdivisions and neighborhoods (including other areas)

Are you a first time home buyer. Check out First Time Buyer Central.

If you have a relocation package with your new employer, there are a number of possible components that can impact your move, and that you should check on.

Read:

Does Your Relocation Package Include an Equity Loan? and

Does Your Relocation Package Include a Buyout?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Another item that may be covered in your relocation package are CLOSING COSTS.

You might have these paid for on the sale of your home, but perhaps also at the buy side of the transaction. Check to see if either is the case, since this may have an impact on what you negotiate for on the sale or purchase of your home. It may also impact what you can afford.

For example, some sellers will offer to pay a portion of your closing costs when they counter offer YOUR offer. This doesn't do you any good if you are getting the closing costs paid for. So something else might need to negotiated as part of your agreement to buy the home which can be to your benefit, say a lower price.

Knowing ALL the details of your relocation package is critical so you are prepared.

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Start your CARLSBAD HOMES SEARCH here (and other San Diego communities)

Download FREE BUYER AND SELLER REPORTS here

Visit CARLSBAD COMMUNITY REPORTS for profiles on communities, subdivisions and neighborhoods (including other areas)

Are you a first time home buyer. Check out First Time Buyer Central.

Maybe you already know this. But I bet many of you have not thought about it in this way.

As a seller of a Carlsbad home (or anywhere, for that matter), your FIRST open house is on-line...don't forget it, OR underestimate the power of what I just told you.

In this day and age of Internet marketing, unless your agent is in a cave, you should have plenty of exposure to the buying public on-line. It's the first place buyers generally look for homes, and so it is where they will gain a FIRST IMPRESSION of your home.

Is your Carlsbad home really ready for that open house?

I wrote an article directed more toward agents, but the same information applies to sellers. You and your agent have to work as a team to prepare for that FIRST OPEN HOUSE (as an example, some of the photos I have seen on-line for homes are pretty scary - who would want to go see THAT house?!).

Read more here

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Start your CARLSBAD HOMES SEARCH here (and other San Diego communities)

Download FREE BUYER AND SELLER REPORTS here

Visit CARLSBAD COMMUNITY REPORTS for profiles on communities, subdivisions and neighborhoods (including other areas)

Are you a first time home buyer. Check out First Time Buyer Central.

You are trying to sell your home, buy a new one in your new town many miles away, perhaps finishing an old job or starting a new one, preparing to move, getting financing in order, dealing with kids and chores, and so on.

Do you feel like you are dodging bullets all the time? Waiting to see what next is going to get thrown at you? I think it's an apt description of what relocating buyers and sellers are coping with.

If you aren't feeling this way, consider yourself extremely lucky. Managing all the details of a relocation, especially when jobs and kids are involved and you are moving a distance, with limited time, IS like dodging bullets.

It's normal, so accept it. It's a huge challenge, but this too will pass. Keeping organized, dealing with the issues as you can, and not letting yourself get bent out of shape will help you through. Use your agent to help whenever possible, even if you need some spiritual counseling! And enlist the help of other experts that can help you get the information you need, look at the options you have, and make the right decisions in a timely manner.

The key is staying focused on the end goal - your new home!

The majority of buyers and sellers (like you, since you are reading this) are seeking information on buying and selling homes on the Internet. And if you are not, you SHOULD.

There is a wealth of information available to you on the process of selling your home, and acquiring a new one, or your first. That does not, however, replace the information that you can get from a knowledgeable agent.

But how do you find out about agents?

And what sorts of things do YOU want to know before making that critical decision to hire someone to help you, either to sell or to buy, or both.?

Agent websites are a good way to get to know about agents. But blogs are even better. Here's why.

• You probably want to know about your prospective agent's experience in your area
• And their knowledge about the market, the and selling process, and matters that can impact YOU and YOUR transaction
• Do they know what they are doing, and do they convey a sense of that in their communication
• And do they demonstrate that they are focused on their clients, or more so on their own interests. REMEMBER, as the client YOUR interests are paramount, and as agent we are obligated to look out for YOUR interests.
• Perhaps you also want to know their statistics

I suspect, however, that you also are interested in the agent on a more personal level. What is their style and personality? Are they ethical? Do they make you feel comfortable? Are they someone you would like to work with? And so on.

Blogs are a great way to get to know all of these things about an agent. You will find that you may feel comfortable with a certain person and how they work, their passion for the industry, their service attitude, their style, and so much more.

So in addition to learning about buying and selling, use the Internet, and blogs to find out what you would like to know about an agent before you hire them. You will probably find that if you like them on-line, you will also like them in person. That's the beauty of on-line transparency.

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Start your CARLSBAD HOMES SEARCH here (and other San Diego communities)

Download FREE BUYER AND SELLER REPORTS here

Visit CARLSBAD COMMUNITY REPORTS for profiles on communities, subdivisions and neighborhoods

Despite what the media seems to implies, there ARE buyers out there looking to buy a new home.

Yes, they are taking a look at lots of properties before making a decision. And as we head into the holidays we can expect that sales may slow as folks focus on other things, like shopping and getting ready for the season's festivities.

BUT, there are plenty of people out there who NEED to buy. They are relocating, or really need more space, or there are other issues that are driving them to purchase.

So, sellers, is YOUR HOME a moving target? Are these buyers who need to buy considering YOUR HOME as a place to move to? Or are they being driven away to another property that is a better deal?

I hate to harp on this, but as the inventory continues to be fairly high, buyers remain fussy about what they will purchase, even if they need to. I have seen it happen many times, and Ihave buyers right now who are voicing their concerns about properties they see.

• They don't feel the home is well priced compared to others in the area
• The home does not show well and they can't see beyond the clutter, or the minor improvements they would need to make
• They are finding lots of minor reasons NOT to buy, rather than looking at the reasons TO BUY

The reality is that buyers are much more in control now, whether you like it or not. And with continued concerns about the economy and the mortgage industry, many are still feeling prices may drop. And they are certainly NOT interested in those properties that they do not feel are worth the asking price.

Take a good, hard, objective look at your home and the pricing. And why not visit your competition, too...just to see how you compare. And listen to what your agent has to say about the market, so YOUR home becomes a moving target.

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Start your CARLSBAD HOMES SEARCH here (and other San Diego communities)

Download FREE BUYER AND SELLER REPORTS here

Visit CARLSBAD COMMUNITY REPORTS for profiles on communities, subdivisions and neighborhoods

While I am addressing this specifically to sellers of Carlsbad homes, because I live here, it really is applicable anywhere. So, sellers, listen up.

The title, "Carlsbad Sellers, Cell Your Home," is NOT a typo. There is new technology out there, well, new to real estate, that you should be aware or (as should your listing agent - I am adding it to MY arsenal of services for sellers). That is, using cellular technology to transmit listing information (including photos and other information you will find on the MLS) to potential buyers who see your sign and call the telephone number that is provided along with an ID #.

It's a virtual brochure box, so to speak. (Note that phones MUST be capable of photo messaging, which is a majority of brands). Of course you can combine this with the standrard brochure box so you can appeal to buyers who love texting as well as those who want to hold something in their hand to read and review.

Call for Pics is one company providing this service but there are others.

Is YOUR Carlsbad real estate agent up on the technology to help "cell" YOUR home?

BUYERS - if you love text messaging you will love this when you are searching for a home.

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Start your CARLSBAD HOMES SEARCH here (and other San Diego communities)

Download FREE BUYER AND SELLER REPORTS here

Visit CARLSBAD COMMUNITY REPORTS for profiles on communities, subdivisions and neighborhoods