Tag Archives for " Top Real Estate Agent in Charlotte NC "
April 11, 2018
- in Blog , Charlotte NC Homes , Nancy Braun by Nancy Braun
Strategies for Selling Your Home at Top Dollar by Showcase Realty
Are you looking for tried and tested tips for selling your home at top dollar? Selling your home fast and for the most money is not an easy task, but it is possible when you use the right strategies.
Nancy Braun, on her third guesting at Charlotte Today at WCNC NBC, talked about the essential marketing strategies for selling your home quickly and for the highest price.
First on her list is the use of professional photography. With many buyers today beginning their home search online, it’s imperative to showcase your home with stunning professional photography in order to capture the buyers’ attention and to create a positive first impression.
Next, Nancy shared how important the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is and how it allows sellers the widest exposure in advertising their home for sale. She also discussed why marketing a home with online video makes so much sense. Aside from professional photos, a video tour is a very powerful way to showcase the unique features of the home while giving a much more detailed look at the property.
One of the ways to sell your house fast is having the right agent to efficiently and effectively move through the process. Your agent should be proactively calling potential buyers, communicating with existing customers, and constantly following up on new leads.
If you’d like to know more information on buying and selling Charlotte NC real estate, call Nancy Braun at (704) 997-3794. An expert when it comes to selling homes, she can sell your house in 30 days or less.
Nancy Braun on Selling Your Home at Top Dollar
Eugene Robinson: Everyone wants to get top dollar when they put their home up for sale, and this morning we’re going to share some strategies for success.
Colleen Odegaard: Welcome this morning, Nancy Braun with showcase realty. Nancy, Good Morning and thank you for being here.
Nancy: Good Morning!
Colleen Odegaard: Alright I like this, you’ve got 5 essential marketing strategies to help people get top dollar for their house. The first one, and this is important: Use professional photos, why is that so critical?
Nancy: Well, in the old days, as realtors, we used to be able to find the homes for our clients and they didn’t have access to the internet like we do. Today, people now search on the internet for homes. They look in the internet, on different sites and they are going to be attracted based on the photos. So now, I’m not necessarily honing in and trying to find the home, the client comes to me, they hand me a bunch of MLS numbers that they found on various websites and say “I want to see this home”, “I wanna see that home”. First and impression is everything, photography is everything. So you really have to make sure you have someone who understands how to take photos of homes, not just a photographer that takes pictures of people. It’s a very different thing.
Colleen Odegaard: It is different, I’ve seen people use cell phone picture and the room is dark and it’s not centered right and I thought, Do you people want to sell your house, why would you use pictures like that?
Nancy: That’s right, professional photography is very expensive. You also need to have the editing ability, so editing programs, we at Showcase have our own professional photographer on staff.
Colleen Odegaard: That’s great, great.
Eugene Robinson: Okay, next is the MLS. What is the MLS? What is it? Why does it have to be enticing and complete?
Nancy: MLS is what feeds to all the other websites. All the information, the description of the property, all the features of your home is all gonna be laid out by the real estate agent, to promote your home. Then it feeds into Zillow and some of the other popular website, and it’s very important that you spend a lot of time honing in and making sure you’re really capturing all the enticing features of your home. I would suggest that if you do have your home in the market or you’re planning to have your home on the market, look at your MLS Sheet. Ask your agent to send it to you as a proof so you can make sure you have everything on there that you want and are really important features. It might not just be the home, it might be the location, it might be near some really great shopping, or great access to certain highways, or lakes, or recreation areas. So you want to make the captions and descriptions emotionally engaging, not just technical.
Colleen Odegaard: Yes, that’s good advice. You’re good, Nancy. What about the use of video?
Nancy: Videos are keys. I went on a listing appointment recently, and the guys was about 35 years old. And he said, “Do you do video?” I go, “Oh my gosh, of course we do video” Then he said “Well that’s good ‘coz I won’t even look at a listing online unless there’s a video attached. And I said “Why is that?” “’Coz I don’t like clicking through the photos, it’s too hard.” A lot of people also--- we don’t like this but as a business owner--- but reality is, a lot of employees are looking at homes while they are working. So they might have their cell phone right beside them, and they want the video to play while they’re working.
