One of the things that I do, as a buyers agent, that makes me different than other real estate agents is that I don’t “just” show homes that are listed on the MLS. Especially in today’s competitive real estate market here in Shoreline, Lynnwood and Everett, we are finding it difficult to buy homes straight off the MLS because they are often being sold for well over asking price with multiple offers. Instead, I specialize in uncovering off-market properties to provide my clients with exclusive opportunities in this challenging market.
For that reason, I like to do marketing to people who are in my buyers’ prefered neighborhoods, but who have not have decided to sell their house yet for whatever reason.
If we can identify home owners who are a few weeks or months away from being ready to sell, we may be able to build a relationship with them such that they would consider a direct sale to my buyers without ever putting their house on the open market.
I know this might sound crazy, but many people like the idea of not having to fix up their home in stages, not worrying about staging all their furniture and making things look perfect, not having to pay the real estate commission, or just getting to move on the dates of their choice.
The nice thing about this is that often times the buyer and seller can meet if they want to and work out any details of the transaction face-to-face. Some people really like this of meeting the owner of the property. Other folks would prefer to avoid it and as a real estate agent, so I am always happy to act as the intermediary.
The main benefit here is that when I work for buyers in this way I am investing in marketing that is just for them. Whether I am doorknocking, sending mail, or calling everyone in a certain neighborhood or development, I am able to have conversations with a significant portion of the folks living there.
When you think about it, if people sell an average at once every 10 years, that means about one out of 10 folks that I talk to you might be wanting to sell this year. Of course, some of those may already have their home up on the market or under contract. But… there are always others earlier in the process… maybe one in 20 or 30 is looking to sell in the next six months.
So if you are in a market like ours here in North Seattle, Lynnwood, Bothell and Everett, where there is not a lot of inventory to go around, it might make sense to find a real estate broker who offers the types of services that we do at Homepro Associates. Rather than just waiting for something to come along on the MLS, we try to go the extra mile for our clients and finding off market properties that could be a good fit.
Of course, at the end of the day you need to be willing to pay what the house is worth and negotiate with the owner of the property. But I will say, as an investor, I have found some very good deals is an exactly this type of marketing.
That’s why working with a real estate agent who has an investor mindset is so important. You don’t want your agent to be a fat, lazy bear sitting in the river waiting for fish to jump into his mouth. You need an agent who knows how to hunt. That’s me, that’s what I do, and that’s what I like. When you’re ready, let us know how we can help you, too.
