A Tale of Two Agents!
What's New?
A few weeks ago I wrote about "A Tale of Two Markets." Today, I want to speak about "A Tale of Two Agents." I make it my business to see ALL of the available listings in Piedmont. Knowing what is available and what has sold (and for how much) is incredibly important not only to me, but to my clients as well. Usually, I do this on Monday mornings during Broker’s Tour, but knowing I was going to be tied up in home inspections on a property I sold last week, I went out on Sunday afternoon instead.
I was anxious to see a particular home that has had a "Coming Soon" sign posted in front of it for the last 3 weeks. I was anticipating a cute cottage, offering a price point sure to entice my "starter" buyers. Suffice it to say, that wasn't the case.
Piedmont real estate is a luxury commodity and should be marketed as such.
To be fair, the agent’s assistant was very sincere and had greeted me warmly as I arrived, but after introducing myself and my company, he asked me if I knew of a local agent that would be willing to hold the property open on Sundays. He went on to say that he and the listing agent both live on the Peninsula and that Piedmont was difficult to accommodate. Huh?
When I inquired as to why, under those circumstances, they had taken the listing, he responded, "We know the owners."
Contrast this experience to the next open I visited at the corner of Wildwood and Windsor Avenue which also came to market this past Sunday, but with a local agent. She priced the property aggressively, personally phoned her colleagues to let them know the house was ready to show, professionally staged the property, created beautiful color brochures, posted a slide show on the company website, strategically placed signs around town, advertised in the local paper, and even had an old-fashioned lemonade stand out front! (Whether this was by design or by chance, it really created the small town atmosphere we have come to expect in Piedmont.) No surprise – it was packed!
If friendship or nepotism are your only criteria when selecting an agent, you are doing yourself a disservice!
This isn’t to say that a family member or close friend might not be the perfect fit for you - they often are - but only IF he or she is also a local agent. Given the number of agents in town, chances are you already have many good choices from which to choose.
I often give my business to friends and enjoy doing so. I firmly believe a friend is more invested in my success, but I also understand the viewpoint that embraces anonymity as well. Either way, make sure you hire an agent who knows the market intimately, is respected by their peers, is comfortable with the Internet (where 72% of buyers and sellers now begin their search) comfortably communicates, has a successful track record of negotiating and closing deals, and above all else, puts your needs above his or her own!
What's Coming?
Anthony Riggins brings to market a Stately Tudor on Northvale Road in Crocker Highlands. This stunning three-story home offers 6 bdrms/4bths with fabulous master wing, featuring a designer bathroom with Provence-style tub and large walk-in closet. Offering a ‘home within a home,’ the third level features two bedrooms, flanking a center family room and a full bathroom for the ultimate in teen privacy! New chef's kitchen opens to rear garden and gated entertainment area perfect for hosting large Al Fresco gatherings in style! Open this Sunday 2-4:30. Price: $1,395,000.
Judy and Ben have been busy and this week they unveil another beautiful Crocker Highland's home. This Romantic Revival-Style beauty on Paramount Road, was built in 1925 but has been extensively upgraded. This home features 4bdrms/2.5 baths, chef's kitchen with Thermador range and two dishwashers (I'm jealous), formal living and dining rooms, landscaped garden with brick patio and lower level bonus room! Open this Sunday 2-4:30!
What's Pending?
67 Glen Alpine Road went pending last week. This very petite 1bdrm/1bth cottage, less than (1150 square feet) on a very LARGE lot went quickly. Surrounded by multi-million dollar estates and true privacy - it’s no wonder! I expect we will see a new home break ground in the near future.
120 Dracena Avenue also went pending last week. I am pleased to report that I negotiated that sale (which explains the inspections). The buyers, along with their three lovely daughters are looking forward to living in Piedmont and synchronizing their girl's schedules (ah, the simplicity of Piedmont). Dracena is a wonderful block and now it has just gotten even better!
What's Happening Now?
The market is brisk, but the funding behind it is once again tightening up! Today we received news of loans that have been approved, but not funded come close of escrow. Why? This is due to a lack of liquidity in the secondary market. Please double check with your mortgage broker to ascertain the source of your funding and make sure that your liquid assets are in deed, liquid! No one likes surprises at the close of escrow - least of all, you.
What's Fun!
I stole away for one quick weekend and came back to find the town in full bloom! This is truly my favorite time of year in Piedmont. Grab your kids, your dog, or better yet, a friend and head out the door for the spring display of tulips, magnolias, daffodils and cherry blossoms. It doesn’t get any prettier than Piedmont in the spring. I know my favorite gardens along the way. What are yours?
See you next week!
For more information about any of the properties or events listed above, please call me at (510) 339-0400 x264, or simply respond to this email. I'd love to share my real estate tips and my experience in the Piedmont community with you!
Feel free to visit my website at JulieGardner.comfor more information as well.
