It’s been busy! It’s refreshing to see the local market finally picking up momentum. Real Estate still remains a good investment although sometimes it takes a little longer for that investment to be realized.

On Monday I had a visit by a sweet couple who I have worked with several times in the past. Last year they bought a townhome and even then I said, this wont last. It didn’t. So this morning their property went live in the Multiple Listing Service and on various internet sites. These clients always have beautiful homes. They are well staged and spotlessly clean. They are a joy to photograph and market. I thought I would share with you what goes into marketing a home in the beginning stages.

After they left my office on Monday I took some time to pull tax maps and tax cards, information on their community, their deed and every bit of information that pertained to their property. Tuesday morning I spent photographing their home, ensuring the photos were straight, well lit and that that toilet seats were down, coffee pots didn’t block your view of the kitchen and all sorts of little details that would distract from the photos. That afternoon and a good part of the next day I spent pouring over my 150+ photos , tweaking every one with color correction and cropping. Wednesday morning was spent deciding which photos made the cut. I also started on the single property website which is the best tool that I have found when marketing a home. On Thursday I drew up the flyer, another sheet with details about the house and community, maps showing location, surveys and all sorts of other marketing materials. I then entered all of this in the MLS along with the photos, flyers and details sheets. By the end of the day on Thursday it was ready to go. This morning at 7am I clicked “Active” and their home went live for the public to see. By 11 am we had our first appointment set by a potential buyer.

As time goes on I will submit advertising to various magazines and newspapers, whomp up the Realtor.com listing, do neighborhood mailings and numerous other marketing ideas that I routinely take advantage of. As you can see, the biggest part of marketing a home is in the beginning. I easily have 20 hours into the initial marketing preparation and more will come as time goes on. If we have judged the market correctly and set the price well, I expect a contract on this home within the next two weeks. Then begins the fun of negotiations, inspections and a whole host of other paperwork. My work doesn’t end until the sale is final at the closing table and sometimes not even then. Real Estate is an interesting and time consuming business and I love every minute of it.

to view the details on the home I referred to in this post, please visit www.7hollandmountain.com