A Word from Our Broker / CEO
James M. Balistreri Broker / CEO
Dear Home Sellers,
It’s an honor to lead our family’s real estate firm, founded by our father in 1964. Since joining in 1989, I’ve navigated many market cycles, and as dad always reminded us: people always need to buy, and people always need to sell, no matter the market.
Deciding whether to sell your home is personal and depends on your unique situation. The good news? Home sales over the past year have stayed steady compared to the year before. The difference today is there are about a third more properties on the market.
To sell successfully, partnering with the right firm and agent is key. Choose a proactive, dedicated team that will actively market your property to buyers and their agents, ensuring it stands out.
I offer you my time for a personal visit with our sales associate to discuss your needs. Please feel free to call me directly at 754.235.7012. I’m never too busy for you.
With gratitude,
James M. Balistreri
Your Trusted Guide in Real Estate
Janet M. Denti Realtor®, CPS, SRES, ABR
I proudly serve the communities of Fort Lauderdale, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Lighthouse Point, and Hillsboro Mile, bringing over 20 years of real estate experience to every client relationship.
Licensed in both Florida and New York, I have built a career grounded in the belief: “Treat everyone the way you like to be treated.” This motto continues to guide every interaction I have, ensuring honesty, attentiveness, and genuine care are at the heart of my service.
Whether you’re buying, selling, or just exploring your options, my goal is always to apply my expertise and dedication to serve your best interests. 954.857.5463
As a proud Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and Fort Lauderdale area resident, I bring a deep understanding of the local market and lifestyle. I also work in senior real estate and probate transactions, and hold certifications as a Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) and Certified Probate Specialist. These qualifications allow me to confidently and compassionately support clients through complex and emotional transactions with clarity and ease.
Understanding Your Mindset and Objectives
1. Supporting Your Objectives
Many homeowners with expired listings are understandably emotional. Since things haven’t turned out the way they hoped, sellers feel disappointed, frustrated, and probably upset. Therefore, the last thing I want you to think is I’m reaching out just to launch into a sales pitch.
If you will allow me to meet with you so you can share what your objectives were to list the property for sale, I promise to be a great listener and won’t launch into a sales pitch.
If you are like many sellers, you may be upset because not selling your house wasn’t part of the plan. Not sure this appeals to you but let’s figure out what we can do differently this time.
2. Re-igniting Your Motivation
By understanding your objectives, we have the best chance of getting your property repositioned, back on the market and SOLD.
For starters, I always like to learn from sellers by asking the following questions:
1. Why did you decide to sell your home in the first place?
2. When you sell your home, where are you going next?
3. How soon did you want to be there?
4. What do you think stopped your home from selling?
5. How did you pick the last agent you listed with?
6. What did the agent do that you liked best?
7. What do you think the agent should have done?
8. What will you expect from the next agent you choose?
If I may humbly ask, please interview me for the job of getting your property SOLD I promise I will make our time together pleasant and valuable.
Factors That May Have Prevented The House From Selling
Having a better idea of what may have prevented your house from selling is always valuable — not just putting it back on the market Most sellers don’t want the listing to expire again, so addressing why the house may not have sold is important.
Top four (4) reasons a house sits on the market.
1. Limited Access
One big mistake sellers make is limiting the days and times buyers can view their home. And if you can’t show it, you can’t sell it. Seller must give potential buyers access. Not only that, but buyers who come from outside the area are often highly motivated but have limited time, so it’s important to make it available.
2. Overpricing the Property
Pricing is a critical factor that can significantly impact whether a home sells. If the price isn't compelling, it's not selling. And if a house is priced compellingly, it’s going to sell. Period.
More often than not, homeowners tend to overprice their listings. Without a realistic study of your specific neighborhood, subdivision or building, you may give in to the temptation to price high so you can have "wiggle room" to negotiate. You don’t want to do this.
Today’s buyers are more cautious due to the increasing inventory, and a price that feels “unrealistic for the market” will cause them to keep searching. And if no one’s looking at your residence, how’s it going to sell? This is exactly why more sellers are having to make price cuts.
To avoid this headache, find the agent you can trust and then follow their expertise.
3. Skipping Repairs
Another common mistake is avoiding doing work on your residence. Small maintenance issues and a "shop worn home" can be red flags to buyers. They may assume those little flaws are signs of bigger problems and it could cost you when offers come in lower or buyers ask for concessions.
As Investopedia says: “Sellers who do not clean and stage their homes throw money down the drain. . . Failing to do these things can reduce your sales price and may also prevent you from getting a sale at all.
