Category: News and Information

Orlando Pocket listings are back

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

You know the Orlando real estate market is strong when you start hearing the words “Pocket Listing” being spoken again. The term “pocket listing” refers to when a real estate broker has a listing agreement with a seller, but it isn’t advertised in the Multiple Listing Service or anywhere else. With pocket listings sometimes sellers may request for there to be a very limited amount of marketing for an agreed-upon amount of time.

Pocket listings are very popular with the “rich and famous” or just “rich”. Typically, high-end sellers don’t want hundreds of people walking through their houses. But with supply and demand being what it is in today’s Orlando real estate market, pocket listings aren’t just for well-to-do clients anymore. Because buyers are outnumbering the amount Orlando homes that are for sale by far, pocket listings are becoming a lot more common among more moderately-priced homes as well.

One of the problems in using the MLS in a hot market is over-exposure.  I’ve had some of my clients complain of realtors knocking on their door wanting to show the house without even bothering to make an appointment, this can be extremely annoying to homeowners that live on the property. Some agents prefer pocket listings just to avoid the hassles of the MLS. It can be a nightmare getting a million phone calls a day for the same property. Other realtors push for pocket listings with the sole intention of securing both sides of the commission. Of course, these terms must be discussed and agreed upon by the seller beforehand.  

A broker must explain exactly what a pocket listing is to the seller as well as fully inform the seller of the cons as well as the pros of pocket listings the broker could face legal allegations that they failed to enter the property in the MLS and caused the seller to have a limited ability to attract the highest and best price for their house. It could as lead to accusations of housing discrimination. In some cases, real estate agents try to convince sellers to use pocket listings so that they can secure both sides of the commission by representing both the buyer and the seller in the transaction.  If an agent puts their own financial gain ahead of the seller’s it’s illegal and they run the risk of being prosecuted for it.

As an Orlando Realtor, I personally would never recommend pocket listings to sellers. It’s just common sense, if you limit the amount of exposure of something you’re trying to sell for top dollar, then you have a much less chance of getting the best price. Would you try and sell your car by not advertising it or only telling certain people? Of course not! I get the whole celebrity thing with pocket listings but thankfully I don’t have any celebrity clients and I’m free to market my listings to the fullest extent of my capabilities.

If need to sell an Orlando property fast and for top dollar, visit us at https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com or call 407-902-7750

Jenny Zamora, RE Broker

Orlando Real Estate Broker

 

 

 

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Boosting Estate Agency Sales as the Market Picks Up

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

As the housing market picks up, estate agents need to be ready to satisfy both buyers and sellers. Orlando Real Estate Agents will have to work harder to make sales, as home owners have become more savvy. They know the ins and outs of the industry and more are willing to sell properties themselves.

Recent figures have shown that more properties are being built and sold and that there are an increasing number of people looking to buy. This is all good news for estate agents who have had to weather the storm over the last few years. What should real estate agents be doing to boost sales and take advantage of this positivity?

Price realistically

Prices might be increasing, but that doesn’t mean you should be too optimistic with your asking prices. Home owners have a range of online services where they can view the prices of similar properties and what they sold for. They won’t be taken in by a property that’s overvalued. Even if they do make an offer that’s accepted, there could still be problems when they come to have it valued or look for quantity surveyor services. If a property is at the right price, there’s more chance of it selling quickly.

Join services

When people are buying and selling properties they need to use a range of professional services. If you don’t already have links with other local businesses, now would be a good time to start. Look for solicitors, mortgage advisors and quantity surveyor services that would be happy to recommend your business in exchange for you marketing them.

Good descriptions

The descriptions sell the property, as potential buyers want to get a feel for it before they view. Spend plenty of time making sure you have all the exact measurements and cover all the details. Speak with the current owners about local amenities and the distances to them, as well as what they really love about the house. This will give you a good indication of what will sell it to buyers.

Focus on the photos

As well as the descriptions, an excellent photo will also help to sell a property. If they’re attracted to a photo then they’re more likely to read the description and view the house. Buyers don’t want to see gloomy shots, so try and take them on a bright day. Think about what can be seen in the photo and remove anything that takes away the focus from the property: for example washing or rubbish.


