Design Guide

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S 01

LETTER FROM MICHAEL REPKA

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DESIGNING FOR LISTING

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LANDSCAPING

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PA I N T I N G

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FLOORING

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PRE-INSPECTION WORK

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HOUSE CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE

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S TA G I N G

The ph oto graphs i n t hi s gui de a re of a c t ua l D eLe on List ings c ra fted by t he D eL eon D es i gn Te a m

DESIGNING FOR LISTING

By Michael Repka Listing Agent & CEO, DeLeon Realty When making design choices, it is important to recognize the difference between designing for your personal lifestyle versus designing for resale.

Designing homes for personal lifestyle requires focus on each client’s taste and personality, and the finished concept should function in a way that will work with how they live their lives. Designing for resale, on the other hand, entails depersonalizing, simplifying and neutralizing colors, creating spacious layouts, and keeping costs low while focusing on improvements that bring a high return on investment. In other words, it is important to remain cognizant of “bang for the buck.”

In preparing your home for sale, one must objectively distinguish the features likely considered attractive to potential buyers from those that could deter or distract them. Design trends and buyer preferences constantly change, and it can be challenging to choose which home renovation projects are worth the time and money. You want to make sure you are spending your money wisely, with an eye towards what will bring the highest return. This requires a blend of market knowledge, design acumen, and marketing expertise.

The DeLeon Design Team will help you identify which features are appealing to potential buyers. We are skilled at keeping the focus on low-cost improvements or repairs that will make a difference in the sale process, rather than changes that will appeal to the seller’s particular tastes. In practice, we have found that this approach results in lower costs and a higher sales price.

I work closely with my Design Team, marketing team, and legal team throughout the process. Working synergistically, we are able to deliver a client experience and sales results that cannot be matched by any individual agent or small team.

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INCREASES PROPERTY VALUE Attractive landscape design increases the home’s value by improving the appearance and aesthetic appeal of the property, enhancing curb appeal, and expanding living space. Designing and preparing the landscape of a property for sale is different from general landscape design. In getting the property ready for the market, our Design Team’s primary goals are to enhance curb appeal (or first impression) and to highlight the desirable features of the property. It is also important to preserve privacy, emphasize views, and project an image of cleanliness and ease of maintenance.

Curb appeal is paramount in bringing potential buyers to the front door with the right mindset.

Without attractive landscaping, potential buyers may not even bother to stop their car and tour the rest of the house. Similarly, accentuating attractive features of the property, such as views of the Bay or mountains, increases the home’s value and differentiates it from similar homes on the market.

There are a number of factors that sellers should consider when designing the landscape of a home that is for sale.

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HARMONY IN LANDSCAPING Harmony in landscaping is important as it creates a sense of wholeness, tranquility, and balance. When too many individual elements (e.g., plants, sculptures, lights) are introduced to the landscape, it can lead to a cluttered, chaotic effect. In contrast, too many of the same kind of plants or objects can lead to a dull, uninteresting façade that will fail to capture the buyer’s eye or imagination.

To strike a perfect balance, three factors must be considered. First, the garden should coordinate with the surrounding environment to enhance the outdoor aesthetic of the property. Second, the garden should integrate with the house itself to create consistency and fluidity between the outdoor and interior spaces. Last, but not least, the various components in the garden should organically connect to create an extension of the interior so that people can interact with nature without leaving home. When done right, these elements will stimulate a harmonious connection between nature and you.

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風水 FENG SHUI IN LANDSCAPING The concept of Feng Shui, an ancient art and science focused on improving humans’ health and well-being, fosters a respect for nature and creates harmony with it. Feng Shui divides the world into five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Plants work as a “wood” element in Feng Shui, and can improve the environment, purify the air, calm the body, and improve health.

Since Silicon Valley attracts people from around the world, particularly Asia and India, the concepts of Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra should be taken into consideration when designing landscaping of a home for sale, as it may be important to potential buyers.

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PRIVACY IN LANDSCAPING Nowadays, very few of us have as much space or privacy as we would like. As such, having private gardens and a lawn area is becoming an important selling point for many homes.

