Selling a Home in Lake Norman, NC
Lake Norman is a unique and diverse area. Each community has its own character. Each neighborhood appeals to a different buyer. To obtain the highest possible sales price for your home, the marketing must reach the right buyers with the right message. We have the network and experience to do this.
The old adage, "You can't judge a book by its cover" is passé today. This is a fast-paced, image-oriented society in which we live. First impressions really do count! Every piece of information on your property, whether it be a brochure, the wording in the Multiple Listing Service, a presence on the Internet, or a well-placed advertisement, must show your home in the best possible light.
During all phases of a listing from the initial paperwork and promotion through the very last details of the closing, we personally attend to all of the details. As a result, the large majority of our transactions come through referrals and repeat business.
We Know the Lake Norman Real Estate Market
We Have the Creative Talent to Showcase Your Home
PRICING YOUR HOME
The right price should:
- Attract buyers
- Allow you to earn the most money possible
- Help you sell as quickly as possible
- Faster sale and less inconvenience
- Exposure to more buyers
- Increases Realtors® response
- Generates more advertising/sign calls
- Attracts higher offers
- Means more money to seller
- Avoids being "shopworn"
- Over-improvement
- Need
- Purchasing in higher-priced area
- Original purchase price too high
- Lack of factual data
- Bargaining room
- Move isn't necessary
- Assessed value
- Emotional attachment
- Opinion of family and neighbors
- Most of the activity on your home will occur in the first few weeks. Pricing a home properly and then creating immediate urgency in the minds of agents and buyers is critical.
- Buyers who have seen most available homes in their price range are waiting for the "right house" to come on the market. That's why if a house is priced right, it will sell quickly. The buyers are there waiting for it.
- Don't start with a high price and the assumption that you can reduce it later. By the time you decide to lower the price, it may be too late, as interest will have already waned.
- A major cause for concern is appraisal problems; overpricing can lead to loan rejections and lost time.
- Even if your home is nicer than other homes in the same area, your house won't be picked for viewing if you set the price too high.
- Buyers and agents become aware of the long exposure period and often are hesitant to make an offer because they fear something is wrong with the property.
- Attracting the wrong buyers.
- Fewer potentially qualified buyers will respond.
- You might help sell similar homes that are priced low.
- You could lose money as a result of making extra mortgage payments while incurring taxes, insurance and unplanned maintenance costs.
- Provide you with a comparative market analysis (CMA), a comparison of the prices of recently sold homes that are similar in terms of location, style, and amenities. A CMA is performed by comparing previously sold homes in the area, and currently active homes to know your competition.
- There is no "exact price" for real estate
- We don't tell you what we think your home is "worth".
- The market determines value…together we determine the price.
- You determine the price based on the factors you control:
- Financing alternatives provided
- Condition
- Exposure method
- Keep in touch with market trends and keep up to date with market activity of comparable homes.
- Estimate your net proceeds.
- Help to determine offering incentives.
Marketing Your Home
- MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE: Your home is immediately listed on the Multiple Listing Service which updates a daily catalog of homes for sale through its member brokers and an online computer network, available to its members, with photos and descriptions of all listed properties. We personally submit a photo and the descriptive elements of your home to ensure that you have the best possible representation on the MLS.
- ON THE INTERNET: All of our property listings are online under Featured Listings on our website as well as on all local websites that subscribe to the Multiple Listing Service. Research from the National Association of Realtors indicates that more than 80% of home buyers now begin the buying process online. Our website includes the most advanced tools available, including Active Maps and automatic email notifications, to give buyers the most reason to keep coming back.
- FOR SALE SIGNS AND BROCHURE BOXES: Immediately our distinctive 'For Sale' sign is placed on your property along with a brochure box containing photo/property information flyers
- PHOTO FLYER: As quickly as possible after receiving your signed listing contract, we prepare and print a professional color flyer. We make a point of having flyers for all of our listings available at each of our open houses.
SHOWING YOUR HOME
The exterior of your home often determines how buyers will view the interior, so:
- Make sure your front entrance is clean and inviting.
- Paint or replace your front door if it's faded or worn.
- Add some paint to shutters, trim and any other outside features showing signs of wear.
- Add vibrant plants and put down some fresh mulch.
- Accentuate the Positive.
- Keep windows and floors clean.
- Replace faded wallpaper and glue any areas that have come away from the wall.
- Repair worn woodwork.
- Repaint scarred or dirty walls in a neutral color.
- Steam clean carpeting or replace it, if necessary.
- Repair loose knobs, sticking doors and windows, warped cabinet drawers, broken light switches and other minor flaws.
- Check and repair caulking in bathtubs and showers.
- Open draperies and curtains to let the light in during the showing.
- Remove all unnecessary clutter from your attic, basement and closets to better display spacious rooms (consider storage or a garage sale to dispose of extraneous items).
- Arrange all your rooms neatly and remove excess furniture. Keep fresh, clean towels in the bathroom. Use candles or air fresheners to make the room smell pleasant.
