Questions for your real estate agent, Internet marketing.

Unless you are in a cave, with no access to technology, then you know how important the internet has become to all of us. The National Association of Realtors tells us that approximately 92% of buyers start their search on the internet. If this statistic is true then why dont potential home sellers "grill" me about my internet marketing? Here are a couple of suggestions for the home seller as you interview real estate agents. •Ask the agent how the internet marketing works. In other words when the agent inputs your home in a computer how does it appear on other websites. •What are the top websites that are being used for real estate searches? •How do I know if people are seeing my home on these top websites? •How many pictures appear on the internet? •Do you, the agent, take your own pictures or use a professional photographer? What am I doing before a listing appointment? I email one of my listings to my potential client. I send links from four major real estate websites (Trulia, zillow, realtor.com, and yahoo.com) so they can see the quality of my listings. I also email the potential client the professional virtual tour I have done on my homes. I send them links where my virtual tours are located including obeo.com and youtube.com This gives my potential clients the ability to see my product before we meet in person to discuss other details. Final word to the sellers: After you choose your real estate agent, have them send you the links to your home on the internet so you can see the finished product. I say this not to bash my fellow agents. However I am amazed on how bad some homes appear on the internet. A picture of ceiling fan, an open toilet, or a picture so dark that it is a mystery, is doing the home seller a disservice. If you find yourself in the North Atlanta, Lake Lanier or North Georgia area, look us up. We are The Wells Team, www.randywellsteam.com

Home Remodeling and Home Value

How much value does a home remodel add to my home? A very good question. I attended a seminar taught by a fellow Keller Williams agent and 29 year appraiser. We discussed the difficulties, as agents, trying to assist our sellers with the proper pricing of their home. For many sellers pricing becomes an emotional and frustrating issue. A couple of suggestions: Get a good idea of your competition from you agent. Look at all of the features of your competition's homes. Look for new construction in the area. Assess your homes value based on its current age of features Assess your homes value based on doing various remodeling projects Determine if you need to do some remodeling in order to be competitive with other homes. Try to look at your home through the eyes of a potential buyer. The same potential buyer who watches HGTV for the latest trends in housing and wants a "move in" ready home. Work with an experienced agent. The chart shows expected returns for various remodeling projects in the Atlanta area and the Southeast. If you find yourselves in the North Atlanta, Lake Lanier, or North Georgia area look us up at www.randywellsteam.com