If you’re considering selling your  home in Brooklyn New York, you probably already know most of the questions you should ask Brooklyn real estate agents you’re thinking of hiring, such as:

• How long have you been a Brooklyn real estate agent?
• Are you a full-time REALTOR®?
• Do you specialize in my Brooklyn neighborhood?
• How would you market my home?

Unfortunately, most sellers forget one of the most important questions to ask  Brooklyn real estate agents:  How many of the homes you listed in the last 12 months actually sold?

The answer to this question gets to the heart of whether the agents are good at selling real estate. They’ll have very few sold homes in comparison to the number of homes they listed, if they:

• Over-price homes
• Under-market homes
• Don’t know how to negotiate
• Aren’t good at (or simply don’t do) the multitude of tasks knowledgeable real estate agents perform to get homes sold

If you discover that an agent has a higher percentage of listings that are withdrawn or expired and not renewed than other agents in the same area, keep looking.

Searching for an agent who gets homes sold?  Congratulations, you’ve just found one ! Charles D’Alessandro Your Brooklyn Realtor®. I’d be honored if you’d give me a chance to interview for the job of selling your Brooklyn home.  Please call me at (718)253-9600 ext.206 or email me at [email protected] to schedule an interview.

As a society, it seems like we’ve gotten away from appreciating our Brooklyn New York homes for their emotional and sentimental worth.  Instead, we focus solely on their monetary value. Do You Consider Brooklyn Real Estate a House or Your Home?

An appraiser can estimate a Brooklyn New York home’s monetary value, but to gain a true concept of your home’s worth, you must also take into consideration:

1.      Pride of home ownership. You don’t buy a pair of Prada shoes because you’re going to be able to resell them and make a profit.  You buy them because they make you look good and feel good.

2.      Security and stability. Your home provides a roof over your head that’s in your control.  You can decorate it how you want.  You don’t have to worry about a landlord selling the property or asking you to move out.  In the “olden days” (or should I say “golden days”), we called our homes our castles because, as homeowners, we felt like the kings and queens of our Brooklyn New York homes.  You can still feel that way!  Claim your castle and crown yourself king or queen today.

3. A safe haven. After a tough day at work or a day of disappointments, where’s the first place you think of going?  Home!  As Dorothy says, “There’s no place like home.”

4. A place to make memories. Your son’s tree house and daughter’s playhouse.  The markings on the wall that tracked your children’s growth.  The porch swing where you start and end every anniversary celebration.

5.      A neighborhood full of friends. In the event of an emergency, your Brooklyn neighbors are your first line of defense.  They’re also the simplest, best and least expensive form of security.  Additionally, they may have the exact tool you need for a project; the extra pair of hands you need to complete a project or children to become playmates with yours. Neighbors also give you that much needed in-person, up-close social network.

Even if your home’s economic value has dropped, you continue to benefit from its emotional values of community, stability, security and success.

Thinking of buying a home?  I can help you evaluate the emotional and monetary worth of your Brooklyn homes and find a home that fits your values and lifestyle.  Give me a call today Charles D’Alessandro of Fillmore Real Estate at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected].

House flipping is still a profitable way to invest in Brooklyn Real Estate , if you know what you’re doing. I’m going to share one of the biggest mistakes prospective home flippers make and how to avoid it.

Choosing the Wrong Brooklyn Real Estate to Flip

Nothing will make your venture into the world of house flipping a bigger nightmare than a finished product that will not sell. To avoid this, learn all you can about what’s currently selling the fastest and for the most money in your Brooklyn real estate market.

It doesn’t mean you have to pick expensive homes in up-scale neighborhoods.  In fact, those may be the worst Brooklyn properties to try to flip, depending on your market.  Typically, there are houses you can flip for profit in every price range.

Choosing the Right Brooklyn Property to Flip

The things you need to avoid when buying a Brooklyn home you’re planning to flip are basically the same things you would avoid if you were purchasing that same home as your primary residence.  Here are three things to avoid when choosing a home to flip:

1)      Distractions that would make living in the home undesirable such as busey avenues, comercial streets or manufactuing plants.

2)      Crazy floor plans that cannot be easily fixed in a quick and inexpensive remodel.

3)      Homes with major structural damage. Getting a home inspection is the best way to avoid this.  However, if for some reason you cannot get a home inspection, always make provisions in your operating expenses for unexpected major repairs.