Colleen Odegaard: So video tour of the property for sale?
Nancy: Yes, the video also gives them the 3D kind of involvement: How’s the flow of the home? How does it feel when you enter? There’s a lot of different styles of videos, a lot of real estate agents kind of have the slideshow of the flat photos but you can also have real video where you’re actually in the home shooting the video.
Colleen Odegaard: And which is what you use, we saw you in that one video we showed just a moment ago.
Nancy: Right.
Eugene Robinson: So where should we post these videos?
Nancy: We post them on Facebook, on social media, and you can post it on Zillow. Zillow also has something that a lot of people don’t realize that they have: an app that the RealtorⓇ can access where they can do this 2-minute video just by walking through the home using the app. I would say majority of the listings on Zillow don’t have this posted, but supposedly. Zillow said they get 4 times more views if they have that video attached to their program.
Colleen Odegaard: Another strategy you have for success when it comes to a good sale: Fast lead follow up right? Like you can’t sleep on it man, let’s make it snappy.
Nancy: Everyone is instant, everyone is used to the internet, they want instant response. So if you return someone’s inquiry, whether it’s an email or a voicemail or a call, two hours later, they’ve moved on to another property, they’re in another neighborhood, so they need that instant, instant return. You want to be sure that the RealtorⓇ you’re working with is going to respond to the calls and the emails immediately while the person’s engaged on that house.
Colleen Odegaard: You’re so right about that, people are impatient when it comes to real estate. When somebody wants to see a house and they want to make an offer, they want to do it that minute, not two hours later. That’ so true.
Nancy: Yes, in this world, everything’s instant now. There’s a study that’s been done in hospitality industry that says: 10 years ago, people would be okay waiting in line when they went to a hotel for up to four minutes, they wouldn’t get anxious. Now it’s 20 seconds--- twenty seconds, that’s how much patience we have.
Colleen Odegaard: Oh my gosh.
Eugene Robinson: Wow.
Colleen Odegaard: We have to calm down. Makes your job really hard, doesn’t it?
Nancy: Yes, and people don’t want to have the phone ringing three times, you have to answer your phone on the second ring or they think that you’re ignoring them.
Colleen Odegaard: Which is why at Showcase Realty, you have so many people on staff ready to answer the call. If you’re ready to put your home on the market or you’re looking for a home to buy, visit: experthomehelp.com, experthomehelp.com. That’s where you’ll receive a free copy of Nancy Braun’s book: The Ultimate, No Holds Barred Guide to Selling and Buying a Home in the Carolinas. Again the website is experthomehelp.com. Nancy, thank you so much, you’re so good at what you do.
If you are selling your Charlotte NC real estate, feel free to contact Showcase Realty's Nancy Braun at (704) 997-3794. She has the knowledge and expertise that you need to sell your home for top dollar.
December 5, 2017
7 Ways REALTORS® Need To Communicate With Clients
As professional real estate agents, we understand that we are there to offer support and advice to homebuyers and homeowners. These buyers and sellers are our clients, and as such need our honest input, but also our positive reinforcements. It’s important to remain tactful and considerate.
If you want to earn their business and referrals, use these 7 tips:
Learn how to give constructive criticism. Instead of saying “Your home is a mess and you need to purge your stuff” – even though you might be thinking it! – turn that into “Here’s what we’ll need to do to properly stage your home so it sells faster,” and then give your clients some suggestions. That way, you are still addressing what needs to be changed, but without making the homeowners feel embarrassed or overwhelmed. They will appreciate your help, not your pointing out their faults.
Provide resources. Because your clients see you as knowledgeable, they count on you not say what’s wrong with their home, but how to make it more sellable to buyers. So instead of saying “You need to clean the walls or floor and make the place smell better,” try, “We can freshen up your home with the help of a contact I have who can do it for you – so you don’t have to.” Giving them suggestions that make their lives easier will be more appreciated, and go a long way in trusting your judgment.
