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EXPIRED?! A GUIDE FOR SELLING HOMES OTHERS COULDN’T SELL

YOUR NAME

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES: While all attempts have been made to verify information provided in this publication, neither the Author nor the Publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, or omissions. Any slights of people or organizations are unintentional. This publication is not intended for use as a source of legal or accounting advice. The Publisher wants to stress that the information contained herein may be subject to varying state and/ or local laws or regulations. The reader of this publication assumes responsibility for the use of these materials and information. Adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, including advertising and all other aspects of doing business in the United States or any other jurisdiction is the sole responsibility of the reader. The Author and publisher assume no responsibility or liability whatsoever on behalf of any reader of these materials. If your property is currently listed with a Realtor, please disregard this notice. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other brokers. Printed in the United States of America

Table Of Contents

1. Why Should You Read This Book?

2. Does Listing Price Matter?

3. What To Avoid

4. Why It's So Easy To Sell Your Home For Less Than It's Worth 5. What Stops "Perfect Homes" From Selling

15 6. How To Sell A Home That Didn't Sell — Without Dropping The Price 19 7. Avoid This Rule At Your Own Risk 21 8. Why This 20% Rule Applies To Hard- To-Sell Homes 25 9. Grabbing Any Buyer's Attention 33 10. Luxury Home-Seller Strategy Sells Homes For 15% More Money 39

11. Why Home Staging Really Matters 45 12. Why Buyers Skipped Your Home 49 13. Details Win Home Sales 57 14. How Buyers Pick Homes To Preview 63 15. Why Pictures Of Your Home Can Stop It From Selling 71 16. The 3-Step Formula I Use To Sell Homes Others Couldn't Sell 75 17. Why Every Billionaire Home Sells 81 18. Negotiation Musts 85 19. Simple Negotiation Ideas 93 20. Why Your Dog Wants You To Hire Me To Sell Your Home 107 21. This Big Mistake Cost One Home Seller $36,000 111 22. Read This Before You Sign A Contract With A Buyer 123

23. Should You Consider Hiring A Real Estate Agent?

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Foreword

When I first ventured into the real estate industry years ago, I did so with the hopes of helping sellers like you avoid the headaches often associated with the home-selling process. In my years of experience, not only have I helped alleviate the stress of selling for numerous clients, but I’ve also accumulated years of knowledge to help them get more money for their homes in the least amount of time. I decided to share all of my expertise in one place with potential clients. And that’s why you’re receiving this book. I want to help you have the best possible home-selling experience. And by that, I mean I want you to 1. Get the most money possible for your home, 2. Sell in the least amount of time, and 3. Avoid the headaches most commonly associated with the home-selling process. Think of this book as my gift to you. It contains insider advice on the home-selling process to help you achieve your ultimate real estate goals, including: • Secret strategies to sell your home for more money • Marketing techniques employed by top agents • Advice on how to appeal to today’s buyers • And much, much more If, after reading through it, you want to hire me to help you sell your home, I’d be more than happy to meet with you to discuss a specific plan to sell your home. Happy reading!

About AGENT

AGENT was raised in CITY with X siblings. As a child, AGENT had aspirations of being a OCCUPATION. Never in a million years did he think he’d stumble into the real estate industry, but you can’t always predict where or when you’ll discover what you’re meant to do in life. AGENT was taught at a young age that if you want something in life, you have to work for it. So that’s what he did. And he worked hard. As the years went by, AGENT worked his way from FIRST JOB to LATER JOB, never wavering in his resolve to become the best version of himself with each career move. AGENT got into the real estate industry X years ago when STORY ABOUT HOW YOU GOT INTO REAL ESTATE/WHY. He set out to LIST ASPIRATIONS FROM WHEN YOU STARTED OUT IN REAL ESTATE. As his career advanced, AGENT found his stride working with NICHE MARKET/SPECIFIC MARKET AREA/TYPE. He’s an expert in LIST AREAS OF EXPERTISE/SKILLS THAT SET YOU APART FROM OTHER AGENTS.

Throughout his career, AGENT has earned numerous accolades, including:

• LIST ACCOMPLISHMENTS • LIST SALES STATS xi

• ANY OTHER IMPRESSIVE INFO YOU’D LIKE TO INCLUDE

AGENT aims to provide the highest level of service to his clients and takes deep pride in helping them achieve their real estate goals. AGENT aims to provide the highest level of service to his clients and takes deep pride in helping them achieve their real estate goals.

