Just in time for the rebirth of home sales that seems to greet each new year, Chicago Realtors have packed up Santa`s bag with their special tips for home seekers and sellers.
Responding to our inquiries, several area realty veterans offered these words of advice as a sort of holiday gift to the public. And whether you`re selling your dwelling or hunting for that dream house, you`re likely to benefit from reading and heeding their advice.
Ron MacArtney, a broker associate in Coldwell Banker`s Hinsdale office, says sellers should put their best face forward. ”When a competent Realtor recommends cosmetic repairs-neutral wall colors and new carpeting, for example-take the advice. Some sellers say, `I`m not changing things . . . the buyer will change them anyway.` But buyers buy homes emotionally.”
”When potential buyers have difficulty picturing themselves in the setting, they`ll move on, not in,” says MacArtney, who has more than a dozen years` experience selling homes. ”There are exceptions, of course, but I`m talking about the broad market. In many cases, fresh paint and new carpeting in white, off-white or pale beige tones give a cost-effective facelift. The houses that look best are the ones that sell.”
Audrey Warshaw, a broker with The Prudential Preferred Properties`
Highland Park office, echoes MacArtney. ”It`s often difficult to get sellers to spend money, but I urge them to paint ceilings and walls, and install new carpeting, when necessary,” she says. ”You`ll make what you spend if your house is in `move-in` condition. Today`s buyers are so fussy, but things that show the best and are priced right sell.”
Year-end is a good time to buy a house because sellers are motivated, according to Warshaw.
A personal shopper
Pat Husby, who has been in real estate for 16 years, the last 8 with Baird & Warner in St. Charles, says, ”A potential buyer needs to think of the Realtor as a personal shopper. If they don`t find their dream home the first time out, a good Realtor will continue to keep them up-to-date on new listings and advise them as to changes in interest rates and the mood of the market.” The potential buyer is not really hiring the Realtor; the seller has already done that, according to Husby. However, she says, it`s up to the Realtor to understand what the buyer wants in terms of location, size, style and price and to ”personal shop” by sifting through hundreds of property listings to find those that best fill the bill.
”It`s important for the seller to do what I call staging the home,”
says Helen Wittry, managing broker of Re/Max Naperville. ”It`s important for them to realize the importance of uncluttering rooms, neutralizing colors and dynamizing the house for maximum appeal: lights on, window coverings open, fresh floral arrangements.”
Now beginning her ninth year in the business, Wittry offers her clients a video and a pamphlet designed to help them do the staging.
Still, she says, ”the bottom line, of course, is that it`s got to be priced well. If you`re getting a lot of showings-12 or 15, and no offers-it`s time to address the situation.”
Neat is necessary, agrees Eve Bremen, vice president and sales manager of Kahn-Manierre in Winnetka. ”Buyers today are buying by comparison. They are educated as never before,” says Bremen, an 18-year real estate veteran.
”I always give my sellers two 28-item checklists, one for the interior, the other for the exterior,” says Bremen. ”Is the sale sign on the front lawn neat? Is the winter sidewalk clear of ice and snow? Are screens in top-notch condition? Have ovens and light fixtures been cleaned?
”The lists serve as reminders and my clients are happy to have them. I also explain to them the six steps involved in putting a house on the market: First, information about the property is fed into the computer; next, the listing agent invites other brokers to tour the place; information goes into the local multiple listing system; the property is advertised; and, finally, with the homeowner`s permission, an open house for the public is scheduled.” The listing agent`s role
Nancy Donahue, who has been with the Hinsdale office of Realty World Jeff Jensen since she began selling real estate seven years ago, offers a valuable holiday gift tip for sellers: ”Before listing their houses, sellers really need to know what to expect of the listing agent, what the Realtor is going to do for them in the way of personal service.
”The major thrust should be to market a house to professional Realtors, to capture their attention. Listing agents should attend open houses for working Realtors to promote the property. `Attend` and `promote` are the key words. It`s not enough to just throw a sign on the lawn and give salespeople access to the locked key box at the entrance, but I`m sorry to say I`ve seen it done far too often.”
At the open houses she holds for Realtors, Donahue hands out special features sheets as well as listing sheets; she follows up by keeping them informed of price changes. Sometimes she invites Realtors back to review the unique qualities of a home.
Donahue suggests that buyers find an agent with whom they have rapport,
”someone who will give you their undivided attention. I had floor duty recently and answered a call from a young teacher looking for a first house. The teacher was doing phone interviews with different Realtors; I think that`s a good idea.”
Pet peeves can deter an otherwise interested prospective buyer, according to Margaret Hult, a broker associated with Oak Park`s F.C. Pilgrim & Co.
”Fido and Fifi may be `family` to their owners, but home seekers often take a dim view of pets,” says Hult, who has been with Pilgrim for more than six years. ”Some people are allergic to them and others may be just plain frightened, so control your pets. A client of mine who has five cats rounds them up and puts them in two big cages in her den when her house is shown.”
Hult`s other goodwill message to sellers this season is to ”stand back and look at your home through the eyes of a prospective buyer. Clutter is not good; if you have a lot of bric-a-brac, pack it up and put it in a storage unit. You can rent one by the month.”
Safeguard valuables
Not all home furnishings accessories are bric-a-brac, however. Some owners have valuable objects on display that may enhance the interior, but should be put under lock and key, according to Phillip Bruno, president of Century 21 Homefinders in Oak Lawn.
”We recommend that owners lock valuables such as figurines and sterling flatware in a closet and put cash or jewelry in a safe deposit box to avoid trouble. That way, there are fewer headaches down the road,” says Bruno, who has been selling real estate for 14 years.
He also suggests owners leave the premises during showings. ”Go out to dinner, or shopping, or to a movie,” he says. ”People who are house hunting feel more comfortable without someone looking over their shoulder.”
Bruno believes a prospective buyer will benefit by preparing a detailed questionnaire for the seller to answer: How old are the water heater and furnace, the dishwasher and disposal? Is the roof the first or second?
”One of the most important things a seller can do is have the house readily available at all times. You can`t market a place if you can`t show it,” says Carol Andrysiak, owner/manager of Realty Executives in Darien.
”Computerized key boxes attached to entrances offer a safe way to make sure a property can be shown when the owner is absent, but, of course, the owner has to furnish the key.
”The system allows us to insert a `Supercard` in the key box and press a code, which reveals names of real estate agents who have entered the house, names of the companies they represent and the day and time they entered. It`s efficient and informative and maximizes marketing.”
The price is right
Doug Blount joined L.T. Blount Inc. in Palos Park in 1969. He and his brother, Alan, are third-generation owners of the family firm. ”Pricing a house right at the beginning is crucial to a successful sale,” he says. ”The single biggest mistake people make is to overprice their property. It takes longer to sell it and the owner ends up getting less.
”What happens is that the property gets stale and becomes increasingly difficult to sell, even after the price has been reduced. Psychology is at work here. When a house has been on the market too long, buyers become suspicious and begin thinking there`s something wrong with it. If nobody else wanted it, why should they, they ask themselves?”
