Marin Real Estate: Selling Your Marin County Home 

I realize that selling a home in Marin is one of the most important financial decisions you will make.  Likely you have owned your home several years and you have invested both time and money in maintaining and perhaps even improving it. You want to make sure you get the best return on your investment possible. Good news — that’s my goal also!

The Marin County market tends to be very competitive and homes that are properly prepared, priced and marketed tend to sell quickly in the current market. As part of our initial discussions, I will listen to your needs, evaluate your home’s strengths and weaknesses, and put together a property marketing plan for your review. This plan will include a competitive marketing analysis for your property highlighting recent comps in the area as well as your current competition, an overview of my promotion plan (which will include online and social media marketing, print and other approaches) and all the information you need in making a decision to sell your home in Marin.

Presentation is also key and this is definitely an area where I excel. I have a very strong aesthetic drawing upon my background in landscape design and home remodeling, and have worked with many clients preparing their home for the market to make the best impression. There are the basics, such as painting, de-cluttering, staging, repairs, cleaning and pre-sale inspections. I work with many  experienced home professionals here in Marin to get your home ready for sale. My “white glove concierge service” means after you agree on the plan, I will handle all the details of preparing your home for sale, such as choosing colors and managing painters, choosing plants for the gardening, overseeing the staging, etc. More times than not, you will see me rolling up my sleeves to ensure your home looks its best for the market launch.

(Here’s my blog article describing one of my successful home transformations and sales in Mill Valley.)

In real estate, you have to sell a house twice: first to the real estate community and then to the buyers. I put great emphasis on the first broker’s tour and to ensure a large turn out, I advertise the event heavily and often prepare a homemade Italian meal to serve to agents, neighbors and buyers who attend.  As they enter the home, they will be greeted by the smell of good food, hear music that I’ve paired with the aesthetic of the home, and see a property that has been meticulously prepared for sale. The same type of emphasis is also put on the first weekend of open houses to the public.

You Get One Chance to Make a First Impression

When I launch a home for sale in Marin, I think of it like any other new product launch: everything has to be perfect, and the first impression is the most important, with pricing and presentation at the top of the list. After selecting an agent, proper pricing of your home is the most important decision you will make.  In the current market, it is difficult to under price a home — the market will correct itself in these situations. However, it is very possible to overprice your property — resulting in missed opportunities and the dreaded “market stagnation” where your home is viewed as stale. Often this scenario leads to price cuts and the can make buyers wary. I will provide the information and counsel you need to make the proper pricing decision.

Presentation is also key and this is definitely an area where I excel. I have a very strong aesthetic drawing upon my background in landscape design and home remodeling, and have worked with many clients on the preparation of their home for sale to make the best impression. There are the basics, such as painting, de-cluttering, staging, repairs, cleaning and inspections. I have many experienced contractors with whom I work here in Marin to get your home ready for sale. My “white glove concierge service” means after you agree on the plan, I handle all the details, meeting painters other professionals to prepare your home for sale. You will also likely see me at your home myself rolling up my sleeves and making sure it shines for its market launch.

You have to sell a house twice: first to the real estate community and second to the buyers. The first open houses including the broker’s open are key. If your home has difficult access, I may lure brokers with a homemade Italian meal, and make their visit easier by hiring valet parking. As they enter the home, they will smell good food, hear music that I’ve paired with the aesthetic of the home, and see a property that has been diligently and meticulously prepared for sale.

Know Your Buyer Before They Know You

In days past, marketing a home consisted of putting it on the Multiple Listing System (MLS), perhaps advertising in the local Sunday paper, and holding open houses. Marin home buyers are much more sophisticated now and rely upon technology to help them find homes in our competitive market.

As part of my focused targeted marketing, we will determine the likely buyer profile for your home and target those buyers through a variety of media, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google Ads, and a variety of search engine optimization (SEO) tactics to make sure the right people see that your home is for sale.

 I Can Reach Buyers Other Agents Cannot Access

As a member of an exclusive group of the top real estate agents in Marin County, Marin Top Agent Network, I receive information every hour on buyers who are working with other top agents and what type of homes they want to buy. I also promote my listings on the network, making sure the top Marin Realtors® know about your home for sale.

Real Estate Lifestyle Marketing: Photography & Videos Are Critical

With today’s buyers, your presence online is extremely important.  97% of buyers are looking online to purchase homes and 85% of them say that photography and videos are the most important decision driver in determining if they want to see a home in person. I work exclusively with one of the top photographers in the country to create the impactful photo galleries and videos that present your home in the best possible light, and that help buyers envision their lifestyle in that home. Often times this includes daytime and twilight photo shoots as well as dramatic aerial shots and video.  Take a look at my featured properties page to see some examples of our work, then look at photos on the internet.  You will see photos with dark lighting,  homes for sale that haven’t been property prepared before the shoot, and even the dreaded “time stamp” on the bottom right of the photo that indicates the agent decided to do their own photography (always a mistake).

Your Home is the Star, Not Your Real Estate Agent

I enjoy watching the real estate shows on HGTV and Bravo for the entertainment value they provide. However I cringe when I see agents on those shows talking about themselves more than the homes they are marketing. I make sure that my marketing efforts put your home front and center, with me as the guide to help agents and buyers find the home and see why it’s the perfect property for them or their clients.

I Work Very Hard, And I Love What I Do

I have a true passion for real estate. I work extremely hard, always seven days a week and often late into the evening.  That effort translates into results that I’m proud of and that my clients appreciate. I am involved in and enjoy all aspects of property presentation and promotion, focusing on the finer details that set my homes for sale above the rest.

Combining a strong background in marketing and selling luxury homes in Marin County and the entire San Francisco Bay area, an affiliation with Marin Top Agent Network, the power and prestige of Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty along with a strong work ethic is a formula that delivers results for my clients.  I would welcome the opportunity to have a discussion about selling your home. Please call or text me at 415-847-5584 to schedule an appointment, or fill in the below contact form. I look forward to speaking with you.