Report on Real Estate Websites Issued

The WAV Group, a real estate consulting company, recently released a report regarding online sites that offer property search tools for consumers. The conclusion was that a site based on information from a LOCAL Multiple Listing Service (MLS) will give consumers more accuracy in terms of what's available in a local market.

In the "MLS" world, Brokers like Nothnagle, who are part of a local MLS, are allowed to set up "IDX-Powered Sites" that display all of the area listings -- both Nothnagle's as well as other Brokers participating in the MLS. The report found that these Broker IDX sites, such as Nothnagle.com, are the most accurate with an average 96% - 98% accuracy rating.

Many of the national aggregator sites and national franchise sites were found to only display a fraction of the for-sale properties and/or the listing information was outdated (i.e. the properties were already sold).

Many sites claimed to have millions of listings on their site, but when tested they often had below 3,000 listings.

Nothnagle.com displays up-to-date listing information and features nearly all of the listings in the Greater Rochester region. Through Nothnagle.com, you can easily contact one of our agents to get more information on any of the properties that appear on the site.

Nothnagle Agent Wins National Award

Debbi Jacob, Associate Broker with Nothnagle Realtors, has been named one of the “Top 50 Realtors on the Rise for 2008,” by RIS Media’s Real Estate Magazine. Debbi was selected by the magazine’s editors out of hundreds of submissions sent in from across the country.

This is the 4th year that Real Estate Magazine has conducted the contest. The recipients of the award are from across the U.S. and the winners are featured in the August issue of Real Estate magazine and online at www.rismedia.com.

Debbi has more than 26 years of sales experience and was working as a dental hygienist when she first joined Nothnagle in search of a new career. Licensed in June 2006, Debbi is fast approaching $8 million in sales this year. Debbi won Nothnagle’s “Rookie of the Year” award and is a member of Nothnagle’s prestigious Gold Club.

As a newly licensed agent working between shifts at the dentist office, Debbi’s manager once asked why she was achieving so much success at open houses. Debbie replied, “I only have two hours so I need to listen carefully, ask questions and establish rapport very quickly. I need to establish trust so people know I will be able to look out for their best interests.”

When asked about the overall secret to her success, Debbi further added, “Our office and the tools Nothnagle has make it pretty easy to find success. The only thing an agent has to add is hard work and the golden rule and that is to treat people as you would want to be treated. It's a pretty easy concept and I know people sense when an agent cares about them and their needs above and beyond everything else.”

Armand D’Alfonso, President and CEO of Nothnagle Realtors, stated, “From day one, Debbi’s warm and engaging personality made everyone she meets comfortable and confident that she could help them with all of their real estate needs. Combined with her positive attitude and determination, I knew Debbi would be very successful in this business. We are thrilled to have Debbi as part of our Nothnagle family of agents.”

Debbi is married with three grown children. In addition to selling real estate, Debbi enjoys skiing, boating, antiques, gardening and is an active volunteer with Breast Cancer awareness.

Debbi can be reached at the Pittsford branch of Nothnagle Realtors at 585-389-4019.

Webster Branch to Raise Funds for Hope House

Join us on Saturday, August 23rd at our Webster Branch, 2055 Empire Boulevard, for a good cause! Stop by between 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. for a car wash and to grab a hot dog or hamburger. Car wash and food is FREE OF CHARGE but donations gladly accepted. All of the money raised will be donated to Hope House. We will also be collecting food items; bring non-perishable items and we will deliver to Hope House.

Hope House, founded in 1998 by parishioners from Holy Trinity, is located on Ridge Road East in the Village of Webster and has provided assistance to over 1,000 families since its inception. Hope House provides families with food assistance as well as Emergency Financial Assistance, to help cover the cost of items like medical expenses, rent and utilities.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday! Call the Webster office at 671-5180 if you need directions or additional information.

