Posted by Michael Saunders & Company on April 22, 2010
photo courtesy of dannyfranks.wordpress.com
Like the classic conundrum involving which came first, the chicken or the egg, here’s a question that never fails to ignite debate at cocktail parties everywhere:
Which matters more when selling a home? The agent you select to help you accomplish the feat; or the company he or she works for?
Needless to say, there are no definitive answers to these questions because no two transactions ever involve the exact same set of circumstances. Sometimes an agent’s track record of success helps attract a seller, while the company’s reach, reputation and resources help bring in the buyer. One thing, however, is for sure in today’s unforgiving market. Whether you personally place more emphasis on the agent than the company he or she represents—or vice versa—there has never been a more critical time to weigh the merits of each very carefully before deciding with whom to list your home.
As a company dedicated to exceptional service, we naturally think that clients and customers are deserving and entitled to both—a great agent backed by the resources of a great company. After all, at each closing, both agent and company receive just compensation for having done their fair share of the heavy lifting. Moreover, a talented and resourceful agent is of much greater value to you when backed by a company that injects even more resources into the customer service equation.
At Michael Saunders & Company we go to tremendous lengths to make sure the agents we put in service to you can do much more than simply produce a valid real estate license and occupy a desk. Although we have many of the market’s leading neighborhood and property specialists, we are determined to be known for the quality of our agents, not the quantity.
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Posted by Michael Saunders & Company on January 29, 2010
If selling your home or condominium is high on your agenda in 2010 here are some important facts you should know.
Any licensed brokerage is capable of listing your property. But only one is the undisputed leader in finding buyers for homes on Longboat Key. Michael Saunders & Company.
The proof is in the performance. Based on dollar volume sales over the past 12 months—as recorded by the Mid Florida MLS and published by the leading independent real estate tracking firm TRENDGRAPHIX—agents from Michael Saunders & Company bring buyers to Longboat Key property sales nearly twice as often as their next closest competitor.
As the below bar graphs depict, this phenomenon holds true across all price ranges; but becomes noticeably more dramatic as the price range increases. For properties $1 million and up, our agents furnish buyers more often than our next four closest competitors combined.
Before you list your Longboat Key property, contact an agent from Michael Saunders & Company. Find out how the region’s largest network of top-producing agents, its most heavily-frequented Web site and unparalleled network of international brokerage affiliations will help you succeed in finding a buyer faster. After all, isn’t that what selling your home is all about?
Posted by John Butzko on January 28, 2010
Make your open house special and memorable for your guests.
This time of year on Florida’s Gulf Coast brings an influx of visitors and seasonal residents who take the opportunity to view homes on the market. Perhaps that’s why well-informed real estate agents schedule their Sundays to showcase their properties to interested buyers and prospects.
Holding an open house is a wonderful way to attract attention to a home for sale, so it is important to be sure your home creates a welcoming ambiance of comfort and ease. To do so, it helps to fill the space with pleasant aromas and provide light snacks for your touring guests. While great food won’t always help close the deal, having treats and beverages can make some buyers linger longer and discover the charms of your place for sale.
Here are the top 10 tips and treats for creating a cozy, comforting open house: (more…)
Posted by Michael Saunders & Company on December 9, 2009
Willy Sutton, a Depression-era bank robber wanted for frequent heists in New York, Miami and New Orleans, was asked by a reporter on the occasion of his capture, “Why do you rob banks?” Sutton’s answer was as irrefutable as it was obvious. “Because that’s where the money is,” he said.
The same sort of unassailable logic underscores why so many sellers choose to list their homes with Michael Saunders & Company. Because that’s where the buyers are.
It’s a fact. The worldwide presence and connectivity of Michael Saunders & Company—combined with our agents’ drilled-down knowledge of the local market, its many neighborhoods, lifestyle options and essential pricing tools—attract more buyers to the closing table, by far, than any other company in Southwest Florida. While this holds true across every price range, the latest research from TRENDGRAPHIX reveals that the higher the price range your home falls into, the more likely an agent from Michael Saunders & Company will furnish its buyer. Here’s why:
With over 500 of the market’s savviest and best trained agents blanketing the region, your property is networked among all 16 branch offices of Michael Saunders & Company from the moment it is listed with any one of them. In addition, scores of these agents and their non-competing managers convene weekly to personally review and visit the company’s newest listings. Together they share educated insights on such key issues as proper pricing, staging techniques to make the home show best, unique marketing opportunities; and other best practices to elevate the property above its competition. Indeed, what is likely to go down as the region’s highest-priced residential sale of 2009 involved exquisitely-choreographed teamwork between agents representing no less than four of our offices. The buyers—longtime customers of a team of associates from our Bradenton office—recently closed on the magnificent waterfront estate on Casey Key; but not before they were afforded the advantage of tapping into the expertise of agents from our Main Street, Palmer Ranch and Longboat Key offices who are the acknowledged waterfront experts in the neighborhood where the sale took place.
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Posted by Michael Saunders & Company on June 17, 2009
Michael Yawitz, an agent with Michael Saunders & Company, has been awarded the National Association of REALTORS® Green Designation, the only such designation recognized by NAR. He earned the prestigious designation after completing 18 hours of course work designed to instill a comprehensive knowledge of green homes and building.
Yawitz has been trained to understand what makes a property “green,” is prepared to help clients evaluate the cost/benefits of green building features and practices; and distinguish between industry rating and classification systems. As well, he can discuss the financial grants and incentives available to homeowners, and help consumers assess a property’s green potential.
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