The holidays are over, “blue Monday” has passed and we’ve all survived our first weekend of winter weather. As we round the corner into February, many of our clients start thinking about listing their home. In the spirit of that season, we’ve dedicated this update to sharing some of our best tips for anyone thinking about listing their home this spring. 

Jackie Mistretta, W Realty’s very own Listing Coordinator, has been in real estate since 2014. After a few years of selling on her own, Jackie recognized the value and synergy that comes in working as part of high performing team and she immediately jumped on board. As the “Seller’s Market” begins to rev up, we look to Jackie’s expertise as a listing specialist to provide some powerful insights into what it takes to list a home! 

• What is your favorite aspect of real estate? 

• My favorite part is that I get the opportunity to really get to know my clients.
• Working with our clients and negotiating a favorable contract for them. I love the prep work that goes into a listing and helping our clients understand everything I am doing along the way.

• Can you describe what your role is, in layman’s terms?

• I do all of the behind the scene prep work for listings. I research the real estate market in their area and make sure we have all required documents and signatures. I also help schedule our photographer, stager, and contractors to get the home market ready. Then when we are ready I list the home in the MLS and work to determine the best way to market the home.

• What makes W Realty unique when it comes to listing and marketing homes?

• Our team is set up differently than traditional real estate firms. Each team member specializes in their area – so I focus solely on listings. This keeps things from falling through the cracks, and everyone is able to maintain energy and focus on their specialty. In the end, the client gets a very well rounded, attentive team, rather than one person who might not be strong in every area.

• What are your priorities when it comes to listing a home?

• My first priority is to make sure our clients fully understand the process before getting listed. Since selling a home can be stressful and I want to help eliminate as much of that as possible for them.
• Next is to make sure it is clean and photo ready, then working with the client to get their home show ready.
• Photo ready and show ready might sound like the same thing, however they both serve their own purpose. Almost any house can look amazing in a photo, but to be show ready will help create the “feeling” of a new home for buyers. Photo readiness means clearing off counters, and thoroughly cleaning, etc. Show readiness means creating a welcoming environment for potential buyers. This means making sure the client knows not to cook anything pungent 10 minutes before they leave for a showing, but also to not overpower their home with cleaning products and other strong scents. In short, Photo ready = good looking house. Show ready = the home looks good, smells good and feels good.
• Often, the client needs help understanding what it means to have their home on the market and maintain a show ready home. It can be difficult but our goal is to make it as easy as we can, and to make sure their life can continue as normally as possible!

• What is your best piece of advice for those who want to list their home?

• Get us in to talk to you early. Typically, you will have more to do than you initially think. Selling your home is a big process and the more time you give yourself to prepare, the better.
• We want your home to sell – but the client is always our first priority. We want you to be as happy, confident and comfortable with the process and will do everything in our power to ensure that is the case.

Stay tuned for our next update!