THE CLIENTS

The W’s are a happy family of four (two toddlers) living in an urban townhouse. They were looking to relocate to a single family home with more living and outdoor space.

THE PROBLEM(S)

The W’s were facing several issues which were preventing them from achieving their goal of moving to a larger home. While they had already found their dream home, they could not finalize that deal without selling their current townhouse. It had been on the market about three weeks without much interest.

The W’s issues were threefold:

Issue #1 – Needed to Sell Quickly in Order to Purchase Dream Home

The W’s needed to quickly sell the townhome in order to finalize the purchase of their new home. They had written an offer that was contingent on the townhouse selling. If another/better offer came along, they could lose their dream home. To make the situation even more challenging, they needed to sell it in slower winter months.

Issue #2 – Young (and Napping) Kids = Limited Times Available to Show

Two young toddlers at home usually means showing restrictions. Agents and househunters understand this. However, the showing instructions outlined in the listing were extremely limited and may have seemed off- putting to those who may have wanted to tour the home.

Issue #3 – Unhappy with their First Realtor

The home was initially listed with another agent. The W’s were unhappy with the communication style of their first Realtor. They were also frustrated that the home was not getting a lot of showings. The W’s received our name from past clients of ours who knew we could help them get it sold quickly. They contacted us and we were happy to help.

HOW WE HELPED

The Goodhart Group immediately jumped into action. First, we did a complete audit of how their listing appeared to both its target market and local agents. Among other things, we reviewed the below:

Staging

The home was lovely. It was beautiful, clean, and showed well. However, a few of its spaces could have been better utilized or made to look more interesting. We arranged for our stager come in who suggested a few small fixes that went a long way to increase the appeal of the home – both online and in person.

Photos

While the photos were professional, the order of the photos did not tell the right story of the home. We had photos redone to better show off the spaces and ordered them in a logical manner. These new photos reflected the changes made in the home’s staging.

Targeted Marketing

We looked at who typically purchases properties in the immediate area where the home was located. We then crafted a thorough and thoughtful marketing plan targeted to that demographic. In this case, we found most of the buyers are either younger professional couples moving from DC, Arlington, or a smaller place in Old Town – or downsizers coming from larger homes in Alexandria and McLean. Regardless of demographic, we knew the appeal of these homes is the spaciousness of the properties, garage parking, and walkability. We made sure that all of our listing copy appealed to the wonderful lifestyle the home provided and how it was unique when compared to other Old Town properties (hello – garage parking!).

The Showing Instructions

We took a close look at the home’s showing instructions…they were way too limiting! If buyers can’t get in to tour the property, they can’t see it if they like it, much less write an offer! So, we suggested removing the limitations noted in the listing for when agents can show. It was an intimidating list! The W’s could still reschedule a showing during the children’s naptime when the agent called them, but we had to get the phone to ring for requests! With the times blocked out automatically, agents would never even pick up the phone. If an agent sees too many restrictions, they often just move on to the next property. If the W’s couldn’t accommodate a showing request, our team could then follow-up to coordinate another time to show the property.

Price

Our team did a market analysis and examined comparable sales in the area. We reviewed the “comps” to determine if listing price was appropriate. We had a discussion with the W’s regarding their goals and best way to achieve them. In the end, we reduced the price of the home to broaden its appeal.

Communication

Our team openly communicated with the W’s throughout the process. We listened and respected their wishes and provided suggestions for workarounds as necessary.We stayed in close contact about how the showings were handled and were working for them.

THE END RESULT

Showings of the W’s townhome immediately picked up once they relisted with us and the townhome sold within a few weeks at a price that allowed the W’s to settle on their dream home. Now the W family is happily living in their new home and enjoying their expanded space!

The BOTTOM LINE

With our nearly 25 years of local real estate experience, we know how to get the job done! We’ve helped buyers and sellers facing just about any scenario you can think of. If you would like help achieving your real estate goals, please contact us today. We’d are always happy to help!

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