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        <title>Charleston Real Estate Market Blog</title>
        <link>http://www.searchforcharlestonrealestate.com/blog/2018-06/</link>
        <description>Get local info and tips from Charleston real estate agents on market trends, financing, new communities, upcoming events, and more!</description>
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    <guid>https://www.searchforcharlestonrealestate.com/blog/7-things-your-realtor-wishes-you-knew.html</guid>
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        <author>keadle@thekeadlegroup.com (Lee and Katherine Keadle)</author>
        <title>7 Things Your Realtor Wishes You Knew</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Selling real estate can be a tough job, and its much tougher when our clients dont listen to the advice we offer. Whether youre going to be buying or selling a home in the near future, please educate yourself on these suggestions we find ourselves making weekly


For Home Buyers





The market is probably stronger than you think. Despite constant news headlines, social media articles, and blogs like this one, many Charleston South Carolina home buyers dont realize just how strong our market is. Especially if theyre coming from another part of the state or country, it takes some time (and perhaps missed opportunities) before theyre brought up to speed. Brand new listings might require a full priced offer depending on the area or neighborhood. Its important to have realistic expectations so that youre able to secure that top pick of homes rather than miss out on multiple homes simply because you arent willing to pay a fair price. (Check out our Charleston real estate market statistics to compare areas and median prices)


When you find the right home, we need to act quickly. Buyers used to have the luxury of waiting a day or two after seeing a home before writing an offer. However, the best priced listings are going under contract quickly. Depending on the area, sometimes new listings only last 1-7 days.


Get pre-approved with a lender before we go look at homes. Not only is a pre-approval letter required when its time to make an offer, but its also important for peace of mind in the earlier stages. Ive shown quite a few homes to clients who seemed to have their finances in order - but ended up having to lower their price point after seeing beautiful homes that they absolutely loved but couldnt afford to buy. Believe me when I say its very difficult to see and expect $500,000 homes and then lower your standards to $400,000 homes. The upgrades, the finishes, and the neighborhoods are very different for these price points. Talk with a lender before we start seeing homes so that you dont fall in love with a home and later discover that you cant purchase it.


For Home Sellers


We want your home to sell for top dollar. When we create a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) to determine the value of your home, we try to find a realistic and objective number. Sometimes sellers assume that since the market is so strong, we can add ten or fifteen thousand dollars to a listing just to see if it sells. However, even in the strongest of markets, overpriced listings dont sell. And when a listing doesnt sell, we dont get paid (and neither do you).


Buyers can be very critical during showings. Especially in a market like our current one, buyers have trouble swallowing such high prices. It can be hard for them to adjust their expectations when looking at smaller, vinyl siding homes when theyve come from a market where they could afford a much nicer home. Sellers can make their home more appealing (and sell for a higher price) if theyre willing to clean meticulously, declutter, and do some small projects like painting or yard work based on feedback from their listing agent.


Dont expect a full price offer. As listing agents, we always try to work in some negotiating room for our list price. Although full priced offers are becoming increasingly more common, we cant expect or hold out for a full price unless an offer comes in within just a few days of being listed. Most buyers still expect to be able to negotiate a little on price, regardless of how strong the market is.


If we receive multiple offers, its not because we underpriced your home. When were able to present our seller with more than one offer (especially when one is full priced), we know that we did our job to the best of our ability. However, sometimes sellers interpret this triumph as a missed opportunity - they assume we should have listed the home for a higher price. A home with multiple or full price offers still has to appraise for the contract price. Remember that appraisers look at comps going 5 months back, meaning that appraisal shortfalls are common in an upwards market. Although we want you to get the highest price possible for your home, we dont want to run the risk of appraisal problems that can scare away a buyer and make him/her want to withdraw the contract (or renegotiate a totally different price).
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Mon, 11 Jun 2018 14:48:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.searchforcharlestonrealestate.com/blog/3-questions-to-ask-your-listing-agent.html</guid>
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        <author>keadle@thekeadlegroup.com (Lee and Katherine Keadle)</author>
        <title>3 Questions to Ask Your Listing Agent</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
When you sell your home, you pay the same amount of commission regardless of the listing agent you choose. Its important to find the best listing agent possible because your agent can negotiate a higher sales price, smooth over appraisal and inspection issues, reduce your liability, and make the entire process much smoother for you. So if you have the choice between an agent whos fresh out of real estate school or an agent with a proven track record, it should be a no brainer as to which one you should hire. With 14 years of experience selling homes in Charleston, Ive put together a list of the most important questions to ask and also the answers I would look for if I were in your shoes.





Question: How long have you worked in real estate here?


Answer: If I were a seller, I would want my listing agent to have at least 4 years of experience. I would also want to make sure this experience was in my local market. We often see real estate agents who relocate to Charleston and continue their careers here. These agents might have great experience with contracts and negotiating, but they dont know the Charleston area well enough to give good advice on issues that can affect a homes long term value such as insurance, flood zones, schools, buyer trends, and neighborhoods that are seeing a mass exit due to the extension of Interstate 526. In short, local experience matters when selling your home in Charleston.


Question: How many properties do you close per year?


Answer: At least 12 (unless the agent specializes in high end sales, where as I would want to see at least 5 deals a year since million dollar plus sales require more work and time). This might seem like a bold question to those of you who are not in the real estate world, but agents in this business use production numbers constantly. Its part of our business model, our annual work goals, and our ways of growing our business. For a seller, this question helps to separate the part-timers from the real estate agents who are dedicated to the listings they take. Simply put, successful agents yield successful listings, and you want your listing to be as successful as possible if youre paying him/her 3 commission.


Question: How do you market your listings?


Answer: Marketing should be a mix of strategies because - in all honesty - we never know exactly whats going to be the thing that sells a listing. Sometimes we get a call off the sign we place in your yard, and that call turns into the buyer. Sometimes its a conversation with another agent in our office about our new listing that results in a contract. Other buyers come from our company Caravan meetings, our Keadle Group team of agents, or a phone call we make to agents who are currently showing similar homes. Its also possible (but rare) for a buyer to come from an open house or social media post. The most important part of this answer are simply that the agent has an organized marketing plan that works for him/her. (Every agent is going to market slightly differently, and theres no one right strategy to sell a home. This why youve already asked whether it works using the production numbers.) You also want to make sure that the plan gives the maximum exposure possible. Agents should target local buyers, out of town buyers, and other agents through outlets such as email, social media, signs, newspapers, their personal website, phone calls, and within their real estate office.


Sell Your Charleston Home with The Keadle Group


Wed be happy to answer these questions for you and also sit down to talk specifically about your home. Charleston is the market we know and love, so were happy to share our insight on pricing, MLS comps for current and recently sold listings, strengths and weaknesses of your particular home, and ways that we can get you top dollar for your home Call us at (843) 847-0239 or contact us through our website
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Mon, 04 Jun 2018 11:28:00 -0400</pubDate>
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