Strategically lighting your home, even during daytime showings, can create a cozy mood and highlight positive attributes of each room, so:
- Avoid the use of overhead lighting that makes rooms look washed out and lifeless.
- Be creative and arrange lamps to help smaller rooms seem larger, and large rooms seem more intimate.
- Use lighting to highlight the "living areas" of your home, such as a pair of chairs near a fireplace, or a table in a breakfast area.
- Clear all unnecessary objects from furniture throughout the house. Keep decorative objects on the furniture restricted to groups of 1, 3, or 5 items.
- Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen countertops. If it hasn't been used for three months…put it away!
- Clear refrigerator fronts of messages, pictures, etc. (A sparse kitchen helps buyers mentally move their own things into your kitchen.)
- In the bathroom, remove any unnecessary items from countertops, tubs, shower stalls and commode tops. Keep only your most needed cosmetics, brushes, perfumes, etc., in one small group on the counter. Coordinate towels to one or two colors only.
- Rearrange or remove some of the furniture if necessary. As owners, many times we have too much furniture in a room. This is wonderful for our personal enjoyment, but when it comes to selling, we need to thin out as much as possible to make rooms appear larger.
- Take down or rearrange certain pictures or object on walls. Patch and paint if necessary.
- Review the house inside room by room. Paint any room needing paint, clean carpets or drapes that need it, clean windows.
- Leave on certain lights during the day. During "showings" turn on all lights and lamps.
- Have stereo FM on during the day for all viewings.
- Lockbox--#1 Importance: "If we don't have it, they won't show it."
- Trim landscaping to reveal architectural detail (bottom of windows, etc.). "If they can't see it, we can't sell it."
- Go around the perimeter of the house and move all garbage cans, discarded wood scraps, extra building materials, etc., into the garage.
- Check gutters and/or roof for dry rot. Make sure they are swept and cleaned.
- Look at all plants…prune bushes and trees. Keep plants from blocking windows. "You can't sell a house if you can't see it." Plants are like children-they grow so fast!!
- Weed and then bark all planting areas. Keep lawn freshly cut and fertilized. Remove any dead plants or shrubs.
- Clear patios or decks of all small items, such as small planters, flower pots, charcoal, barbecues, toys, etc. (Put them in the garage).
- Check paint condition of the house-especially the front door and trim. "Curb appeal really works!"
Try to look at your house "through the buyer's eyes" as though you've never seen it or been there before. Any time or money spent on these items will bring you back more money in return, and hopefully a faster sale.
don't just take our word for it
testimonials
We did a ton of due diligence, interviewing 6 different realtors prior to selecting Renee Ollis with EXP Realty to sell our home(...)In the end, Renee was able to negotiate a contract for our home at $10K over asking even though we were beginning to see the market normalize in our neighborhood. If we are ever in the market to sell another home, Renee has earned our confidence to represent us in that venture.
-Bill and Shannon
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don't just take our word for it
testimonials
I presented Renee with a specific type of house in mind and Renee came through perfectly! She went above and beyond is an understatement. She is professional and attentive. Everything went smoothly; I could not have been happier with my experience with Renee.
-Chastity
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don't just take our word for it
testimonials
Renee is a different kind of agent. She is incredibly helpful and guided me through the process of buying my first home. She knew all the little details to ask and was great at negotiating on my behalf. She had good knowledge of the area and was able to quickly understand the type of home I was looking for. I especially appreciated how on top of everything she was, even getting my lender to complete actions quicker!
-Devin
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don't just take our word for it
testimonials
What my husband and I wanted to do is not easy – from Florida, where we live and are stuck because of Covid, to buy 10 acres of land near Charlotte for a retirement home and three horses while not seeing the land in person(...)Even before we signed a contract, Renee took the time to understand our needs and answer all our questions so that when it came time to make a decision to buy, we had no concerns about buying land long distance.
-Wendy
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don't just take our word for it
testimonials
From the very first text all the way through closing, Renee was unbelievable. She is responsive and communicates with you through every step, she will negotiate for you, and always have your best interests in mind. Home buying isn't always a fun process, but Renee made it one of the best buying experiences we've had.
-Jill
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don't just take our word for it
testimonials
I’ve dealt with tons of Realtors and she is by far the Best! Going the extra mile on every aspect of the sale of my home. Explaining the process, helping me prepare and providing recommendations of vendors and a task list to ensure my home was market ready. Marketing my home along with strong negotiation efforts to help me maximize my property’s value.
-Sara
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don't just take our word for it
testimonials
Renee was an absolute blessing to us as we searched for a home! Being long time homeowners, but only having bought one home, we were inexperienced buyers. Renee guided, mentored, and helped us prepare mentally for so many things that you either forget or simply have never thought about when buying a home. Her experience was invaluable in navigating us through all the phases of buying a home, her knowledge of the LKN area was impeccable in helping us make such an important decision.
-Clint