I changed my banner picture!  I have this blog, a facebook business page and a website. I’m trying to make them look all bit more consistent. I use to have images of the mountains and a nice bit about matching people with homes. I still do that. I LOVE marketing homes and finding just the right buyers. I will always do this. However……..so many of my clients also show and compete with their dogs and/or they are artists. They are my “Sphere of Influence” as we say in the industry. So why not be more direct in letting my Sphere know that I am here to help?

My husband and I decided to sell off a bit of land. 2.31 acres to be exact. (details at www.00BartlettRoad.com ). I spent just as much time putting this property on the market as I do all of my listings. I spent two very full days and more doing this and this is MY OWN property. In other words, I knew all the answers to the questions, I knew the details, I already had the survey, the deed and much of the pertinent information………this property is not one that I need to “discover”. So what took me so long?

First step – walk the property. My husband and I found all of the pins that the surveyor put in the ground. We flagged them all with bright pink tape to make them easier to find.

We designed and ordered signs for the property that showed where the property line starts and ends plus the best place to park for showings. These take a few days to come in the mail so we needed to jump on it.

I took photographs from every angle imaginable then spent quite a bit of time color correcting, straightening and enhancing the photographs so the property shows at it’s best.

While on the computer I printed out tax maps of the overall area, a tax map of just this lot, a tax map showing 20ft contours and the tax card. I blew up a copy of the survey and marked areas that a buyer would need to know about such as the location of the 2 right of ways, what pins are flagged and so forth. I printed out the deed for the property and the deed showing the upper right of way. I typed up the restrictions that are being placed on the property in a format that is easy to read and understand.

The next step was setting up a single property website. These websites are FABULOUS for adverting property and I do them on all of my listings. I can upload unlimited photographs and really get into the details of the property in my description. I can also upload attachments such as surveys, tax maps, restrictions and anything else that helps me tell the story of this property.

I then updated my own personal website with the new listing. ( www.SusanMYoung.com if you are curious)

Finally, it went in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). This alone took nearly an hour with all of the details that I need to look up and fill in (keep in mind, with this property I magically know the details since I own it). I also need to type up directions, two different adverting verbiages and any other details that I might want another real estate agent to know. The MLS allows 24 photos for uploading (ok, I was at home where my internet speed stinks so that accounts for a bit of time) as well as attachments for surveys and other information.

All of this took well over a day and that’s with few distractions. A clients property would take longer since I am discovering information on a property. A house….even longer!  I might shoot well over 100 photographs of a house, sort them, correct and enhance them then choose my 24 for the MLS and any additional for the website. It’s not unusual for me to spend several days getting a property on the market. Anyone who tells you they can get it on the MLS tonight isn’t putting a lot of effort into their job.

If a real estate broker cares about their work, they will spend this much time and more preparing your property for the market. What I did for my own property is not unusual. I do this for all of my properties. It’s worth the time and effort because my clients are worth the time and effort.