The solution? Work with me to prioritize anything you’ll need to tackle before the photographer comes in and we re-present your residence to the market. These minor upgrades can pay off big when it’s time to sell. Remember… most buyers buy with their eyes.
4. Refusing to Negotiate
Buyers today, that are obtaining financing, are feeling the pinch of high home prices and mortgage rates. With tight affordability, they may come in with an offer that’s lower than you want. Don’t take it personally. Instead, focus on the end goal: selling your property. I will help you negotiate confidently without letting emotions cloud your judgment
At the same time, with one-third more properties on the market, buyers have more options and with that comes more negotiating power. They may ask for repairs, closing cost assistance, or mortgage buy-downs. Be prepared to have these conversations. Again, lean on me to guide you.
As U.S. News Real Estate explains: “If you’ve received an offer that isn’t quite what you’d hoped it would be, expect to negotiate . . . the only way to come to a successful deal is to make sure the buyer also feels like he or she benefits….” Ask me about some options that are available to both buyer and seller to help negotiate the best deal.
Understanding Your Options
When a listing expires, every seller has four options.
1. Re-list with their current agent
2. Take the house off the market
3. List the house For Sale By Owner (FSBO)
4. Re-list with a new agent (ideally me)
Option 1: Re-list With Your Current Agent
Whatever the reason, your house did not sell Listing price was too high, the access was a bit restrictive, or the property could have been better presented to the marketplace. You may give your original agent a second chance And that’s perfectly fine
Yet, before you get yourself tied into another multi-month contract, don't you think you owe it to yourself to interview at least one other agent?
Option 2: Take the House Off the Market
When a listing expires, some sellers may be thinking of taking their house off the market. And you may be saying to yourself things like, “We didn’t really want to sell the house anyway,” or “Now that we’ve given it more thought, moving right now probably doesn’t make sense for us.”
While you may genuinely feel this way, often it is a result of disappointment. You may want to ask yourself ‘if it worked out the first time would you have checked off some milestones and be on your way to achieving your next goal?
Most seller’s aspirations are still within reach. Just because the house didn’t sell during the last listing contract doesn’t mean the house will never sell or that it shouldn’t be sold.
Uncover your original motivation and attain your dreams.
Option 3: List the House For–Sale-By-Owner (FSBO)
It’s not surprising that after a disappointing experience a seller may be interested in listing their house without the help of an agent. This is sometimes the case when a seller is disappointed and has a long list of all the things their original agent didn’t do that the seller thinks they should have done.
Option 4: Re-List With a New Agent (Ideally me)
This option according to market data shows to be the most effective for the seller. Fortunately for sellers like yourself, that entrust the sale of the property to Balistreri, engage one of the most comprehensive South Florida brokerages plus the 550 brokerages in 70+ countries, with 4,800 offices and 135,000 agents of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World.
Jim Balistreri constantly reminds us of what his dad and founder always said:
1. Keep your hands out of other people’s pockets
2. We are not selling ice cream cones folks. Give the transaction the attention to detail that is deserves
3. Roll out the red carpet to the other agents as it is through the cooperation with our fellow Realtors that we bring value to our clients and bring buyers and sellers together in a successful transaction. Joe Sr.
May we visit with you and have a conversation about what it is that you want to achieve? And at that time, we will share a specific plan of action to achieve your objectives.
Our Broker/Owner, Jim Balistreri is never too busy for us... call him on his cell phone 754-235-7012
Joseph S. Balistreri, Sr. Founder – 1964
Home Staging FAQ: What You Need To Know
What Is Home Staging?
Staging is the process of arranging and decorating your residence to highlight its best features and make it as appealing as possible to potential buyers. It can range from simple touch-ups to more extensive setups, depending on your needs and budget.
How Does It Help Me Sell My House?
Studies show good staging ultimately helps your residence sell faster and maybe for a higher price than an unstaged home (see visual):
How Staging Your House Affects Your Sale
What Are My Staging Options?
The most common is leaning on our expert advice. As active agents, we know what buyers like because we’re in showings all the time and hear that feedback firsthand. That expertise is crucial to getting your residence market-ready.
Full-service staging is another option if your residence needs more hands-on attention. This is when you hire a staging professional or staging company to come in, make recommendations, and do the work for you. Going this route is more involved and that makes it more costly, too.
Every dollar invested in staging your home typically yields a HUGE return.
Source: NAR