Remain flexible. If you want your clients not to monopolize your time or try to reach you when it’s inconvenient, don’t say “Contact me during my office hours.” Instead, offer a range of hours when clients can expect to reach you, followed up with an assurance to cover unexpected situations that may arise – “You may reach me at or during (specify hours or range of hours), but I’m always willing to be of help to my clients.” And while you don’t have to be on-call like a doctor, let your clients know if they are trying to reach you outside of your available hours, you will do what you can to still be of help if something sudden comes up.
Redirect a misinformed client. Occasionally, your clients might say or do something that they insist is correct, when in fact you know they are misinformed. Rather than telling a client “You’re wrong. You have to follow what the contract says if you don’t want to be penalized,” say, “I know it isn’t easy to keep track of the deadlines for your contract, but they are there so both parties are protected.”
Avoid assumptions. Clients expect you to be non-judgmental, and to not make assumptions on their lifestyle. Rather than saying, “Hi there, this must be your daughter,” and risk insulting the client’s young-looking partner or other household member or acquaintance, say, “Hello, and what relation are you to (use homeowner’s name)?” to introduce yourself while asking an open-ended question and not a stereotype statement.
Keep your opinions to yourself. The time-old advice of if you don’t have anything nice to say, it’s best not to say it, is true. Your opinions are not necessarily shared by your clients, but they don’t have to know that. Remain professional as their realtor and instead of saying “This house isn’t right for you,” turn the thought around into a question to make them think, such as, “What do you think about this house?”
Be sensitive to clients’ sentimental possessions. Rather than telling sellers “You need to put away all of your family portraits,” when preparing to show their home to prospective buyers, turn that around into “I like how you’ve arranged your collection, but I think that we might need to take some of it down so buyers can consider how they would want to decorate the room according to the décor they would want in here. Would you mind taking some of it down?”
When you practice sensitivity and tact, your clients will easily work with you to make the entire experience far more pleasant. At the end of the day, the goal is to deliver excellent service with professional results.
As broker-in- charge and owner of Showcase Realty, I mentor my team of agents on all of these critical skills as they grow their real estate businesses. Knowing what it takes, I have built a company that helps nurture sales skills that really work — through support, mentorship, education and passion.
If you’d like to find out to more, email me at Nancy@ShowcaseRealty.net or call me directly at 704-488- 3109. I would love to explore the future of your real estate business with you, with no obligation. There are so many wonderful agent-focussed services that we provide at Showcase Realty that you might find helpful, valuable and beneficial.
** Find out more about what it means to be a Showcase Realty agent by downloading our Book of Benefits at www.ShowcaseCareers.com. **
December 4, 2017
Congratulations to Nancy Braun, Certified Short Sale Seller Designee!
Top Charlotte NC real estate agent Nancy Braun, award-winning Broker-in-Charge / Owner of Showcase Realty LLC recently completed her Certified Short Sale Seller designation course by Advance Mortgage Education
A Certified Short Sale Seller (CSSS) designee understands the qualifications that are required to be met by the short sale seller.
Short sale sellers must qualify for the short sale and understand how they work, what effect it may have on consumer credit, and more. CSSS designees understand the fundamental concepts of the short sale negotiations and are able to determine the complexity and likelihood of a successful short sale transaction.
The CSSS designee are also capable of asking the right questions to help determine if a seller is actually ready, willing, and able to do a short sale.
According to Superior School of Real Estate, the “Certified Short Sale ‘Seller’ and ‘Buyer’ designations are the First and ONLY North Carolina state specific Short Sale designations.
The Certified Short Sale Seller (CSSS) and Certified Short Sale Buyer (CSSB) designees are real estate related professionals dedicated to helping North Carolina home sellers and buyers who find themselves in a short sale. A short sale is when the seller owes more than their property is worth. They understand the short sale process, what’s normal and what isn’t, the transactional entities involved, and who the true Short Sale decision makers are.