If you would like more information on how to turn a profit by flipping Brooklyn real estate, give me Charles D’Alessandro of Fillmore Real Estate a call today at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected]

Interview Brooklyn Real Estate Agents

Choosing a professional real estate agent or a Realtor, ( National Association of Realtors )can be a very imposing task.  This person is responsible for finding your new home or selling your Brooklyn home, guiding you through the home inspection process and negotiating a good price and terms.  These are important tasks that should be taken seriously.  That’s why finding a skilled real estate agent is key to a successful real estate transaction.

Here are several tips for interviewing Brooklyn real estate agents:

·        Interview at least three agents.  Even if you love the first or second agent you interview, promise yourself you’ll interview all three.  You learn more from each interview, and you never know when that third agent is going to be the perfect match for you.

·        Ask all three agents the same questions so you can compare their answers and ability to communicate.  Write out your questions so you don’t forget any, and take notes during the interviews.  You think you’ll remember what they say, but the specifics will begin to blur as you interview the second and third agent.

·        Ask the Brooklyn real estate agents how long they’ve been in business and how many homes they’ve helped people buy and sell during the last year.  An agent with experience is a very valuable asset, but with the current fluctuations in real estate, an agent with recent experience is even more valuable.   Also ask how long they’ve been helping people buy and sell homes in the area in which you want to live.  You want a real estate agent who is an expert on that neighborhood.

·        Get at least three references of past clients from each of the Brooklyn real estate agents. Then follow up with those references.  Ask a variety of questions such as:

o       What was it like to work with the agent?

o       Would you work with him or her again?

o       What was your least favorite thing about working with the agent?

o       What was the best thing about working with the agent?

If you’re looking for and professional real estate agent and a Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE), I’d be honored to be interviewed for the job.  Call Charles D’Alessandro of Fillmore Real Estate at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected] to schedule an interview.

There are a few misconceptions about buying Brooklyn real estate for sale by owner (FSBO).

Sellers aren’t Serious

Some buyers think that the seller isn’t serious about selling the house, that they’re just testing the market.  While this is true in some cases, most sellers are serious and will accept an offer that is close to the asking price.

There’s Something Wrong with the Home

Sometimes Brooklyn real estate for sale by owner sits on the market for a while.  Generally, it isn’t because there’s something terribly wrong with the house.

It may be because the owner isn’t open to negotiations on the sale price.  More often, it’s because the owner doesn’t have the experience marketing and showing homes to potential buyers that a real estate agent does.  A typical owner isn’t likely to have the time to properly market the house. If there aren’t enough buyers looking at the house, it’s going to be harder to get a good purchase offer.

Real Estate Agents can’t Help

Some buyers believe that real estate agents can’t help them negotiate the purchase of a FSBO.  That’s not true.  If you find a FSBO you’re interested in, whether you find it because you drive by it or see it in an advertisement, let your Brooklyn real estate agent know.  Real estate agents can represent your best interests when purchasing FSBOs, just like they do when purchasing homes listed with a real estate agency.

If you’re interested in buying a home, whether or not it’s a FSBO, I’d like to help you.  Call me today at Fillmore Real Estate (718) 253-9600 ext.206 or email me at [email protected]

Here are the top 10 reasons people sell their Brooklyn homes.

Selling a home is never an easy decision.  If you’ve ever wondered how most people make this decision, you’ll enjoy this top 10 list.  Here are the top 10 reasons people sell their Brooklyn homes.

1.      Death or divorce. Death and divorce can cause major changes to a family’s financial situation. Homeowners are often unable to cover the maintenance and cost of the home on a single income and are forced to sell their home.

2.School district. People move to certain neighborhoods to be in the school district. They also leave neighborhoods because the schools have changed or to be in a district that better meets their child’s needs.

3.      Job. A very common reason for selling a home is a job change. The family may need to move to a new area because of a new job. A job loss can mean the owners can no longer afford their home.

4.      Marriage. When a couple with separate homes marries, they often choose to live in one home and sell the other. Marriage can also mean a change in finances.

5.      Too much debt. Sometimes medical bills or consumer debt can become so overwhelming that homeowners have no recourse but to sell their Brooklyn homes. Homeowners may sell their homes to avoid foreclosure or bankruptcy.

