Irfan NazirSenior Vice PresidentPac West Home LoansPhone: 909-786-6763Fax 866-809-6206License:289598www.pwhomeloans.com

When the Sellers Aren't SellingRemind Them: "Presentation is Everything!"

At times the sellers themselves thwart the efforts of the Real Estate Agent. Nothing can be quite asfrustrating as trying to pull all the weight when someone else is adding to the burden by beinguncooperative!

If you have a seller who is not making sure their home is presentable to a potential buyer, remindthem that, in a competitive market with more inventory than we've seen in some time, presentation iseverything! By eliminating points the potential buyer may find fault with and bringing out the positiveamenities, they are more likely to sell the home and get the price they are asking for. Here are just afew tips that will help them support your efforts as their representative in the transaction:

Let There Be Light. Buy some 100-watt bulbs to brighten the rooms, and open curtains or blinds tolet light in. Unless a window faces a brick wall or some type of eyesore, open the drapes!

Garage, Not Garbage. Have a garage sale to clean out the clutter and make the garage more spacious. Your clients aremoving and will need to start organizing anyway, so why wait until the last minute? Clean up oil spots in the garage or carportwith a good cleanser to remove that "lived-in" appearance. The home may not be brand new, but it's new to the potential buyer.

Make Scents. Get a nice potpourri air freshener, or keep some refrigerated cookie dough on hand to throw in the oven when aprospect is coming over. Make the house smell like a home.

Paint-relief. Consider re-painting any areas that need to be touched up, especially the front door and entryway, and anyappliances that are showing their age.

Power Plants. Trim down any jungles outside, especially if they cover the house. Get rid of any half-dead houseplants. Waterthe lawns briefly before any visit, and keep the lawns mowed and edged.

The Price is Right. Price may be a sensitive issue, but with increased inventories and declining home values in manyneighborhoods, remind your clients that every shopper in a buyers' market is determined to get the best deal possible. Let themknow that now is a good time to compare their house with others on the market in the same area, because the right price is theone thing that will sell their house faster than anything else.

The World is Your Stage. Professional staging can help to showcase the best side of a home, create more interest, and getyour clients top dollar. With increased inventories, staging could provide the competitive edge you need.

These tips were derived from 33 Ways to Sell Your Home Fast!, an info-marketing booklet I use as part of my campaign tomarket my services to FSBOs. In many cases, people who are attempting to sell their own home eventually become frustratedand end up asking me to refer them to a professional Real Estate Agent.

Let me know if you are interested in establishing a co-op marketing effort to generate listings.*

* RESPA laws require Real Estate professionals to pay a proportionate amount of the costs for co-op marketing and distribution. I have negotiated fair rates for

my vendors, and I believe you will find the costs are reasonable. (See http://www.hud.gov to access RESPA ruling 24CFR3500.14.)

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