A Certified Short Sale Seller (CSSS) designee understand the qualifications that the short sale seller will be required to meet. Just like a buyer needs to have a job, good credit, and money for a down payment to get a loan, the short sale seller must qualify for the short sale and understand the options that may be available, how they work, and what effect they may have on the consumer credit. They know what mortgage fraud looks like in a “Buyer’s Market” so they don’t inadvertently get caught up in it. They understand the fundamental concepts of the 2 negotiations in a short sale, what may happen with the loss, deficiency judgments, 1099, and credit reporting. They understand how to determine the complexity and the likelihood that this will be a successful short sale transaction and the questions to ask to determine if the seller is ready, willing, and able to do a short sale.”
About Advance Mortgage Education
Advance Mortgage Education, Inc was the 1st to bring Short Sale and Loss Mitigation continuing education courses to North Carolina in 2003. We are the only education provider to have courses approved with the NC Real Estate Commission, the NC Banking Commission, and the NC State Bar. We have been providing North Carolina real estate agents, loan officers, mortgage brokers, paralegals and attorneys with Short Sale courses for the past 7 years.
About Nancy Braun
Nancy Braun is an award winning Broker-In-Charge / Owner of Showcase Realty LLC — having spent two decades successfully evolving a leading, award winning, and nationally recognized brokerage in the Carolinas, with a growing team of over 50 agents and staff.
The firm’s real estate services, spearheaded by Nancy’s knowledge and vast experience from personally serving hundreds of clients over the years, includes licensed specialists in five departments serving luxury and traditional homebuyers, sellers, investors, relocation clients, probate estate clients, short sale and foreclosure clients, commercial real estate and property management clients in North Carolina and South Carolina. For excellent sales records, Nancy and Showcase Realty LLC are nationally recognized industry leaders consistently ranking on America’s Best Real Estate Agents and RealTrends Top 1% in the country, as recognized by the Wall Street Journal.
Tapped as a national resource for real estate professionals and organizations, Nancy shares her insights, experiences and knowledge at conferences, in trade and industry publications, on Boards, at workshops and more.
October 9, 2017
- in Best Real Estate Agent in Charlotte NC , Blog , Charlotte Homes for Sale , Charlotte NC Downtown Real Estate , Charlotte NC Homes , Charlotte NC Homes for Sale , Charlotte NC Investment Properties , Charlotte Neighborhood , Charlotte North Carolina Homes for Sale , Charlotte North Carolina Homes for Sale , Homes for Sale in Charlotte NC , Nancy Braun , Real Estate , Top Real Estate Agent in Charlotte NC by Nancy Braun
US News Ranks Charlotte One Of The Best Places To Live In America For 2017
Yet another reason to fall in love with Charlotte NC! US News has ranked the Queen City among the top 20 best places to live in America for 2017!
This year, Charlotte achieved an overall score of 7.1/10 – an improvement from last year’s score of 6.9.
You can read the rest of the report here: http://www.charlottestories.com/us-news-ranks-charlotte-one-best-places-live-america-2017/
If you’re thinking of moving to Charlotte NC or know someone selling their property, call Nancy Braun at 704-997-3794 today!
May 1, 2017
SOLD: 6766 Sullins Road Charlotte NC 28214
Another home sold by the Showcase Realty team!
Do you know anyone thinking of selling? Are you thinking of putting your home up for sale? Let us know!
Get your home sold in as little time and as much price as possible. List with us today!
Do you know anyone thinking of selling? Call or text Nancy Braun at 704-997-3794.
Nancy Braun Sells 33% Faster than the Average Real Estate Professionals!
April 20, 2017
THE FORCE APPOINTS NANCY BRAUN AS ADVISORY COUNCIL CHAIRPERSON
The Five Star Institute has announced the appointment of Nancy Braun as its Advisory Council Chairperson for the Federation of REO Certified Experts (FORCE), with her taking up the role from April 2017.