Go mobile

More consumers are browsing property sites on the move, whether in their lunch break or on public transport. Therefore, it’s important that you’ve got an excellent mobile site, that’s easy to navigate. Buyers tend to use these sites more than sellers, so the search function should be high up on the page. There’s not as much space as on a static website, so concentrate on the important elements:

  • Image
  • Price
  • Location
  • Bedrooms

After the economic difficulties, estate agents and quantity surveyor services will be glad to see some positive news. The better-equipped agents are to sell properties quickly, the easier it’ll be for them to attract sellers and buyers.

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Tips And Tricks For The Transnational House Mover

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Relocating to a new place is always a challenging task, but when you’re planning a transnational move it becomes all the more difficult because there is so much to take care of! Shifting to a new country can be a very new and startling experience, so we have put together a number of tips for you to help you become the most efficient cross-border house mover ever!
Do Away With Everything That You Don’t Need

When you are moving internationally, you really cannot afford to be a pack-rat and take everything along with you. You must be pragmatic about what you decide to take along because it is going to add considerably to your load and your expenses. And except for things that are very useful, very expensive and very important to you, you should get rid of everything else. After all, you can probably buy everything again in the new place, and get newer models at that, and even so you’ll be spending less money than you would on shipping and airfreight.
Make Sure You Have An Account With A Major International Bank
This is one of the first things you should do when you learn of your impending move. If you have been using a local or regional banking service up until now you should most certainly shift to an internationally popular, well-known banking chain, after making sure that it has branches in the city you’re about to move to. You don’t want to find yourself stuck with a bank account and ATM card that are more or less useless in the new place. And you might even be able to make do with the same for a short time, but when you are relocating you will have to ultimately transfer to a bank that’s fully functional in your new city.
Make Scanned Copies Of All Your Important Documents
Photocopy and scan all your important documents and arrange them neatly in a single folder with other important items. Make sure you keep some electronic versions of all your documents too, so that if you are to misplace the folder or you can’t find it immediately in the new place, you have another option to fall back on. It’s important to have multiple, clear copies of all your identification documents, banking documents and other official and useful paperwork.

Hire A Reliable Moving Company That Specializes In Transnational Moves

It is nearly impossible to plan a transnational move all on your own. Even the most basic tasks require the attention of someone who has experience and first-hand knowledge about how to get things done. There is a lot of paperwork and many formalities involved with moving to a new country, and working with a moving company that specializes in international re-locations can help you overcome a lot of hurdles with ease.
When you are planning to relocate to a different company, not only do you have to take care of the removals process itself, but also attend to other tasks such as getting all your paperwork and documentation processed, making travel arrangements, making sure everything is set up at the new place, and doing some of the other things we mentioned in this article. In the midst of everything that you will have going on, won’t it be a relief to delegate the responsibility of packing and moving to a team of professionals who are known to be good at the job?
The most important tip that we can share with you is this: whatever you are planning and need to do, make sure you begin well ahead of the move. A transnational move is a large-scale project and you will need all the time you can get! Don’t wait until the last month to start the process.

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A Seller’s Guide to Interviewing an Orlando Realtor

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

So, you’ve finally made the decision to sell your home and you’re ready to hire a realtor. Now what? Well, that’s easy, right? Just hire the first realtor you come across in your area… Wrong!

Hiring the right Orlando realtor is crucial when listing your house for sale and it could save you a ton of headaches and thousands of dollars. There are currently over 8,000 active real estate agents in Orlando and choosing the right agent to list your home can be confusing especially when all the ones that you’ve spoken with have convincingly promised you the world… or at least that they will sell your home super fast for top dollar. Interviewing an Orlando realtor the right way will ensure that you get an outstanding real estate professional.

So which one should you believe? The answer’s easy… none of them. Anyone can tell you anything so it’s up to you to find the truth. When interviewing a real estate agent, you have to ask the right questions. Here is a list of questions that you should ask a real estate agent in the interview. These answers to these questions will help you to determine which realtor to choose.

1- Do you work as a realtor full-time or do you also have another job?

This is an easy one. If the agent tells you that they only work in real estate part-time, then you say “have a nice day…Next!” and move on to the next candidate. If they only work as a realtor part-time it means that not only are they not able to make enough money selling houses, but that selling your house won’t be a top priority.

2-How many listings do you currently have and how many are under contract?

This will tell you how hard of a worker the agent is and what’s the average time it takes to get a house under contract. If the agent only has a few listings or if they have listings that are several months old with no contract, then this is a sign of a somewhat lazy agent. You want an agent that is a go-getter and someone who is determined to get the job done ASAP.