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Testimonials & Reviews for Agent Name

Here’s a list of people whom I have helped buy or sell a home, and what they said about working with me:

Agent-Name had a tough job, but she did it!

We were tough clients! We were moving to City and didn’t have a lot of time to look at houses, having to deal with our employer’s relocation, and all of the other challenges that came along. But, Agent-Name went above and beyond to help us. Even now, one year after the sale closed, I can still call her for business and service recommendations in the area — she knows just about everyone, and is very happy to help.

Agent-Name is the best agent in City!

I’ve used Agent-Name twice so far, and I was impressed both times. I bought my dream home with AGENT a year ago. She worked long and hard to find me the perfect home. And she just recently sold another property of mine. Everything went quickly and smoothly. Both of my real estate deals were done very quickly and professionally. Agent is honestly the BEST in her business. I would highly recommend her.

Agent-Name perseverance got me the house

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My experience with Agent-Name during the entire home- buying process, from start to finish, has been nothing short of exceptional. I have a unique work structure, and because of this, it was very difficult to find mortgage lenders that would approve me for a home. I was very frustrated and on the verge of giving up, but Agent-Name insisted that we continue searching. Not only did we find a mortgage lender but also a mortgage that I felt great about. His perseverance is the reason I am now a homeowner. He is professional, punctual, knowledgeable, and very easy to work with. With the highest regard, I will recommend Agent-Name to all my friends and family.

Very attentive to concerns, details, and negotiations

Agent-Name helped me find a house by literally picking it out for me. Every house I wanted to go to, I got there and didn’t love it. Agent-Name was busy taking note of the likes and dislikes I was stating and said “I have a house that you’re going to love”.... AND I DID! I went back 4 or 5 times to show other members of my family, and she accommodated me without complaint. I was a first-time homebuyer, and she walked me through the steps of everything, gave me advice, and constantly followed up to make sure I was doing OK. With her help, I was able to close on the house early, right before I started my new job. I would recommend Agent-Name to EVERYONE, buying or selling. Agent-Name made it so so easy. She guided us through the entire process. She recommended great people to work with

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every step of the way. She was available 24/7 to answer any questions we may have had. With her high standards, expertise in the industry, and patience, we would recommend her as a Realtor to anyone looking! She was amazing!

Agent-Name even advised me on how to prepare my house

Agent-Name was a gem. In addition to being highly knowledgeable about the real estate market, with many years of experience, he is a consummate professional. He was extremely easy to work with, gave me very good advice about preparing my house for sale and was very responsive during the entire process of receiving offers, selling and closing. I would work with him again in a heartbeat. He’s that good.

Agent-Name is the first agent I would call

Agent-Name and his team were able to rapidly list, show and sell my property. Being an expert in real estate, he was spot on in his pricing of my property and getting this deal completed. Overall, I highly recommend him and his team. If I want to buy real estate, AGENT would be the first person I’d call.

Agent-Name got us an offer in three days!

Agent-Name was the consummate professional during our stressful and difficult process. In the midst of juggling a ‘failed’ marketing effort with another agent, she presented a

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well thought out plan and strategy to sell our home in short order. We needed to move quickly due to a growing family and another baby on the way. She helped alleviate that pressure by securing an acceptable offer with 3 days of listing. We put pressure on her, and she delivered. We couldn’t thank her enough.

Agent-Name kept us calm throughout the process!

Agent-Name always made herself available to answer questions. She worked hard to sell our home and find the best fit for our new home. She and her team worked with us through the entire process and kept us calm when we got anxious.

I am 100 percent satisfied!!

Agent-Name is professional and knowledgeable about everything. She is also always available. I would definitely recommend her to anyone. Very smooth transaction from start to finish. I felt confident with her experience.

Agent-Name found us our dream home

Agent-Name was very efficient and helped us find our dream home within a few short months. She was able to negotiate the price that we wanted for the house. Overall, I would look for her again to help us look for a house if need be in the future. Thank you so much!

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Efficient communication and service

Agent-Name and his staff were very helpful in selling our condo. They kept me informed frequently with email, sending reports on showings, offers, and feedback from potential buyers. We are very satisfied.