NORTH CAROLINA, April 17 2017: Ed Delgado, CEO and President of The Five Star Institute, announced the appointment of long-term member, Nancy Braun, as the new Advisory Council Chairperson of the organization’s Real Estate Owned (REO) network, the Federation of REO Certified Experts (FORCE).
With over 20 years in the real estate industry, and extensive experience in the mortgage market, REO property management and marketing, and specialty markets, Braun was chosen for her expertise and mutual pursuit of industry excellence.
As announced on The FORCE’s website: “Braun will aid in the establishment and aggregation of member-benefitting relationships, as well as to champion progressive FORCE initiatives in the areas of education and diversity.”
Delgado said of Nancy’s appointment, “I have known Nancy for several years now, and have no doubt that she will continue the great work of Mike Pruitt, who previously held the position. I think Nancy will provide excellent leadership and management of critical topics.”
Braun will assist in guiding the new leadership team in important and strategic representation in the interests of The FORCE members, as well as the values of The FORCE, the Five Star Institute and the industry.
As explained by Delgado during his presentation to the membership, to meet the shift in the marketplace, the leadership will make the organization viable and strong. This includes working in partnership with leaders and government officials (Housing & Urban Development – HUD), various mortgage banks, non-banks, investors and Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs).
To forge strategic partnerships for members, and be in compliance and meet the needs of its clients, it is now a major objective to make The FORCE more attractive to businesses and organizations that want to work with the collective body by actively committing to diversity and inclusion.
The FORCE members will have the opportunity to participate in groups by working with particular leaders to increase the awareness of the organization’s position towards six categories that include ethnic groups and veterans.
As a result of these strategic partnerships, for the first time in the organization’s history, The FORCE will affect assignment of REO listings. The program is still under development. For more details, kindly visit https://fivestarforce.com and click on the Work Referral Program.
Braun says, “I am honored to be a part of the leadership to aid in implementing the many positive developments The FORCE has chosen to put into effect. Our leadership team will strive to bring our members valuable resources to assist them in the networking, growth, education, and of course, excellence.”
About FORCE
The Federation of REO Certified Experts (FORCE) is the Five Star Institute’s REO member organization comprised of pre-screened, certified, and experienced REO agents.
Focused on the improvement of REO agent performance through lender and servicer driven education, the FORCE acts as a conduit of communication between the REO agent/broker community and the servicing shops they serve.
Through significant investment in broker oversight, education, and communication delivery, the REO servicing industry can obtain tangible, bottom line benefits when using this established network to address their brokerage needs.
About Nancy Braun
Nancy Braun is an award winning Broker-In-Charge / Owner of Showcase Realty LLC — having spent two decades successfully evolving a leading, award winning, and nationally recognized brokerage in the Carolinas, with a growing team of over 50 agents and staff.
The firm’s real estate services, spearheaded by Nancy’s knowledge and vast experience from personally serving hundreds of clients over the years, includes licensed specialists in five departments serving luxury and traditional homebuyers, sellers, investors, relocation clients, probate estate clients, short sale and foreclosure clients, commercial real estate and property management clients in North Carolina and South Carolina. For excellent sales records, Nancy and Showcase Realty LLC are nationally recognized industry leaders consistently ranking on America’s Best Real Estate Agents and RealTrends Top 1% in the country, as recognized by the Wall Street Journal.
Tapped as a national resource for real estate professionals and organizations, Nancy shares her insights, experiences and knowledge at conferences, in trade and industry publications, on Boards, at workshops and more.
April 19, 2017
SOLD: 221 Winding Forest Dr Troutman NC 28166
Another home sold by the Showcase Realty team!
Do you know anyone thinking of selling? Are you thinking of putting your home up for sale? Let us know!
Get your home sold in as little time and as much price as possible. List with us today!
Call or text Nancy Braun at 704-997-3794.
Nancy Braun Sells 33% Faster than the Average Real Estate Professionals!