Archive for March, 2012

Don’t Count on Luck to Sell Your Brooklyn Home

Tuesday, March 27th, 2012

Even though we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day this month, do not count on the luck of the Irish when it comes to selling your Brooklyn home. Finding the right buyer in this housing market can seem about as easy as spotting a leprechaun. However, with a little bit of research, you can identify the type of buyers most likely to purchase your home and develop a marketing strategy to target that group.

Pinpointing the buyers most likely to purchase your home and marketing specifically to that group is a tool that real estate professionals use all the time. Below are two crucial steps to identifying potential buyers of your home, appealing to the people most likely to purchase your property and selling your house quicker — which means claiming your pot of gold.

  1. 1. Identify the lifestyle fit. Think back to when you initially bought the property and what qualities caught your eye. Were you a single man looking for a bachelor pad or an empty nester looking for a place to retire? Coincidentally, whoever buys your Brooklyn home will probably have a lifestyle similar to the one you had when you bought your home. So, be sure to highlight attractive features, such as a game room for a bachelor or one-level living for a retiree.
  2. 2. Notice the neighborhood. Once you’ve identified the type of buyer, it is important to examine your Brooklyn neighborhood. People want to live in areas where they have the amenities they need. Do you live close to a desirable school district? Is a new shopping development going in right down the road? Are there multiple parks within walking distance? These can all be things that attract the right buyer, but are often left out of advertising.

 

Do not count on leprechauns and luck to sell your Brooklyn home! While your buyer could turn out to be the complete opposite of your target market, you are more likely to have house-selling success if you reach out to a specific demographic.

If you could use help developing a marketing strategy to sell your real estate, please call Charles D’Alessandro of Fillmore Real Estate at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected] today.

6 Key Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Brooklyn Real Estate Agent

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent

Consider hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent like Charles D’Alessandro for the purchase or sale of your next home.

You’ve decided it’s time to sell your Brooklyn home. Now you’re dreading the process of hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent. Don’t worry! There are many outstanding agents available. Interview at least three agents, call a few of their clients and check their references before hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent.

To help you through this process, here are 6 key questions to ask before hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent:

1. How many homes have you sold in this area in the last year and how long did it take you to sell them?

Obviously, the more homes a real estate agent has sold, the better, and the quicker the homes sold, the better. Hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent who has sold nothing in the last six months isn’t the best idea. If they haven’t sold many Brooklyn homes, they most likely do not know how to sell in the current market.

2. How much did the Brooklyn homes you sold sell for?

Hire a Brooklyn real estate agent who has sold homes priced similar to yours. He or she will know how to determine the best price for your home. They will know how to market your home well, too.

3. Do you live and work in the Brooklyn area?

It’s important to hire an agent who thoroughly knows the Brooklyn real estate market. You want a real estate agent who knows what homes are selling for in today’s market, what buyers in your area are looking for and what’s for sale in your area right now.

4. How do you market homes online?

You want to be hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent who is comfortable using Facebook, Twitter or YouTube to market Brooklyn homes. Look at the agents’ websites to see how many photos and videos they’ve posted for other homes they’re selling.  Visit real estate websites such as Realtor.com, Yahoo Real Estate, Trulia and Zillow to see how the agent showcases homes he or she is selling. Buyers like to see pictures and videos of homes. You need an agent who will provide professional pictures and videos of homes as a regular part of his or her service.

5. How do you market homes offline?

While searching for homes online is by far the most popular way to find homes for sale these days, you don’t want to miss out on offline marketing. Hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent who markets your home with a multitude of mediums, which may include house-for-sale flyers, real estate magazines or newspapers, is smart marketing.

6. What are the most common problems that come up when selling a home and how would you handle them?

Hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent who is experienced is important. When they are experienced they will be able to tell you what to expect throughout the entire process. They will talk about the most common problems that may arise and how they can be avoided.

If you’ve decided it’s time to sell your home, then it’s time to be hiring a Brooklyn real estate agent like Charles D’Alesssandro of Fillmore Real Estate. He welcomes the opportunity of working with you to sell your home. Call (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email [email protected] to schedule a time for an interview with Charles today. He knows Brooklyn real estate.

Seven Signs Brooklyn Real Estate and Real Estate Nationwide are Improving

Friday, March 9th, 2012

Recently released figures indicate real estate nationwide and Brooklyn real estate are continuing to steadily improve. Here are seven signs that demonstrate the upturn:

Housing affordability has risen dramatically. This is due to a combination of reduced real estate prices and record-low mortgage rates.

  1. Housing starts are increasing, driven mostly by multifamily starts.
  2. Existing home sales increased in January. That means we’ve now had three months of gains out of the past four months.
  3. Total housing inventory fell to a 6.1 month supply at the end of January. This means that on average it now takes just over 6 months to sell a home, which is an improvement. According to Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, “The broad inventory condition can be described as moving into a rough balance, not favoring buyers or sellers.”
  4. There are plenty of home buyers and investors competing for foreclosure sales in almost all markets.
  5. Purchases of homes are on the rise by all types of buyers, from seasoned investors to first-time home buyers.
  6. Most economists agree that the market is improving. Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist says, “Our outlook anticipates gradual, but steady, improvement in the economy and the housing market, supported by low interest rates and brightening job market prospects.”

This is excellent news for the spring and summer Brooklyn real estate season that’s just around the corner. If you’ve been considering buying or selling a home, now’s the time to start that process so you’re ready for the hottest season we’ve seen in years.

Thinking about buying or selling Brooklyn real estate? Please contact Call Charles D’Alessandro of Fillmore Real Estate at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected] . I can help you achieve your goals.