A few weeks ago I wrote about "A Tale of Two Markets." Today, I want to speak about "A Tale of Two Agents." I make it my business to see ALL of the available listings in Piedmont. Knowing what is available and what has sold (and for how much) is incredibly important not only to me, but to my clients as well. Usually, I do this on Monday mornings during Broker’s Tour, but knowing I was going to be tied up in home inspections on a property I sold last week, I went out on Sunday afternoon instead.
I was anxious to see a particular home that has had a "Coming Soon" sign posted in front of it for the last 3 weeks. I was anticipating a cute cottage, offering a price point sure to entice my "starter" buyers. Suffice it to say, that wasn't the case.
Piedmont real estate is a luxury commodity and should be marketed as such.
To be fair, the agent’s assistant was very sincere and had greeted me warmly as I arrived, but after introducing myself and my company, he asked me if I knew of a local agent that would be willing to hold the property open on Sundays. He went on to say that he and the listing agent both live on the Peninsula and that Piedmont was difficult to accommodate. Huh?
When I inquired as to why, under those circumstances, they had taken the listing, he responded, "We know the owners."
Contrast this experience to the next open I visited at the corner of Wildwood and Windsor Avenue which also came to market this past Sunday, but with a local agent. She priced the property aggressively, personally phoned her colleagues to let them know the house was ready to show, professionally staged the property, created beautiful color brochures, posted a slide show on the company website, strategically placed signs around town, advertised in the local paper, and even had an old-fashioned lemonade stand out front! (Whether this was by design or by chance, it really created the small town atmosphere we have come to expect in Piedmont.) No surprise – it was packed!
If friendship or nepotism are your only criteria when selecting an agent, you are doing yourself a disservice!
This isn’t to say that a family member or close friend might not be the perfect fit for you - they often are - but only IF he or she is also a local agent. Given the number of agents in town, chances are you already have many good choices from which to choose.
I often give my business to friends and enjoy doing so. I firmly believe a friend is more invested in my success, but I also understand the viewpoint that embraces anonymity as well. Either way, make sure you hire an agent who knows the market intimately, is respected by their peers, is comfortable with the Internet (where 72% of buyers and sellers now begin their search) comfortably communicates, has a successful track record of negotiating and closing deals, and above all else, puts your needs above his or her own!
What's Coming?
Anthony Riggins brings to market a Stately Tudor on Northvale Road in Crocker Highlands. This stunning three-story home offers 6 bdrms/4bths with fabulous master wing, featuring a designer bathroom with Provence-style tub and large walk-in closet. Offering a ‘home within a home,’ the third level features two bedrooms, flanking a center family room and a full bathroom for the ultimate in teen privacy! New chef's kitchen opens to rear garden and gated entertainment area perfect for hosting large Al Fresco gatherings in style! Open this Sunday 2-4:30. Price: $1,395,000.
Judy and Ben have been busy and this week they unveil another beautiful Crocker Highland's home. This Romantic Revival-Style beauty on Paramount Road, was built in 1925 but has been extensively upgraded. This home features 4bdrms/2.5 baths, chef's kitchen with Thermador range and two dishwashers (I'm jealous), formal living and dining rooms, landscaped garden with brick patio and lower level bonus room! Open this Sunday 2-4:30!
What's Pending?
67 Glen Alpine Road went pending last week. This very petite 1bdrm/1bth cottage, less than (1150 square feet) on a very LARGE lot went quickly. Surrounded by multi-million dollar estates and true privacy - it’s no wonder! I expect we will see a new home break ground in the near future.
120 Dracena Avenue also went pending last week. I am pleased to report that I negotiated that sale (which explains the inspections). The buyers, along with their three lovely daughters are looking forward to living in Piedmont and synchronizing their girl's schedules (ah, the simplicity of Piedmont). Dracena is a wonderful block and now it has just gotten even better!
What's Happening Now?
The market is brisk, but the funding behind it is once again tightening up! Today we received news of loans that have been approved, but not funded come close of escrow. Why? This is due to a lack of liquidity in the secondary market. Please double check with your mortgage broker to ascertain the source of your funding and make sure that your liquid assets are in deed, liquid! No one likes surprises at the close of escrow - least of all, you.
What's Fun!
I stole away for one quick weekend and came back to find the town in full bloom! This is truly my favorite time of year in Piedmont. Grab your kids, your dog, or better yet, a friend and head out the door for the spring display of tulips, magnolias, daffodils and cherry blossoms. It doesn’t get any prettier than Piedmont in the spring. I know my favorite gardens along the way. What are yours?
See you next week!
For more information about any of the properties or events listed above, please call me at (510) 339-0400 x264, or simply respond to this email. I'd love to share my real estate tips and my experience in the Piedmont community with you!
Feel free to visit my website at JulieGardner.comfor more information as well.
posted by Julie at
6:15 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home