6.      Need more space. Growing families need more space. A couple may discover that their cozy bungalow does not meet the needs of their small children. They may sell their home so they can upgrade.

7.      Need less space. As children move out, some owners may find they need less space. They may no longer want to be responsible for cleaning and maintaining a large home.

8.      Neighborhood. Neighborhoods change as people move in and out. What seemed like the perfect area when the owners bought their home may no longer fit their lifestyle. For this reason, people sell their Brooklyn homes.

9.      Climate. People living in the north may decide they want a break from the snow. Residents of the south sometimes want to be in a cooler climate.

10.  Home defects. Homeowners may find themselves faced with major repairs that they don’t have the time or money to fix. Selling their home and moving is sometimes a better option.

Trying to decide if you’re ready to sell?  I can help. Call me today at (718) 253-9600 ext.206 or email me at [email protected] for more information

Charles D’Alessandro

[email protected]
tel 718 253-9600
fax 718 253-9573

Brooklyn Real Estate Blog 6 Tips for Selling Your Brooklyn Home During the Holidays

De-cluttering your Brooklyn home is an important part of preparing it for sale. Buyers want to be able to imagine themselves and their belongings inside your home. However, this idea isn’t limited to the inside of your home. It also applies to your garage.

Cluttered, over-crowded garages turn buyers away. Fortunately, sprucing up your garage is easier than you think. Here are some tips to get you started.

1.      Start with a list. If you’re like most people, you probably don’t even know what’s inside your garage. Take a pencil and paper and walk through your garage, writing down everything you see. You don’t need a detailed list. For example, screws, bolts, and nails can be listed together as hardware.

2.      Reduce the list. Cleaning your garage means getting rid of anything you no longer need or want. Just like inside your Brooklyn home, the general rule is that you can toss any item you haven’t used in 1 year. If you don’t use it, it’s only taking up space. Give it away, trash it, or recycle it.

3.      Group related items. It just makes sense to store items together. If all your camping supplies are stored in one place, you won’t waste time anymore looking for them. Place each item on your list in a group, like painting supplies, home repairs, winter blankets, etc.

4.      Create zones. Decide what you want to do with your garage. If you want to park a car inside, designate a parking zone and don’t let anything but your car in that zone. Choose a work area where you can place a workbench or household projects. Garage storage zones should be at different heights throughout the garage.

5.      Give it some personality. Once your garage is organized and clean, make it more attractive with some decorative touches. Paint the garage floor. Decorate it with an automotive theme. Upgrade to an automatic garage door.

With a little work, your Brooklyn home will be ready to sell in no time. Let me help you prepare your home to sell. Call me today at (718) 253-9600 ext.206  or email me at [email protected]

Charles D’Alessandro

[email protected]
tel 718 253-9600
fax 718 253-9573

Brooklyn Real Estate Blog Staging Brooklyn Homes for Sale: Not Just Pretty Furniture

Many real estate agents say, “Stage your Brooklyn homes for sale!” If you have no idea what that means, you might Google it, read a few articles and get the idea that you throw a little rented furniture into your home and call it done. If you read a little bit more, you might add a mirror or potted plant here and there. However, if you really dig into it, you’ll find that staging Brooklyn homes for sale take a whole lot more than that.

Test Your Knowledge

Did you know…

• Smaller furniture in small areas makes the space appear bigger.
• Carefully arranged plants bring warmth to a living area.
• Rugs and artwork add depth and dimension to a room.
• Sunlight shining through a window makes a room feel warm and inviting.
• A staged bedroom is as important as the bathroom and kitchen.
• The colors you choose can make the difference between a sale and a flop.

If you didn’t know any of the above, it’s time to do your learn how to stage or hire a professional stager. Why? Home staging has been proven time and again to be one of the best steps to take to sell a home quickly and for more money.

Find Home Staging Resources

There are tons of online resources available to help you stage your home, if you’d rather do it yourself. Here are just a few, in no particular order:

1. Field Guide to Preparing and Staging a House
2. Home-Staging Cheat Sheet
3. Staging to Sell: The Secret to Selling Homes in a Down Market

Hire a Professional Stager

Does this mean you can’t do it yourself? Not at all. You just need to ask yourself two questions:

1.      Can you afford to wait to sell your house while you’re learning how to stage your home?

2.      Even after researching and studying, will you be able to do a quality staging job?

If you can’t afford to wait or you’ll never be great at staging, hire a professional.

