Spring has Sprung!

It's official; the daffodils are in bloom, the days are beginning to warm, and the Buyers have arrived en masse as was abundantly clear with our super-charming listing at 68 Oakmont Avenue in Piedmont we successfully traded earlier this week. If this Storybook home created the template for what lies ahead (25 disclosure requests, seven highly-competitive offers, and a RECORD-SETTING RESULT !!!), then the Spring Market promises to be VERY robust indeed.

With respect to our local market, Sarah and I invited several Compass colleagues to join us for coffee and cake at my home (because who doesn't love cake?) with the intention of sharing upcoming listings and inside information. Because my co-Agents agree that we work best in tandem, the gathering was well attended and I am pleased to report that there are more than two dozen terrific COMPASS Piedmont listings coming to the market in March, April, and May, at every price point! Our competitors will no doubt have their own listings, but if I were you, I wouldn't list my house without seriously considering a Compass Agent first.

Why?

Because no other company can offer you "Compass Concierge," a unique program that allows you to use Compass $$ (with no interest or added fees) to address any outdated concerns or issues with respect to your home. If our Oakmont sale teaches us anything, it's that "turn-key" properties attract huge attention and sell for much more than their less-shiny counterparts. Moreover, Compass Concierge eases your transition. Sellers have even used these dollars to cover their moving expenses or to rent a temporary residence while their home is on the market.

Now I ask you, what other company offers this solution? (There isn't one.) In short, there's no real limit to how you utilize this fantastic, no-interest loan and it's incredibly easy to access. (Although I wouldn't use it for college tuition; this money is designed to bring you top-dollar on your home - not top-dollar on your kid - although that's no doubt important.)

Once we have a signed listing agreement in place, the Seller fills out a form online, your Agent (that's me) will confirm the list price with the click of the phone, and then the money magically arrives in your personal bank account within a few days. You'll write the checks to the vendors (while we help to coordinate the work), and at the close of escrow, you reimburse Compass from your proceeds. (Again, that's a no-interest loan, folks.) Yes, it really is that simple.

What's the catch?

It's all about collaboration. With dollars in place, we now have the funds secured to properly repair, paint, stage, and prepare your home for the marketplace. And because Sarah and I have a full-time property manager as well (GO TEAM!) a typical work week for us includes not only negotiating contracts and creating marketing copy, but selecting paint colors, specifying counter tops and back-splashes, picking up plants at the nursery, running to Home Depot, ordering lighting, potting pots, watering the garden and laying out the welcome mats, (and that's just for starters). THAT'S THE POWER OF THREE(!) and why Sarah, Jill and I believe we offer more than the vast majority of Agent 's can, do, or will. (I'm just sayin.')

Real life, real solutions, real results. . . . (If it's "real" important, don't leave it to amateurs.)

As an aside, several Buyers came into our Open House last weekend and mentioned that they were being represented by their father, sister, or SF Agent. That's all well and good, but it's likely to cost you the home.

Why?

Because your father, sister or SF Agent wasn't at my kitchen table eating coffee cake two weeks ago and doesn't know what's coming down the path, AND certainly, he or she isn't going to be in the know with respect to any "off-market" opportunities that were discussed or will emerge, as they are likely to never hit the marketplace AT ALL. That's why.

Instead, ask them to refer you to a local Agent and have them take a referral fee for doing so. If they have your best interest at heart, they will happily comply. If not, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but they are probably putting their own interests ahead of yours. Remember, this is your home and it represents a SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT. In other words, make sure the sale is a business decision above all else. With all due respect to your family and friends, this transaction is too important to treat as a favor.

How can we help your home bloom?