If you are about to put your property up for sale, we hope that you’ll consider carefully the company and the agent that will best represent your interests. It’s no longer enough to simply “list” your property with an agent in the hope that it will sell, or think that your uncle’s best friend’s mother-in-law should “get” the listing, just because someone knows someone who “sells” real estate.
What you really need is a company that eats, lives and breathes real estate. A “24-7” kind of company that will provide every possible marketing advantage. And finally, you’ll want an agent with the fire-in-the-belly attitude to get your property SOLD!
At the Athens Real Estate Company we pride ourselves in combining the best in good old-fashioned customer service with the newest and brightest in technology and web-based marketing. To that end, we have developed a complete and comprehensive marketing program, and the best way to learn about it is in person—one-on-one with an agent. For now, though, here are the top 7 ways that we differentiate ourselves from the rest.
Video Tips For Sellers
1.
Best Web-based Marketing
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Most people know that the internet has transformed the way that today’s buyers shop for properties. Gone are the days of hashing through Sunday’s paper for new listings and Open Houses. Arrived are the days when actively engaged buyers depend on the internet for up-to-date information.
We believe that we do the best web-based marketing in the area. So, not only do we promote your property on this—our own, custom-designed, easy-to- navigate website—we also keep your real estate actively updated and upgraded on our local MLS pages (athensohiorealestate.com), as well all of the other national websites that are relevant to your particular property.
National Exposure through REALTOR.com
Our market analysis has led us to the following conclusion: active buyers have discovered that the best, most- searched national real estate website is with REALTOR.com.
To that end, we actively promote your listing on REALTOR.com’s website. We also pay to upgrade our clients’ listings there to include lots of photos, detailed descriptions, easy contact solutions, robust mapping and display features, mortgage calculators, and more. (A number of our competitors don’t pay for these important upgrades, so make sure you ask).
REALTOR.com also serves as an important data feed to lots of other national websites, such as Yahoo.com, MSN.com, and others.
Finally, because we were one of the first larger local companies to partner with REALTOR.com, The Athens Real Estate Company was able to purchase ALL the premium advertising showcase spots on the REALTOR.com website our local zip code. These revolving, premium spots will translate into even more hits on your specific listing!
Other Important Websites
Certain properties lend themselves to targeted marketing on other national websites. If you are considering the sale of a farm, “farmette,” hunting land, or a large tract rural property, we automatically feature your listing on landandfarm.com, the most trafficked website devoted specifically to rural properties. We get lots of active buyer leads from our marketing there and you won’t want to miss this opportunity. We also are members of and subscribe to other national websites covering a wide range of specialized properties, from premium listings on oopnet.com (the nation’s largest clearing house for commercial real estate) to greenhomesforsale.com (a
The AREC Advantage
Finally, we think it’s important that as you consider the best company to work with in the marketing of your property, that you take into consideration other factors that relate to positive exposure on the web. We go the extra mile to really understand and appreciate those qualities that make your property special, and then work hard to communicate those distinguishing features through well-written descriptions, great marketing “hooks,” superior photos, and more.
2.
Newspaper and Print Advertising
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While it’s true that marketing your property aggressively on the world wide web is the single most important tool for exposing your home to potential buyers, it’s not the only strategy in our marketing & service arsenal. Your listing agent will work closely with you to customize a marketing plan that takes into consideration the special features and circumstances of the property that you are selling. We advertise consistently in area newspapers, as well as in many other local media outlets, including the Chamber of Commerce’s area map, the Annual Manual, the Athens Visitor’s Guide, and more.
Look for our ads: like our company, they’re fresh, dynamic and attention-getting.
3.
Frequent Open Houses
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You’ll hear all the time that Open Houses don’t sell houses. We believe that’s because so few agents ever use them…unless the customer goads them into doingso. We stand by the fact that Open Houses expose our listings to a wide range of potential buyers, and we encourage our agents to hold at least 4 Open Houses per month.
4.
Vibrant Yard Signs
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You might be surprised to learn that yard signs--according to National Association of REALTORS--rank as the 3rd most effective marketing tool for selling real estate. At The Athens Real Estate Company we take this statistic seriously and have invested time, energy, and talent into designing an arresing sign program. You don’t have to look around for our yard signs— they find you. Our colorful, vibrant yard signs stand out against the competition and drive customers to call
5.
Direct Mail Campaigns
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Sometimes there’s still no substitute for snail mail. Customers love our vibrant, customized postcards because they are real & tangible (and you can put them on the fridge!). Whether it’s an Open House announcement or a New Listing postcard, our direct mail campaigns help your property stand out from the rest.
6.
Technology-Based Office & Agents
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In today’s fast-paced real estate market, you need to question your agent’s ability regarding technology BEFORE you sign a listing agreement. What kind of capacity does your agent and his/her office have when it comes to cell phones, emails, instant messaging, secure FAXes, remote access to office files, and so on? At the Athens Real Estate Co., our highly-trained agents are at-ease with a wide range of technologies. We guarantee that all of our agents have access to and are versatile with: * High speed office internet & secure wireless network* High-end photographic capture & processing systems
Digital FAX service, providing security and 24/7 access
Smart Phones, providing cell, contact database, calendar, FAX, email and instant-messaging capabilities.
Secure server, providing agents access to digitally-stored client files, whether at the office or on the road
Sophisticated on-line scheduling and customer response software
Traffic & reporting software for all of our WEB sites
Immediate, secured access to manage your on-line listing (no middleman)
HTML-formatted e-cards
On-demand graphic design & mailing services through Quantum Printing.
7.
Free Home Staging Services
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At The Athens Real Estate Company, we go the extra distance to make sure your home-selling experience is a positive one. Take our free home-staging services, for instance. When you list your home with us, you can request free home-staging consultations with interior designer/decorator Cheri Brannon. Cheri has years of experience helping clients prepare their homes for sale, and she will work with you in what-ever way feels most comfortable for you. From simple, zero-cost suggestions for clearing out the clutter, to full-blown renovations that require consultations with contractors, Cheri will serve as your helpful guide and confidante. Best of all, we foot the bill for Cheri’s consultations, which often involve repeat visits to get your home in “showroom shape to sell.” If you are looking for a competitive edge when it comes to marketing your home, call one of our agents for a free at-home consultation.
The Extra Mile…
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At the end of the day, of course, it’s not just 7, 15 or even 30 marketing strategies that will get your property sold. Ask anyone who has sold a home before. What that home-seller typically remembers best isn’t the marketing, but the actual hands-on, day-to-day involvement of the real estate agent through the entire home-selling experience.
The fact is, the “real” reality of selling a home has less to do with bricks and mortar, and more to do with people: people facing an emotional move, people trying to get the most for their homes, people negotiating a complex contract, people wanting to move on to a new chapter in their lives. And throughout that process you won’t want some carpetbagger full of marketing tricks and false promises at your door; instead, you’ll want a real live agent who is actually there to help you, to provide good counsel, and who will go the extra distance to get the job done.
So it’s back to the basics, really: clear communication, knowledge, experience, honesty, hard-work, courtesy, and respect. If you can find an agent that will deliver on all those qualities, then you should hire him or her no matter how lousy a marketing program they might have! But if you haven’t found that agent yet, please give us a call and talk to us. Let us put our sense of purpose and creativity to work for you. Let US help YOU.
The Athens Real Estate Company | 540 West Union Street, Athens, OH 45701 | Phone: (740) 589-4600 | Fax: (800) 878-7700 | info@myathenshouse.com