What’s the moral of the story? If you have one of the Brooklyn homes for sale and you’ve been considering home staging, stop considering. Do it!

Need help preparing your home for sale?  I can help. Call me today at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected] for more information.

Charles D’Alessandro

[email protected]
tel 718 253-9600
fax 718 253-9573

Brooklyn Real Estate Blog Slow Markets and Brooklyn Homes: Bringing Them Together for the Sale

The point of having your home for sale in Brooklyn is to… well, sell it, isn’t it? I mean, it makes logical sense, right? Yet, too often, home sellers seem to think that selling is as easy as “hire agent, put sign in front, sold.”

This attitude, especially in a slow real estate market, has left many a seller empty-handed. They say “no” when they should have said “yes.” They have all these reasons why they won’t “A, B or C,” rather than just doing “A, B or C” for their home for sale in Brooklyn.

What am I talking about? Well, here are just a few of those “don’t say no” things:

Buyer Incentives

Listen – a slow market or not, you do have competition. What does this mean? You may have the best house on the block, but if your neighbor’s house has higher perceived value, yours will be left sitting there.

By offering buyer incentives such as a home warranty plan, pre-paid homeowner association fees or credit toward the closing costs, you’re giving the buyer more perceived value. Let’s face it; buyers want the best bang for their buck.

Home Showings

When an agent calls and asks if they can show your home, say YES!  It doesn’t matter if they want to show it in five minutes or five hours, your answer should be yes.  If your home doesn’t get seen, it won’t get sold.  That person you said “no” to might have been your ideal buyer.

Virtual Tours

Buyers like to be able to view a potential home online first. The best way for them to do this is with a virtual real estate tour, looking at the home with a 360-degree view. Because this is such a quickly growing trend (some buyers ignore listings without them), you can’t afford to pass it up.

If you have a home for sale in Brooklyn and it’s been on the market for a while, you may have said “no” to too many things. Take some time to look at what you can do to market your home better. These pointers may very well make all the difference!

If you’re trying to market your home and need a professional, I can help. Call me at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected] for more information.

Charles D’Alessandro

[email protected]
tel 718 253-9600
fax 718 253-9573

Brooklyn Real Estate Blog How to Set the Right Price for Brooklyn Homes for Sale

Going it alone and listing your home as for sale by owner can be exciting at first, but there is a turning point where the prospect of losing money makes it necessary to bring in help. Here are four reasons to change your plan and list your home with a Brooklyn real estate agent in order to facilitate a sale.

1. 1. Speed: If your property has been languishing on the market for more than three months, it is no longer fresh. People will avoid it simply because it hasn’t sold. A Brooklyn real estate agent can give your home wider exposure and get traffic moving through it again.
2. 2. Knowledge: Fresh eyes on a project are helpful in any business endeavor. You can be too close to your home. You love it and see it in a positive light that can often overlook minor items that will kill a sale. Your Brooklyn real estate agent can help you see the problems you didn’t even know existed.
3. 3. National Exposure: As a FSBO (for sale by owner) seller, you are not able to list your home on the official MLS (multiple listing service). That exposure alone can get much faster responses and sales. Additionally, a professional real estate agent markets your home on multiple websites which gives your home a virtual Open House 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
4. 4. An Earthly Advantage: Many FSBOs price their homes way over market for two reasons.  First, they love their home and see certain aspects of their home as more valuable than they really are.  Second, they don’t have extensive knowledge of the real estate market nor do they have the ability to do accurate home price comparisons. You ‘might’ know what your neighbor’s house sold for 5 years ago, but do you know what it is worth now?  And even more importantly, do you know exactly how comparable your house is to that one? A professional real estate agent has access to all that information.

If you would like to know more about how a professional real estate agent can help you sell yourBrooklyn home, I can help.  Give  Charles D’Alessandro of Fillmore Real Estate a call today at 9718) 253-9600 EXT.206 or email me at [email protected] for more information.

Charles D’Alessandro

[email protected]
tel 718 253-9600
fax 718 253-9573

Brooklyn Real Estate Blog The FSBO Mindset: Successful Ways to Sell Your Brooklyn Real Estate