The Seller Counseling Session

Who We Are

• Realty3 is a large independently owned multi-office firm serving most of Ct and the CT-RI Shoreline with offices in Berlin, Southington, Essex and Stonington

• In addition to our Residential Division, Realty3 has specialists providing services in our other divisions - Luxury & Second Homes, REO & Foreclosures, Commercial, Domestic & International Relocation, Auction Services and Property Management

• Realty3CT.com

Domestic & International

Relocation Services

• Whether you are seeking a second home,

vacation property, investment property or

primary residence – I can help you relocate

in state, across the country or around the

world

Our Professionals

• With over 100+ service professionals, all of

our Agents and Brokers are Realtors® who

abide by the laws of CT, subscribe to our

Realtor® Code of Ethics and have received

rigorous training in client representation

• Most of our professionals have attained

several professional designations placing

them in the top 5% of all US Realtors®

making them uniquely qualified to deliver

results that others simply cannot

Our Legal Duties

• Obedience to your lawful instructions

• Loyalty to your interests above our own

• Disclosure for material and pertinent facts

• Confidentiality for any information provided regarding your motivation, urgency, financial position or personal situation

• Accounting for your $$, paperwork, dates

• Reasonable Skill and Due Diligence

I am not in sales – I am a service provider

Client Representation

I represent your interests when the buyer is represented by another agent from Realty3 or another real estate company

• As your listing agent, if one of my buyer clients wants to make an offer on your property, I will have two clients in the same transaction

• CT Law deems that I have a higher form of legal responsibility to both in which all information is completely confidential and I provide – Equal treatment- fair to both; full market information to

everyone and I disclose material facts

• You will know in advance if this occurs

I Can’t

• Make any decisions for you

• Promise to sell your property for more than the probable sale range demonstrated in our comparable market analysis

• Hide or misrepresent any material facts or defects about your property

• Discriminate in any way or violate Federal Fair Housing Laws

• Collect a rebate from a service provider in your transaction without your agreement

Selling Factors

• Location, location, location

• Great Condition sells property faster

• Curb Appeal draws interest

• Competitive Price is the key how long you will

be available for sale

• Market Conditions determines the pool of

potential buyers

If these factors aren’t working together, you

will not receive the result you anticipated

The Marketing Plan

National statistics have proven that more than 94% of all buyers use the internet to look for property – not the newspaper !

• Immediate insertion into the Multiple Listing Service

• Your own property website

• Yard Sign driving traffic to our website and/or your own property website

• Direct marketing „Just Listed‟ postcards

• Broker, Office & Public Open Houses if desired

• Broadcast email marketing internally & externally

• Periodic newspaper advertising

The e-Marketing Plan

In addition to Realty3CT.com; Realtor.com

we put your property on

Optional Services

• Home Warranty for listing period & beyond

• Virtual Tours & Slide Shows on website

• Access to peripheral service providers

– 1031 Tax Exchange Intermediaries

– Lending professionals for mortgage analysis for current & replacement properties

– Service oriented Real Estate Attorneys

– Home repair professionals including roofers, electricians, plumbers, heating contractors, handymen, junk haulers, housekeepers, painters, landscapers, etc.

The Buyer Pays the Fees

When a buyer makes an offer - the buyer’s money, not the seller’s money, funds the real estate transaction and pays for all costs of selling

Some money from the transaction is allocated for professional service fees and are divided as follows:

• Listing Firm splits their fee with the Listing Agent

• Referral fees to any Firm who referred you

• Buyer‟s Firm splits their fee with the Buyer Agent

• Those fees are deducted from the total offered and the seller may use that as a tax deduction as a „cost of doing business‟ - consult your tax professional for advice

Services Include

• Expose your property to the marketplace

• Field, assess & convert buyer inquiries

• Monitor property showings

• Work with Buyer Agents from any Firm

• Present and negotiate offers received

• Facilitate the inspection process

• Interface and direct all peripheral professionals

• Follow transaction details through closing

• Provide our clients with advice and guidance; options and alternatives; ramifications to choices