First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit

Many first-time buyers who purchase a principle residence between 4/9/08 - 7/1/09 will qualify for up to $7,500 in tax credits. The tax credit will be equal to 10% of the purchase price, up to a maximum of $7,500. There are some income restrictions. A "first-time home buyer" is defined as someone who has not owned a principle residents for the 3-year period prior to purchase. There is also a payback provision that makes the program similar to an interest-free loan. For more information on the program, the National Association of Realtors has put together a publication that helps explain the program.

Call a Nothnagle agent today or 899-MOVE for more information.

Getting Your House SOLD!

The local REALTOR association (GRAR) will release the July 2008 statistics on home sales in the Greater Rochester region at the end of the week. Preliminary reports indicate that sales are down 11% year to date. New business written has dropped over 27%.

Nothnagle Realtors, however, is outperforming the market with company sales close to 2007 levels. And our numbers are included in the GRAR numbers -- so that means some companies have had even more dramatic decreases than the overall 11%.

Nothnagle has been hovering around 57-58% market participation, our highest ever. The reason? Because in market conditions like we face today, successful sellers know that now more than ever they need the comprehensive marketing and advertising program that ONLY Nothnagle offers. None of our competitors can market properties like we can! We invest a tremendous amount of time, effort and company dollars in our advertising -- and we do so because it produces results. And our numbers back up the results, which is why our market participation is the highest ever and our sales are holding steady year over year.

The Nothnagle Difference

Our "Page 3" article from this past week's Real Estate section of the Democrat and Chronicle focuses on the advantages sellers, buyers and agents get from Nothnagle Realtors. We offer tools and services that no one else in the area provides. Even in today's market, with the local MLS reporting sales down year to date 12%, Nothnagle has achieved our highest market participation ever. And many agents have been leaving other companies to join Nothnagle because they get more tools and support here, helping them to focus more on what they do best -- buying and selling homes.

Quiz: Staging Savvy

Make your home look its best so prospective buyers can picture themselves there. Take this Quiz from REALTOR Magazine to boost your staging savvy!

Nothnagle Ranked 36th Largest Broker

REALTOR Magazine's annual report of the Top 100 firms listed Nothnagle as 36th largest broker (based on transaction sides) in the country. Even more significant, our sales agents average 16 transactions per agent, the highest of the Top 36 brokers and the highest of any other local company included on the list. The average number of transactions per agent for the entire Top 100 was 7.3.

Nothnagle Realtors recently achieved 58% market participation -- our highest ever. Our success is due to the success and talent of our agents. Nothnagle Realtors offers extensive and ongoing training, state-of-the-art technology and with 100+ employees, a support network that allows our agents to focus on what they do best, buying and selling homes.

Preparing for Your Open House

Make the most of this opportunity! Showcase your home to prospective buyers in order to bring about a successful sale.

1. Make sure your house is exceptionally CLEAN! Remove all clutter, organize closets, clear kitchen and bathroom counters. Put away family photos and children's artwork -- you want people to picture themselves living in the home so it helps to depersonalize it.

2. Clean up gardens and landscaping, sweep sidewalks and driveway, touch up any slight imperfections like chipped exterior paint.

3. Light it up! Open blinds and curtains to allow natural light in, turn on lights to brighten up the space.

4. Do not use deodorizers and air fresheners as they may irritate people's allergies.

The Benefits of Using a Nothnagle Agent

Sellers often look at the expense of paying a real estate agent to sell their home instead of focusing on the benefits of using an agent. The best chance of a successful sale occurs when 1) the property is priced right; and 2) when it is exposed to the widest pool of prospective buyers. Nothnagle agents can help you with both.

Our agents have access to recent sales recorded through the MLS to help you properly price your property, and Nothnagle Realtors invests a tremendous amount of money to get your home in print ads, on the Internet, TV, promoted through mailings. We’re every where the buyers are, which is why we sell homes 11 days faster and 2.3% closer to asking price than the MLS average.

When sellers get more exposure and buyers can easily find property information, it's a win-win for everyone. To read more, click here for the full article that appeared in the 8/2/08 edition of the Democrat and Chronicle.