Agent-Name will get your house sold fast!

Agent-Name is great and has the expertise to get your house sold. The communications throughout our sale (from beginning to end) h as been outstanding. Agent-Name understands the stress involved in selling your house, and she updated our family consistently! This made us feel we were in good hands. I have worked with numerous agents, and I highly recommend her to represent you when it comes time to sell your home.

Excellent experience topped with a personal touch

Excellent experience all around, not only knowledgeable but Agent-Name and team have a very personal touch I felt like family throughout the entire process. He always took his time; we never felt rushed or like “just a number.” I sold my home and bought with him. We had lots of questions he gladly answered them with no problem and guided us through the entire process, eliminating lots of stress. I truly appreciate that and would recommend him and his team to family and friends.

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CHAPTER 1 Why Should You Read This Book? Ever wonder why one house sells quickly, while a similar house doesn’t? Why does one house sell for $188,000, while another house, that’s identical in every way, brings in $202,000? It just doesn’t seem to make any sense. The truth is, similar homes sell for varying prices all the time. It takes place all over the country. It happens in markets large and small. Surely, there must be some reason! These houses do not sell for more money by accident. No magic trick helped one seller get a better deal than the other. On the contrary, higher prices and quicker sales are the direct result of careful planning. Sellers can command higher prices for their homes if they use the right techniques. A few simple strategies, known only to the best sellers, can make a huge impact on the success of your sale. The following chapters break down those secrets. See how each strategy translates into real-life examples. Houses brought to market with these tactics consistently sell quickly, and for more money. Gather the information you

need to apply the same formula to selling your home. When you sell, you’ll be able to take advantage of these techniques. Carefully follow the same formula to get your home sold. Thanks for taking time to look through this book. I sincerely hope it will help you make more money on the sale of your home. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’d be glad to help.

CHAPTER 2 Does Listing Price Matter? Are you sick of being told the reason your home didn’t sell was because it was “overpriced?” Most people think a home that didn’t sell was probably priced too high. Nothing could be further from the truth. The reason homes don’t sell is not always because of the price. It’s usually because the home was not marketed properly. It isn’t easy to sell something for full market value. After all, buyers are always looking for a deal, and shoppers now have more information at their fingertips than ever. You might need to negotiate the price with a buyer, but good marketing will help bring you a full-price offer!

Here’s a perfect example:

John was trying to sell his house. He put it on the market for $499,900. He hired an agent to help him sell it. The agent worked at a reputable firm and made a good effort to sell John’s house. • The pictures of the house were top-notch quality. • The marketing of the house was first class. The home was advertised extensively online, in the newspaper,

and other marketing avenues. • The agent held an open house.

Yet the agent’s efforts failed to attract a buyer. John’s agent suggested he adjust the price. After all, most of the similar homes in the area were priced around $400,000 to $450,000. He recommended dropping the price to $450,000. John owned one of the nicest homes in the area and his home had many features the other homes didn’t have. John knew this. He was reluctant to reduce the price.

John hired another agent, who also failed to sell the home and also offered the same “advice”: Reduce the price.

At this point, John had two options:

• Option #1: Drop the price. Most of the agents he talked to told him his home was not worth what he wanted. They told him he should just “be reasonable” and drop the price to $450,000. • Option #2: Hire an agent who could sell the home for what it was actually worth. This agent’s marketing would need to get a buyer so excited about the home that they would be willing to pay full price. Fortunately for John, he picked Option #2. He contacted an agent who specialized in selling homes other agents could not sell.

This agent worked at the top real estate company in his area

and had a bunch of accolades. He took a closer look at the home, and launched his own specialized marketing plan: • New pictures were better than the first agent’s pictures. • The marketing was better. There was even more advertising than before. • The agent didn’t just do a regular open house. He also did a broker’s open house and invited other agents to view the home. The agent looked at his house and could clearly see it was worth the price. The agent put the home on the market for the same price as the previous agents did. Only this time, something different happened. Sixty-three days later, the home sold for $480,000. The other agents were stunned. After all, they had told John his home was worth no more than $450,000. And since most homes sell for slightly less than their asking price, an asking price of $450,000 would have most likely resulted in a final sales price of $430,000 to $440,000. Yet, the new agent had sold the home for more. It had taken only two months to capture a buyer’s attention. The unsuccessful agents were shocked (and a little bit embarrassed)! What had they missed? Why did the first two agents fail to sell the home, while the third agent sold it with ease?