• For these services we charge 3.5%

Cooperating Agents

In addition to my fee, we will identify an additional fee that is offered to cooperating buyer agents with buyer clients

• My Realtor® Code of Ethics, MLS Rules and CT Laws require me to disclose the amount offered

• R3 suggests a minimum of 2.5% to a buyer agent

• You may select any amount but if the amount offered is less than the amount in the buyer‟s agreement with their agent, an additional amount can be built into an offer or some buyers may elect to just view property that will neutralize their agreement with their buyer agent and bypass yours

Required Pre-Authorizations

• Neutral statement to buyers to answer the question – “Why are they moving?”

• If I am authorized to disclose the existence of multiple offers to competing agents

• Permission to provide lockboxes, install signs, secure electronic/fax initials and signatures, use photos for advertising

• Authorization for your lender and lawyer to discuss the confidential aspects of your transaction if needed and to exchange copies of your contract

Pricing your Property

It is not my intention to try to guess what

price you may want to hear

• When done properly, the price of your property

is based on an objective evaluation of like-kind

property possessing similar features within a

particular market environment

• It is what it is – no matter who prices it

• When we decide to work together an

extensive evaluation will be formulated for you

Showing Appointments

Agents from other firms will call our office to verify that your property is still available for sale and secure an appointment to show it

• We will agree on a showing plan that will maximize showings. If denied, they may not occur again

• We will secure all pertinent info of the buyer agent which will be „logged‟ into our system

• Once confirmed – we provide „showing instructions‟

• The buyer agent will accompany the buyer

• It is best that you are not present so that they can speak openly and you won‟t inadvertently betray your negotiating position

Feedback

• After an agent has shown your property I

contact them for „feedback‟

• No good buyer agents gives feedback since

any comments they make must be authorized

in writing by their client prior to them sharing

the confidential info with us

• If I receive feedback from anyone - positive or

negative – it will be told to you but we need to

determine if it can truly be relied upon

Pets

Not everyone appreciates your pets

• Although your pet is probably „very friendly‟, some pets get distressed when „strangers‟ visit the property

• For insurance and liability reasons, remove or cage your pet for everyone‟s protection

• Please do not expect showing agents to keep your pets from leaving the dwelling

• Have a plan for pets so that showings can occur without being delayed or postponed

Open Houses

We will discuss the pros and cons of each

• Broker Open Houses

• Firm Previewing Tours

• Public Open Houses

• Virtual Open Houses - Virtual Tours, Slide

Shows, Single Listing

Please be advised, I am not responsible for

protecting your valuables or the safety of

your prescription drugs

Timely Price Adjustments

If no offers are received in a timely period, it will be necessary to re-price the property

• It is best to identify the timing and amount of price adjustments when the property is listed to re-attract buyer interest quickly

• The longer you wait, the more you need to adjust to keep buyers interested in viewing

• If you don‟t react to the market quickly, showings will cease and buyers will avoid the property thinking something is wrong

Over-priced properties yield lower offers

Incoming Offers

• As offers arrive, they will be fully explained

• If you are away, arrangements will be made so the offer can be sent to you for your review

• All offers, including verbal offers and extremely low offers that arrive, must be presented pursuant to CT Law

• Once reviewed, I will outline your options and alternatives. You will then inform me of your decision and I will follow all of your lawful instructions

Presentation of Offers

• Buyers may request that their agent present

their offer in person or by conference call

• They know their buyers best, are only allowed

to present the offer‟s terms, conditions and

viability of financing but they cannot negotiate

with us at that time

• If you receive multiple offers I will discuss the

process and your many options under that

scenario

Multiple Offers

When a property is priced correctly, it will generate

multiple offers and offer you more choices

• You do not owe me a bonus for selling your property

quickly. This extra service comes with experience.

