F.S.B.O. Booklet
Included in this packet is information about why it is not only a good idea to list with an agent, but also why I’m the agent for the job. I hope you give me the opportunity to help you get the results my past clients have received. A few of my client’s feedback is mentioned below. I know that they have received benefits from my services that they couldn’t have received without me. I will also work hard to get you the quickest and highest price possible in the present market.
Please take a moment and reflect on the reasons why you are selling FSBO.
Popular FSBO answers are:
1) I want to save money.
2) I don’t know anyone in real estate.
3) I can do a better job than most real estate agents.
Are you selling FSBO for any of these reasons? If so, I’d like you to read on and consider why I believe that all three of these answers, while valid, can cost you money.
Saving money is good. However in real estate, there is more at stake than just money.
Time is important. Consider if you don’t have the house sold in 2 months, will that cause a financial burden on you? What about 6 months? A year? The answer is obvious. Time costs sellers money. To quantify this amount, consider what your current monthly mortgage payment is and you’ll see how much time could be costing you each month.
Safety is important. Are you prepared to let strangers into your house to view it? Do you have a plan in place on how to manage the showing? Do you know of the safety issues involved with showing property? Even more, what if someone is hurt? What if they get hurt while viewing he property?
Let’s recap. In real estate, the following three items are important:
1. Money
2. Time
3. Safety
Some FSBO’s reason, I’ll give it a hard effort and if it doesn’t work out I’ll list with an agent. Fair enough. But, from my experience, I find that these FSBO’s would’ve ended up better listing with an agent from the start and not having wasted time (a.k.a. Money).
Those who know me, know me for an honest person. I truly care about my clients. I want them to get as much for their property as possible. And my past clients know that. My past results show that. When somebody employs me to sell their home, I put all my experience, effort, and resources into selling their home. And I get results.
You see, I have years of experience selling homes. I do this full time, every day. I’ve experienced more in real estate than most people have experienced in their lifetime. I study the market. I see the houses that sold 3 to 6 months ago that will be used to establish your houses value when it is appraised. I saw the condition of those houses, whether better or worse than your house. And it is my experience that will allow you to price your property right from the start and to get it sold in due time which will in turn save you money.
Also, I add value to my client’s houses.
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Staging
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Cleaning
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Decluttering
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Moving
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Home Repair
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Increased Exposure – which means more buyer’s seeing your property
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Negotiating
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Hidden Amenities
This will end up saving you money on other things down the road. I do whatever has to be done to make it sell right. I will go the extra mile to see that it is done in order to get the best results.
I could go on and on about this reason and that reason for choosing me, but I want to sit down with you and go over the options we presently have together.
Let me explain a little more about my services:
My Focus Area Includes:
Major Districts:
Ø LSU Ø Downtown Ø South Baton Rouge Ø City Park Ø Southdowns Ø Garden District Ø Tigerland Ø Spanish Town |
Major Streets:
Ø Highland Road Ø Nicholson Drive Ø Burbank Drive Ø College Drive Ø Perkins Road Ø Essen Lane Ø Siegen Lane Ø Dalrymple Drive
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Why focus on just one area? Like the common analogy of concentrated light being able to cut like a laser, I too can be more effective as an agent by focusing on a certain area and a certain customer base. I keep track of everything that goes on and off the market in this area. While any Louisiana agent can sell for the entire state of Louisiana, I choose to sell in area 5. The problem with not knowing the properties current market means that one will often over price or under price a listing, both which are very costly to the seller.
Property Types:
Ø Single-Family Houses
Ø Condos
Ø Townhomes
Ø Multi-family properties
Ø Land
Commitment:
Ø Full-time: Real Estate Consulting is not a part-time endeavor for me. I am in the field researching and experiencing the market every day.
Ø Full-service: I don’t hand off my work to my clients. I provide full services to every client. I strive to give them more than they expect, and intend to not only earn them back my commission but more savings.
Ø Fully-Qualified: I am a licensed and insured, Louisiana Real Estate Broker and REALTOR®.
Testimonials:
David is extremely helpful to first time buyers. He is very patient and kind and more than willing to explain the complicated process of buying a home. We could call him and ask him any question. If he didn't immediately know the answer, he would find the answer and take the time to explain to us what it meant. We can always count on David for real estate." N. and S. T. (First-Time Homebuyers)
"David was very helpful in helping my business partner and me find the right investment property. He showed us comparable properties in the neighborhood and let us know which he thought had the greatest return. He was very knowledgeable about cost estimates for repairs and spotted items that would have been overlooked by us. Because of David, we have a property that generates a cash flow. We have worked with other Realtors before and David has out-shined them because he has kept us up to date throughout the whole process. He is honest and truly looks out for his customer. His dedication to us has made us loyal to him." R.R and C.S. (Investors)
Just a note to say how much we appreciated your efforts. You are a great young Realtor and we hope to see you in the future. We will definitely recommend you to our friends and family. Thanks again for your hard work and the appreciation you had for our property. You, as the realtor, had to believe in the property's value for us to get the asking price. D. M.