3- How many houses have they sold in the past 6 months? How many in the past year? How many were they not able to sell and why?

Getting a clear picture of the realtor’s recent track record will give you a very good indication of what you can expect if they list your house.

4- Do you have some references from past clients that I can call and ask about you?

This is one of the best ways to find out how this agent will treat you moving forward. If they have no references to present to you then something’s wrong. This most likely means that they haven’t had very many happy clients.

5- Do you have a staff or an assistant or are you a one-man show?

A great real estate agent will always have a support staff or an assistant at the very least. There are a million details that a real estate agent has to deal with on a day-to-day basis and if they have to handle every tedious detail on their own,  then they aren’t good at managing their time. Or they have too much time o their hands. Neither of these scenarios is a good one.

6- What kind of systems do you use for organizing and following up with your leads, clients, potential buyers, etc.

To be a successful agent in this day and age, you have to have systems in place so that things are organized and run streamlined and smoothly. Following up with clients, potential buyers, title companies, etc is a huge part of being a great realtor.

Realtor in Orlando, FL

7- How will you market my house other than putting it o the MLS?

The majority of Orlando realtors list the house on the MLS and…that’s about it. There are soo many effective ways to market a house such as video marketing, social media marketing, blogging, target marketing, etc. all these techniques can be used to effectively sell houses. An outstanding realtor will constantly test new ways to market their listings and their houses will typically sell the fastest.

If you ask these questions when interviewing a realtor, then you will know what they’re about by the answers that they give you. Also, don’t interview just one agent, you should interview at least 3 agents and puck the one that you feel the most comfortable with.

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The Value of Roof Inspections

Posted on by chad siemer

Similar to routine car maintenance checkups, scheduling a roof inspection is an important part of prolonging the life of your roof. Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t schedule routine roof inspections as they do for their cars.

It’s not necessary to have annual roof inspections performed, but it is recommended to have it done every two to three years to make sure it’s in good shape. Roofs are one of the most expensive repairs homeowners make and a new roof costs thousands. That’s why it’s important to make it last as long as possible.

Why is a Roof Inspection Necessary?

Roof inspections act as a form of preventative care. Roofing contractors typically offer them for free as a way to get more work. What’s important is that you find a trusted contractor who won’t try to create work for themselves when problems don’t actually exist. Also, make sure they’re licensed.

Regardless of your location, roofs are exposed to a lot of different weather conditions. Whether it’s heavy rain, hail, snow, wind, or hot and cold temperatures, roofs take quite a beating throughout the year.

Homeowners living in areas prone to receiving tornadoes and hurricanes should definitely make sure their roofs are in good shape prior to and after a big storm hits. An inspection before a storm will help prevent more damage from occurring. If there are leaks or damaged shingles and you haven’t noticed, a big storm will certainly expose them and by then it’s too late. Additional damage has occurred and the price to fix it has climbed.

Getting a roof inspection is a good idea if you’re considering repairs or installing a new roof. It’s crucial that you don’t just take the advice of a single contractor. Gather the opinions of several before making any final decisions.

Common Problems with Roofs

Roofs may look fine to the average homeowner, but a lot of problems that arise with roofs happen below the surface. Some of the most common problems associated with roofs include:

  • Leaks and holes
  • Ripped or missing shingles
  • Roof discoloration and deterioration
  • Loose or damaged flashing
  • Depressions that cause water collection

What an Inspection Should Include

A thorough roof inspection should take some time. Make sure the contractor walks around the home, on top of the roof, inside the home, and checks inside the attic. Some contractors have special equipment and may take pictures as part of the inspection. Ask what they plan to do so you know what to expect.

Routine roof inspections help determine the structure of the roof, its projected life span, and whether repairs need to be made. Inspectors should be able to detect damage from storms or branches, areas susceptible to leaks, shingles that need repairing, and the overall structure and function of the roof.

If it’s been a few years since your last roof inspection, consider scheduling one as soon as possible. Don’t wait for the next big storm to hit. Treat it as preventative care and you’ll likely avoid those costly repairs in the future. Once again roof inspections are usually free so it doesn’t hurt to have your property checked out.

Chad Siemer writes about a number of home improvement topics for several websites, including Keeping You Dry Roofing.

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