It’s because the new agent used a marketing strategy most agents don’t use. The details on this secret marketing strategy are explained within the following chapters. But first, we must be clear on one very fundamental point. Many people believe a house sells for exactly what it’s “worth.” That simply isn’t true. The price of a house is merely the final amount agreed upon by the buyer and seller. Many circumstances affect the final sale price.

Houses do NOT always sell for what they are “worth.”

• Sometimes they sell for more. • Sometimes they sell for less.

While that statement may seem like a no-brainer, it’s imperative you understand this. Strip away misconceptions, such as the idea that “worth” determines the sale price of a house. Now you are free to examine the real factors at work. Identify those factors and you can leverage them in your favor. Take Cheryl and Richard, for example. They owned townhouses, only five doors apart. Both put their homes on the market at the same time. The builder had used the same floor plan for all the townhouses in their neighborhood. Both had the same layout. At first glance, each townhouse seemed to hold the same basic appeal for a buyer.

You might think they were “worth” the same amount. Nope. Cheryl and Richard sold their homes within one month of each other. These townhouses seemed identical, but there was a $14,000 difference in sale price!

• Cheryl sold her home for $202,000. • Richard sold his for only $188,000.

Why the large gap in price? In a later chapter, you’ll see exactly what Cheryl did to make more money on her home. For now, just know that you simply can’t afford to guess the “worth” of a home!

POINTS TO REMEMBER:

• Homes that don’t sell easily aren’t always overpriced. Houses don’t always sell for what they are “worth.” • The selling price of a home is merely the final amount agreed upon by the buyer and seller. • The most skilled sellers use special techniques that can help sell homes faster and for more money.

CHAPTER 3 What to Avoid

Here’s another example of a stupid mistake that caused a seller to lose about $50,000 — yes, that’s $50,000 — on their home sale. An alert buyer was able to snatch up a $280,000 property for only $230,000. It was being sold by an out-of-town owner. The agent was not familiar with the area and suggested the low price. The agent did not bother to put a sign on the property, and hardly anyone knew it was for sale. Two buyers both wanted to buy this property. One buyer really wanted it because it was right next to his house. He would have a bigger yard with more room for his kids to play. The other buyer lived in the area and wanted a larger yard. He wanted to buy this property and build a house on it. The first buyer bought the property before the second buyer even knew it was for sale. As soon as the first buyer found out it was for sale, he made an offer immediately. The seller accepted the offer, and the property sold soon thereafter. This buyer would’ve gladly paid full market value

for the property. But he didn’t need to, because the seller accepted the offer he made.

The second buyer never found out the property was for sale until it had been sold. Even worse, the seller never realized the mistake. Bottom line: The seller lost $50,000 because of his agent’s incompetence. While stories like this don’t happen every day, they happen more often than you’d think. It’s a very real risk you take when you hire an agent who doesn’t have a proven marketing plan. Had a sign simply been on the property, it definitely would’ve attracted more interest, and possibly even started a bidding war, driving up the price. At $50,000 below market price, the listing would have been bid and counter-bid several times, possibly even up to fair market value.

Here’s a similar story.

In this case, a seller hired an agent whose incompetence cost her $25,000. Her agent completely flubbed a “perfect offer.” The buyer submitted an offer at full price for her home, no strings attached.

Her agent dropped the ball and let a little problem—one

that would’ve been easy to resolve—ruin a perfectly good sale!

The house sat on the market for another year and ended up selling for $15,000 less than the original full-price offer. Even worse, the seller wound up having to make another 15 house payments while her home sat on the market. Ongoing house (mortgage) payments are a frequently overlooked cost of not finding a buyer quickly. Please don’t become another one of these stories! Take time to know the true value of your home. Do your homework and prepare for the sale before putting your home on the market. The good news is that by reading this book, you’re already ahead of the game!

POINTS TO REMEMBER:

• A marketing mistake—such as not using a “for sale” sign—can drive down a home’s price. • When you put your house on the market, make sure you—and your real estate agent—address any problems that could disrupt a sale. • Continuing house payments are a hidden cost of selling a house too slowly.

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