trent hills real estate FAQs

Selecting the right agent

There’s no doubt about it. Prata Hotte and Associates, your real estate agents, have a huge impact on whether or not your home sells quickly, how much you get for your property, and your experience throughout the process.

So you’d be smart to ask, “Why should I sell with Prata Hotte and Associates?”

The best way for Prata Hotte and Associates to answer that is in a Personal Consultation meeting. We will meet you at your home, explain how they work with clients, and give you an initial idea of what to expect in terms of selling price and timing. This meeting will give both parties an opportunity to get to know each other, for Prata Hotte and Associates to explain our skills and experience, and for you to ask questions and see if there is a good fit. There is absolutely no obligation to proceed.

In the meantime, here are a few highlights of what to expect from Prata Hotte and Associates as your real estate agents:

• We listen carefully to your needs and goals, and keep those top-of-mind throughout the process.
• We are accessible.
• We are never more than a phone call or email away when you have questions or concerns.
• We provide you with practical suggestions on how to prepare your home so that it impresses and excites buyers.
• We recommend a listing price that’s the highest possible, without discouraging buyers.
• We prepare a game plan to promote your property to qualified buyers to ensure it sells.
• We prepare the promotional materials, including pictures and property description.
• We create an excitement in the marketplace about your listing.
• We tell our other private clients about it.
• We spread the word to other agents.
• We work with you to schedule showings and open houses, with as little inconvenience to you as possible.
• When someone makes an offer on your property, we skillfully negotiate so that you get the best price and terms.
• We take care of the dozens and dozens of details involved in selling a home, so you don’t have to worry about them.
• We help to ensure everything goes smoothly between signing the offer and closing the sale.
• You want your house to sell quickly and for the highest price possible.
• You also want the process to be trouble-free. That’s what Prata Hotte and Associates do for clients every day!

To find out more about why you should sell with Prata Hotte and Associates, please submit the form below or call or email them to schedule a Personal Consultation.

Setting your price

You obviously want to sell your house for the highest possible price. You may even have a number in mind. But, how do you determine if that number is reasonable? You may be concerned that:

• If you list your house too high, few buyers, if any, will see it.
• If your price is too low, you could end up leaving thousands of dollars on the table.
  
  

Don’t worry. We are experts at creating a pricing strategy that will pique the interest of qualified buyers – and set the stage to get you the highest sale price possible. We are also a specialist in the local market. We know what properties like yours sell for, and can get yours sold at the high end of that range.

We begin by getting to know your property and all its desirable features. Then we make some calculations to determine its Current Market Value. That value is based, in large part, on what similar houses in the area have sold for recently.

Of course, buyers won’t pay for the sentimental value you place on your house. But special features such as hardwood floors, a newly renovated kitchen or bathroom, or a beautiful backyard patio can have an impact on how quickly a property sells and for what price. We will help you understand all the factors that go into setting the list price, and ensuring it is just right for the marketplace and your goals.

Curious as to what your house is likely to sell for in today’s market? Please submit the form below or call or email me for a no-obligation Personal Consultation. I’ve got the answers for you.

Attracting Buyers

When you list your house, it must attract the attention of qualified buyers eager to get into a property like yours. Otherwise, your house may take longer to sell and you may not get the price you expected.

As experts in the local market, Prata Hotte and Associates can get the word out about your listing to all the right people. We know how to attract serious buyers — so a good offer comes in quickly.

To achieve that success, Prata Hotte and Associates will implement the appropriate marketing plan. After all, there’s more to selling a house than hammering a For Sale sign on the front lawn. We’ll work closely with you to create a marketing plan which may include some or all of the following:

• Taking pictures and gathering the details on your property;
• Writing a compelling property profile and creating effective marketing materials;
• Uploading your listing to MLS – the Multiple Listing Service that real estate agents and buyers use to search for properties;
• Placing advertisements in print or on-line publications buyers use to shop for houses;
• Showcasing your listing on my popular website;
• Leveraging the internet and social media to promote your listing;
• Scheduling and promoting an Open House to attract a multitude of buyers.
  
  

In addition, we meet with buyers regularly. In fact, the moment your house is listed we get in touch with everyone we know who is looking for a property like yours, and encourage them to schedule a viewing. Prata Hotte and Associates also taps into our network of other real estate agents so their clients know about your property as well.

Our job is to get the right buyers to see your house, fall in love with it, and make a good offer.

Want to learn more about how we will aggressively promote and market your house? Please submit the form below or call or email me for a no-obligation Personal consultation.

The sooner we start, the sooner your house will be sold – and for a top price.

Handling Viewings

Private viewings and open houses provide opportunities for buyers to view your property and get a sense of what it is like to live there. Ideally, you will want them to be impressed by what they see — and motivated to make an offer.

As your real estate agent, we will ensure we maximize the potential of every viewing and open house. To accomplish that, we advise you on how best to prepare your property, Prata Hotte and Associates market it to qualified buyers, and then, at viewings, draw their attention to the great qualities of your house.