• As discussed earlier, I can disclose the existence of

multiple offers to competing agents to generate an

emotional bidding process

• I can also reveal price, terms & conditions of one

offer to some or all others with written direction

• Both strategies must be evaluated for risk; written

authorization holding Realty3 harmless is required

Evaluating the Offer

• Once an offer has been presented you will

receive advice and guidance on the process

and possible negotiating strategies

• You may accept, reject or counter-offer any

terms or conditions. When possible, it is best

to „keep the conversation going‟

• All decisions are yours to make

• You decide what you want to do and can take

the time you need to but some buyers may not

choose to wait for your decision

Customary Contingencies

Term & contingencies that are in many offers

• Initial and additional deposits

• Mortgage & Insurance Contingencies

• Clue Reports & Inspection Contingency

• Seller-funded rebates for points, repairs,

closing costs, additional buyer agent fees

• Hubbard Clauses

• Hold-over or Rent-back Contingencies

• Closing Dates

Contract Extensions

• All performance dates require written

evidence of satisfactory completion

• If I have not received notification, a written

extension may be requested by either party

• The agents must insure that it is signed by all

parties prior to the expiration of the date

• If not, it may result in someone incurring a

financial penalty or loss of rights

Legal Representation

• You are entitled to consult with a legal

representative at any time during the process

• Please remember that a timely response is

important and I cannot accept responsibility if

the buyer rescinds their offer before your

attorney responds

• It is important to select an attorney that

specializes in real estate to minimize the

occurrence of potential problems within the

transaction and negotiating process

Securing Signatures

• If negotiations are successful, I will insure that

all initials and signatures are complete

• Copies will then be given to you and anyone

else that you authorize to have copies

• I will then monitor the progression of the

terms of your contract and performance dates

• Deposits on the property will then be placed in

our escrow account where it will be safely

kept until all parties agree to disperse it

Inspection Process

• The inspection phase is a mutually agreed

timeframe allowing the buyer a 3rd party

assessment of the structure and mechanical

components even if the property is “As Is”

• The buyer agent accompanies the buyer and

inspector(s) for the entire time

• I am not present and it is best if you aren‟t

either so that no one attempts to elicit

information from you - this will protect your

negotiating and liability position

Repair Requests

• Inspectors will submit a written report to the

buyer and buyer agent

• If repairs are requested, we will receive a

written request, a copy of that page of the

inspector‟s report and maybe a repair quote

• I will review the repair requests with you and

help you assess your options

• A written response will be formulated based

on your instructions and attempt to arrive at a

mutually agreeable solution

Finalizing Repair Phase

After quotes for repairs are evaluated and

repair requests are negotiated

• Mutually agreed repair items should be

addressed after the buyer receives written

mortgage commitment and prior to closing

• Sometimes a lender will send an inspector or

appraiser to the property and verify that

repairs have been made. Paid written

receipts from licensed professionals will be

provided to verify that work was done

Mortgage Contingency

• Within a predetermined timeframe, a written

commitment can be expected

• If extra time is required, an written extension

may be requested prior to the expiration date

• It is your decision whether to grant the

additional time or not depending on your

current circumstance

• I will advise you of your options

Closing Count-Down

• Odds and Ends • Make all required repairs

• Organize packing & movers

• Contact Utility Companies for final readings

• Transfer utility services into the buyer‟s names

• Agent will schedule a pre-closing inspection • Insure that contractually requested items are left

• Vacate on the day of closing • Unless advance contractual arrangements have

been made

The Closing

• The closing date is a „ball-park‟ date that is

determined by the closing attorneys and their

respective clients

• Most closings proceed without incident since

all details have been handled and agreed

upon prior to this event

• Me or someone from my team will be present

to insure that everything that was agreed

upon stays that way!

Post-Closing

• I am always here to help if I can

• If you need general information or assistance

– please contact me!

• Also, please keep me in mind when your

friends, family and co-workers want to buy or

sell property

Thank you for choosing me to represent you