Are you considering liquidating your portfolio of real estate holdings in Seattle? Whether taxes and politics have you down, you’re considering retiring, or you’re planning to trade up into something better, we at Seattle Neighborhood Realty would like to help.
Some investors have reached the stage of the game where they are desperate to get out, having had their fill of negative cash flow, terrible tenants, and expensive repairs. Others are ready to exit the real estate investment game because they’ve achieved their goals. They have made, for instance, a good return on their investments are ready to cash out and retire.
Whatever the reason for you, if you have reached the point of considering liquidating your portfolio, we are here to help. Depending on the properties you are holding – their size, location and condition, – and your goals – if you’re trying to move into another property, for example – we can discuss whether to package the units together and sell them as a group, or if selling your homes, duplexes or apartments as individual units makes more sense.
Whatever the case, it’s good to understand If that describes you, here are a few sound reasons why you need a great agent to liquidate your portfolio in Seattle.
A Great Real Estate Agent Has Niche Knowledge
Unlike many real estate agents, I am investor myself and started buying homes for rent in 2002, before I ever got my real estate license. Through partnerships and syndication, my team and I raised money for the purchase of apartment buildings, shopping centers, and raw land for development. I know the investing side of the business because I am an investor myself.
If you really need to liquidate your portfolio in Seattle, you don’t want a generalist or an average agent because an average agent is, well, just average usually. You need an agent with specialized niche knowledge and experience in your particular market.
A great agent who knows your market niche will already have buyer contacts, usually other investors who are ready to buy investment properties. All your agent then has to do is send out an email blast to get the word out to numerous buyers. With this kind of agent who has the niche expertise and contacts, you may even have, if your price is reasonable, an offer and a contract within just a day or two.
Know Why You Are Liquidating Your Portfolio And What Goals You Plan To Achieve
Real estate investing can be exciting, but it can also have its ups and downs. Owning and holding any property in Seattle represents a significant financial investment – these buildings are not cheap! Even apartments out in Marysville, WA run at very low cap rates.
After a while you may find that you’ve had huge appreciation and are ready to sell and get your money out, or you may have had your fill of real estate, for now, and are ready to move on to other things. Often its business partners or spouses who are going in opposite directions who decide to make a change in their portfolio structure. Sometimes people choose to liquidate their portfolios because they need the cash for other more lucrative business opportunities.
Whether your real estate portfolio consists of:
- Single Family Homes
- Condos
- Townhomes
- Short Term Rentals (Air BnB model)
- Duplexes
- Fourplexes
- Small apartment buildings
Our real estate professional team ready to assist.
Know The Market And Know Your Numbers: A Great Agent Can Help You Price Right
Unlike single family homes which are most often sold to would-be occupants, apartment buildings and investment homes are usually sold based on their income potential. If you have a single family home portfolio, you may be able to yield a higher return on each property by fixing up the rentals to “owner occupant” levels and listing them for sale individually.
On the other hand, if time is of the essence and you are planning a 1031 exchange, selling the homes as a group may make more sense. My business partner Roger recently sold his portfolio of around 20 rental homes and used the proceeds to buy triple net office buildings in a cash-flowing market. As an owner-manager, he wanted to simplify his operations so that he could have more time for skiing and, if he should die, the portfolio would be easier for his wife to handle.
Depending on your goals and strategy, we will work with you to liquidate your portfolio in Seattle by helping you price right and get all your financial documentation in order so your buyers will be confident in the opportunity your portfolio provides. Confident buyers pay more! You may already have a good idea of what your properties are worth and the fair market value, and we can assist you in setting up your marketing and pricing to sell for liquidation purposes.
You definitely want to get the best price you can. But if you price too high, your properties will languish unsold. Price too low, and you’ll leave money on the table. With all that’s going on in the world today, buyer hesitancy is balanced by low interest rates and the market is a bit choppy. It’s not always easy to find that sweet spot, especially when attempting to liquidate a portfolio of investment properties.
Keep in mind, though, that if you are targeting a sale to other investors, we need to pay attention to what they’re willing to pay based on the properties’ actual income, growth potential, redevelopment potential and market risk. If your rental properties have a lot of deferred maintenance, you’ll need to price in a cushion so that the investor-buyer can repair the properties and bring them up to market standard. The price you get going this route may not be as high, but it generally means a faster liquidation. And a good agent can be a genuine asset here.
A Great Agent Can Assist You With Marketing
The process required to efficiently liquidate your portfolio in Seattle usually requires no small amount of savvy marketing skill on the part of your real estate agent. For a wider reach, your agent will contact other property owners in the area, potential buyers in her database, and market for fresh leads and new interest both online and off.
This is where a good agent can really prove her worth. Your agent can help you get maximum exposure in order to help you liquidate quickly and for the best price, which is usually the goal for investors who want to liquidate.
Besides having access to the standard listing sites, including the MLS and the commercial and investment property equivalent, that you won’t have access to a strong investor agent can assemble the necessary selling information about your properties and even write the ads. She will also know how to leverage social media, a powerful sales tool today. Your agent will also deploy the best strategies for sites like Trulia and Craigslist.
If you’ve reached the point where you want or need to liquidate your portfolio in Seattle, you’ll find that a good real estate agent is truly on your side. Your agent will bring to the partnership, niche knowledge, pricing acumen, and marketing skills.