When it comes to scheduling, we will coordinate with you to select days and times that are as convenient as possible. Obviously, we encourage you to be as flexible as you can, as that will enable more buyers to see your property. Weekends, in particular, are popular for viewings.

Don’t worry about all the details. Prata Hotte and Associates will take care of all aspects of scheduling viewings, as well as planning and hosting open houses.

Although we do most of the work, there are a few things you can do to make viewings more successful:

• Make sure your house is neat and clean.
• Remove personal items such as family pictures. This makes it easier for buyers to imagine themselves living in the house.
• Find a place to go, such as a park or shopping mall. Buyers are more comfortable if they can view the property without you there.
• If possible, remove your pets. You can take them for a walk, or to a local pet sitting service or kennel.
• Ensure the walkway leading up to your house is clear.
  
  

We realize viewings and open houses can be a little inconvenient. As your real estate agent, we will do my best to minimize the disruptions. Prata Hotte and Associates will focus on bringing in serious buyers, rather than those who are merely curious. This speeds up the process and increases the likelihood of a buyer seeing your property, becoming interested, and making an offer.

To sell your house quickly, and for the highest price possible, it is crucial that viewings and opening houses are done right. Want to learn more about my approach? Please submit the form below or call or email me today to schedule a no-obligation Personal consultation.

Dealing With Offers

When selling your house, there are few things more exciting than receiving an offer. That means someone is interested in your property and has prepared a formal offer to buy it.

What is an offer, exactly?

It’s simply a legal document that shows the price the buyer is proposing to pay, which may or may not be the same as your listing price. An offer will include other details, such as the requested closing date, and may also include one or more conditions, such as ‘conditional on the property passing a home inspection.’

Ideally, when you receive an offer, you will want to sell your house to that buyer for the highest price possible. In addition, you’ll want to make sure there are no potential problems that might prevent the deal from closing —such as the buyer being unable to arrange financing.

Prata Hotte and Associates realize this may sound complicated. Don’t worry. As your real estate agent, We’ll take care of all the details. For example, weI will:

• Review the offer with you and explain everything clearly.
• Give you my professional assessment as to the quality of the offer. If there are things that concern me, we’ll point them out to you.
• Advise you on whether to accept the offer, reject the offer, or make a counter-offer.
• Prepare a counter-offer, if necessary, that gets you a better deal, without risking the sale slipping through your fingers.
• Skillfully negotiate with the buyer on your behalf, so you sell your house for the highest price possible.
• Prepare all the necessary documents, and work closely with the buyer and his or her agent, to make sure the transaction goes through smoothly.
• Communicate with you throughout the entire process. You’re never in the dark when you work with me.
  
  

Selling your house for the best price possible is my expertise, especially in this local market.

Want to discuss how much you may be able to get for your house? Please submit the form below or call or email me for a no-obligation Personal consultation.

Closing the Sale

Curious about how much your home would sell for in today’s market?

At Prata Hotte and Associates, we  understand that you are thinking of selling your home. Regardless of the reasons why you are selling, our clients usually have one goal: To achieve the best possible price, in the shortest amount of time, with the most favourable terms.

Our experience tells us that you need to address 6 issues to best achieve this goal. The 6 key issues include:

1. Choosing the best agent for the job
2. Pricing your property right and the first time
3. Preparing your home for sale
4. Implementing a quality marketing plan
5. Showing your home to maximize any opportunity
6. Negotiating a successful offer
   
   

Selling your home can be a stressful and exhausting process — but it doesn’t have to be — not when you have professional career agents who are committed to working in your best interest only.

If you have any questions or you would like clarification about any of these steps, please do not hesitate to contact us.

It is important to understand that only the market determines the ultimate value of your home. Choosing the optimal list price is essential to maximizing your home’s value.

Pricing your home right the first time will result in:

• more exposure,
• more showings,
• more offers
• ultimately the highest price for your home
  
  

If you price too low, you risk not getting as much as you can for your property.

If you price too high you risk losing potential buyers who may think your property is out of their price range, and you help your competition sell faster.

Determining the optimal list price is in part simple math, but for the most part it is a strategic process that requires extensive market knowledge and research. An in-depth Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) will tell you what similar properties have sold for recently, but to effectively price your property, it’s equally important to consider every similar home on the market to understand exactly what your competition is. In addition,
expertise in both the local and national market conditions is paramount to arriving at the optimal list price.

For your no-cost, no-obligation CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) and opinion of value using our comprehensive pricing strategy, please contact us today!

Pricing your property competitively from the start will generate the most activity among brokers and buyers.

• A property generates the most interest within the real estate community when it first goes on the market.
• The number of showings is greatest during this time — if the property is priced at realistic market value.
• Starting too high and dropping the price later misses the excitement and generates less activity.
• It may even become necessary to drop the price below market value to compete with new, well-priced listings.