Listing Goal Statement: To provide superior service to each client through a team-spirited environment so that my clients needs are met in a timely, ethical, and professional manner. |
My goal is to have a win-win relationship! When you succeed in selling your house, I succeed as a salesman!
Commission:
What does commission go to? Is it worth it?
The commission goes to several different parties, of which I will explain below. Service, expertise, protection, and skill are just a few of the things that the service fee goes to, which should ultimately come back to you in the form of reducing your liability, making the transaction much easier because I’m doing a lot of the legwork, and saving you more money than the commission costs the seller. More specifically, as the seller, you should get more for your house than you otherwise would have and sell it quicker than you otherwise would have which is also a monetary benefit. I also assist you in the process all the way, making sure that you know what to do at each step. I’ll field all your questions (that's where my expertise comes in to play). Basically, I offer these services to you, just as your barber offers you a service to cut your hair and his commission is what you pay him for that.
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Let’s say we list at a potential 6% of the total sales price.
Remember that if another agent secures a buyer for the house then that agent usually gets half of the commission. So, the full commission doesn’t go totally to me in this case, but actually only half of it does. And also note, that some of the commission is used to pay for the advertising that I do for your house, as it is my responsibility as your agent to pay for any advertising, not to mention all of the services that I provide… |
Example: Your house sells for $150,000 at a 6% service fee rate:
Service fee: $9,000 Split: $4,500 (3%)…
Broker’s Commission: $1350 (30%) Agent’s Commission: $3,150 (70%)
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$3,150 minus: gas, signs, online advertising, newspaper advertising, print-outs, postage, supplies, lockbox. (This is before taxes are taken out. This is attributing value to the time, services, and expertise that I give you. And keep in mind the professional results of selling quicker and know-how that will save you even more.)
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Pre-Sale Expenses:
- Advertising Expenses: TV, Internet, Direct Mail, Newspaper Ad, Flyers, Print-outs.
- Supplies: Postage, Signs, Paper, Ink, Promotional Materials.
- Auto expenses: gas, maintenance
- Equipment: computers, software, fax machine, etc.
- Office space, taxes, utilities
- Time and effort to do all of the above
All of the previous expenses are absorbed by me until we successfully sell your house. Upon the sale of your house the commission will reimburse me for the expenses mentioned above.
Post-Sale Expenses:
- Half of the service fee goes directly to the agent who sells the property, of which, I will likely never see.
- Broker’s fees, a significant percentage of the other half goes directly to my company.
- Uncle Sam gets his portion.
- I also donate a portion of this amount to TAGB “Take Back to Give Away” a volunteer group that cleans up litter in areas around LSU that has no group to fill in the gap.
It is also important to note that an agent doesn’t get paid until you do.
Benefits Beyond the Service Fee:
How will this service fee come back to you?
Not only will it earn you all of the benefits just mentioned and save you a lot of hard work and stress, but you will also see yourself getting more for your property by using me.
Here’s how:
- Increased exposure by putting your house in the M.L.S.
- Increased safety measures to not only protect your possessions and the property itself, but also you and your family’s lives. (Showing instructions, Lockbox)
- Hard work and knowledge that will ultimately reduce the likelihood of you getting into a position that will hurt you monetarily. (Having to sell the house because of the purchase of a new home, relocation, divorce.) My goal is to sell your house as quick as possible while still getting you the value you deserve!
- Screen potential buyers in order to not waste your time which could turn you into a motivated seller.
With all of the following benefits that are stated above which I can provide you as your Listing Agent, do you believe that you can benefit more by listing with me? Real Estate Agents can charge less for their services, but that doesn’t mean you’re getting the same results in the end. Let’s meet to chat more about this. Call me at 225-937-4003. We can meet at my office, a local coffee shop, or your home. Whichever you prefer. I look forward to meeting you! |
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Seller Checklist:
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Orientation Check List:
To get started please provide the following as they are available and applicable to your property. The more information I have the better I can serve you:
¨ An extra set of keys for the lockbox
¨ A list of any recent upgrades, improvements, special features, amenities
¨ A list of all decision makers who must approve sale of the property
¨ Current loan information: company name, address, phone and loan number
¨ A list of or copies of recent utility statements with average monthly expenses (water, electric, gas, pest control, homeowner’s insurance rate, flood insurance rate etc.)
¨ Appraisal
¨ Property Plat Map
¨ Homeowner Association Guidelines and Fees
¨ Your Home Warranty contract number and expiration date
¨ Second loan lender information
