I am the number ONE Century 21 agent in the state of Florida for the first half of 2007 with nearly $20 million in sales so far. I am ranked number 15 in the country out of more than 118,000 Century 21 agents nationwide. (Now you know why I have not kept up with this blog.) Overall the market is still off more than 58% in the Upper Keys as far a number of sales but the selling prices have held.

August 6, 2007

I was recently intervied by CNN Money for an article regarding television advertising on cable. They also inserted a link to my recent TV ad on their web site. http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/14/smbusiness/spotrunner.commercials/index.htm

July 15, 2006

Before you list your valuable Florida Keys property for sale, go compare for yourself. Does the agent you are considering have multiple HIGH QUALITY PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS on each listing? Is there a HIGH QUALITY PROFESSIONAL VIRTUAL TOUR on each listing? Lousy photos and poor quality virtual tours can hurt the sale of your property. While more and more agents are using multiple photos and virtual tours to market their listings online, many are lacking in quality even on properties listed for millions of dollars. I was first introduced to photography in college and I continue to take advanced courses to better help market my listings both online and in print advertising. I do all of my own photography and produce my own virtual tours so I can control the quality. I can get the tours online much faster than agents who have to make an appointment with a tour provider and wait. My tours are better quality than the the tour providers because I take the time to scrutinize and enhance each and every photo or tour. I am not in the business to do as many tours as I can in a day. Some agent-produced virtual tours are of such poor quality they actually hinder rather than enhance the sale of the property. When it comes to photos and virtual tours, quality counts.

May 16, 2006

I know it sounds logical. If 75% of the buyers for Florida Keys properties are from out of the area, why not use a Realtor or agent out of the area? It is true, most buyers do not live in the Keys, but you should think about it. When you bought your Key Largo, Islamorada or Key West home didn't you want an agent familiar with the area who could answer all of your questions about real estate in the Florida Keys? Did you walk into an office in your home town and inquire about Florida Keys properties for sale? Lately I have seen more and more Keys properties listed with out of town agents. Although those agents may be experts in their own areas, it does not mean they are experts in the Florida Keys, even if they personally own property in the Keys. They will not know how your property compares to others on the market because they are not in the local market on a daily basis. Worst of all they do not know all the local laws and regulations which could result in legal problems for the Seller. Although there are a few sales made in the Keys through out of town agents, it is usually because the buyer brings an agent, who is a relative or friend, with them. Almost 100% of the time those properties listed with out of area agents sell through a Florida Keys Realtor anyway. The problem is they take much longer to sell. Why? The problem is with the showings. In these days of cell phones it is very often a buyer in the Keys for a weekend will call and ask to see a particular property right away. Most of the time when I have a buyer who wants to see a property listed with an agent in another city, that agent is too busy to drop everything, jump in the car and drive an hour or two to the Keys. So the property does not get shown. By the time the agent is available, the Buyer has already found something else or is no longer in town. Often the out of town agents do little or no advertising in the Keys (where the Buyers are actively looking) and many times it is not even on the local MLS where the Keys area agents can find it. The result is the properties stay on the market much longer. In my opinion an agent who takes a listing out of their market area, is doing a disservice to the Seller. If you have a friend in the real estate business, ask them to help you find a Keys agent in exchange for a referral fee when the property sells. If you are considering buying in an area other than the Keys, call me and I will help you find an expert in the area you are considering.

May 11, 2006

Even if the Buyer is thousands of dollars below your asking price you should still respond. Many times the Buyer is just testing to see how low you will go. If you do not respond at all you run the risk of annoying the Buyer and the negotiations end right there even if the Buyer may have been willing to go much higher. If you counter, even just a little below the asking price, you send a message that you are willing to entertain a serious offer but the current offer is not acceptable.

May 9, 2006

Why are you selling? The difference in selling because you want to and because you have to affects every part of your home sale. If you are using an agent to sell your home, be honest about your position and desires. According to Florida law your agent cannot advertise or spread the word that you are desperate to sell unless you give written permission to do so. Only then could your agent use wording such as MUST SELL. Your agent needs to know your situation and motivation in order to best advise you.

May 5, 2006