How a Great Website Can Generate More Qualified Buyers to Your Open House

A common misconception is that open houses have been more beneficial to realtors than homeowners. Of course that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t hold an open house if you are trying to sell your home; the key is to make it work for you. By holding them at various times of the day and week makes it easier for busy people to come in for a viewing. Saturdays and Sundays are customary and convenient days to schedule open houses because most people have at least one weekend day off from work.

Another purpose to hold an open house, besides selling your home at that particular moment, is to get people talking about it. Friends and relatives of people who already live or work in your neighborhood will often buy a good percentage of homes there. Good agents know this and will use the open house opportunity to seek out potential buyers that may not be at the open house.
Statistically, 2%-5% of homes will actually sell from an open house, which realistically means opens houses could increase the salability of your home up to 5%!

Online House Hunting Opens Homes 24/7

"There’s no doubt about it, the web is changing real estate," says Phil Nothnagle, Chairman of Nothnagle Realtors. Nothnagle.com, which has over 13,000 visitors per day, gives people the tools to view homes inside and out and map their routes all at their own pace. Phil goes on to say, "Some people don’t want to spend a day in the car like they did in years past. More of the browsing is now done online first which means more qualified buyers at open houses."
While some may say open houses will inconvenience the sellers because they will have to show their house more often, it’s worthwhile because these parties are more serious buyers and they’ve done their research.

As we move into the 21st century, agents will become more competitive by using such technologies as well-designed websites, digital cameras, video home tours and online chat services. An agent should use all resources available to him/her in order to market the listing; one never knows where the buyer will come from for that particular property. For now, open houses are the cornerstone of the real human element of selling real estate in this computer age.

LOOK FOR NOTHNAGLE’S
OPEN HOUSE EXTRAVAGANZA
ON JUNE 24, 2007!

The Benefit of a Mobile Website

Today, instant information is available at your fingertips - right now you're reading about the real estate industry on a blog!

For many people, we remember a time when computers were a rare feature within daily life. Now they are so prevalent that access to the Internet and computer-type features are available on most cell phones. To keep up with the demand of instant information at your fingertips - wherever you are - many companies now offer "mobile" versions of their websites, designed specifically to fit cell phones or PDAs. You can get weather, stocks, sports and news updates right into the palm of your hand. For people on the go, this type of access to information is essential.

Real estate is a fast-paced, on-the-go industry. The technology available to today’s agents and their clients has outpaced yesterday’s technology rapidly. Nothnagle Realtors has consistently led the way in innovating technology trends to make the industry more efficient and user-friendly for both agents and their clients. Specifically designed to fit your hand-held device, Mobile.Nothnagle.com brings the convenience of house hunting right into the palm of your hand.
By accessing Mobile.Nothnagle.com, users can enter the street address of a property and, once connected, be able to see the entire property specifications. This great feature provided by Nothnagle Realtors not only gives you information on price, square footage and taxes, but you can also see the inside of the property if photos are available! This gives an edge to the general consumer like never before.

Now, the next time you see a property that strikes your interest you don’t have to scrounge for a piece of paper to scribble the address, or memorize it to look it up once you get home. Just pick up your cell phone, access the Internet feature and enter the home’s address at Mobile.Nothnagle.com!

The Importance of Real Estate Agents

Experience
You don’t need to know everything about buying and selling real estate if you hire a real estate professional who does. We’re all looking for more precious time in our lives, and hiring a real estate agent gives us that time.

Agents Are Screeners
They filter through the lookers and bring you the serious buyers who are ready, willing and able.

Market Condition Information
Real estate agents can inform you and sometimes predict market conditions, which will help you make better decisions during the selling or buying process.

Negotiation Skills
Unlike most buyers and sellers, good real estate agents can remove themselves from the emotional aspects of the transaction.

What is My Home Worth?
Agents control many things in a transaction, pricing is NOT one of them. What they are in control of is their marketing plan. Another part of their job description is to provide you with a marketing plan that creates demand for your home.

Keep the Transaction Together
Sometimes getting a contract on a home is the easy part. Keeping the deal together is the hard part. Most problems that occur happen later in the transaction, sometime between the initial sales agreement and closing. A real estate agent is the best person to objectively help you resolve these issues and move the transaction to closing.

These are just a few things to consider when hiring a real estate professional.
It’s no wonder less than 15% of all home sellers even try to take on the task of selling their own home. The majority of home sellers take on the task with an ally: a real estate agent.

Time to "Move Up"?

Whether your family is growing, you’re earning more money than you were five years ago, or you just want a larger house, you might be considering selling your house and "moving up." There are many things you should do as you consider whether the time to move up is now, including the following key points:

• Make Sure You Feel Good About Your New Home
• Ask a Real Estate Professional for a Market Analysis
• Get Pre-approved for a Loan
• Be Specific About Your Needs and Decide With Logic, Not Just Emotion
• Consider the Neighborhood, as Well as the Individual House

Did you know...

The year-to-date figures for number of houses sold in the City of Rochester increased 106.7%.

*Statistic derived from GRAR-GENRIS.