Designing the garden that gives privacy, while providing a wide range of activities within this enclosed perimeter, is crucial. For example, careful consideration should be taken when placing trees, shrubs, and fences; while these can block both noise and unattractive views, they can also result in a dark, claustrophobic space if not placed properly.

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VISUAL BALANCE IN LANDSCAPING The position, shape, proportion, and texture of the various elements in the garden should be visually appropriate to achieve balance.

It is similar to the composition requirements of painting and photography, except that the garden is three-dimensional and accommodates multi-perspective viewing.

In the design of the garden, we must make full use of human visual illusions. For example, trees in the vicinity appear larger than those in the distance, which will make the garden look larger than it actually is. By playing with the visual balance in landscaping, the garden space will achieve balance not only visually, but functionally.

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INTERIOR If the interior of the home has not been painted in years, consider repainting in order to give it a fresh, updated look. Likewise, if the current walls have vibrant colors that are specific to the homeowner’s taste (e.g., purple, orange, or fuchsia), consider repainting these walls with neutral paint colors so as to appeal to a wider range of buyers. Moreover, the neutral colors will not distract the buyers, allowing them to focus on other features of the property such as the location, the views, or the kitchen.

Equally important, a more neutral palette will help prospective buyers imagine themselves living in the home.

Neutral colors are a great way to set the tone, particularly when layered with staging. Neutral colors that are commonly seen in homes in Silicon Valley are varying shades of white, grey, beige, and lighter shades of taupe.

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WHITE White creates a refreshing, clean look. White is used to create an airy appearance, and it is often thought of as quiet and pure. When used on ceilings, white may give the impression that the ceiling is much higher than it is and can emanate an invigorating freshness.

There are many different shades of white and each can change the feel of the room. Similarly, the sheen selected can create a subtle contrast with higher gloss trim and add some diversity from room to room. White is quite versatile and can be used in combination with other neutral colors or to accentuate borders like crown molding, baseboards, and trim.

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GRAY Gray interiors give a formality that evokes subtle elegance without being too conservative, and provides a crisp look without being sterile and uninviting. However, the overuse of gray can create a boring environment or industrial feel. The photos to the right are examples of how the DeLeon Design Team layers grays with other tones and textures to create warmth, while retaining all of the positive attributes associated with the color.

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BEIGE Beige offers a mixture of the warmth of brown and the coolness of white. It is a calming color that helps people wind down and relax. Go with lighter shades to prevent it from looking dull or uninspired.

TAUPE Taupe is a mixture of brown and gray, and it covers a range of different shades from a brownish gray/tan color to a grayish brown color. Shades of taupe are very popular for home decoration and interior design due to its warm neutral and relaxing appearance and influences. The versatility of this color makes it timeless so it will never go out of style.

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EXTERIOR The exterior of the home is the first thing potential buyers see. A fresh coat of paint on the exterior of the home can elevate its curb appeal without undertaking any complex structural work.

If the home has a dated color palette with paint that is peeling or faded, consider painting the exterior. Stick with a threecolor scheme, as having a variety of colors can be distracting or can make the house look choppy or smaller than it is.

Pick one body color to set the tone for the rest of the home.

Choose an accent color to highlight smaller details, such as the entry door and windows. Tie the overall look with a trim color around the doors, windows, bargeboard, fascia, eaves, and gutters. The 60-30-10 rule is a great guideline to follow: sixty percent of the exterior color is for the body of the home; thirty percent for the garage doors and trim; and the final ten percent for a pop of color on the entry door or elsewhere.

If the existing exterior paint is in good condition, save money by doing touchup painting, painting only the trim and doors, or power-washing the exterior. This will help freshen up the home while giving the buyers the sense that the home is well-maintained.

When it is not cost effective to make certain changes, our renowned marketing department can create virtual renderings of the possible alternatives. For example, the buyer could see what the same house would look like in a darker or lighter color without the expense of repainting the entire exterior.

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CHOOSING THE RIGHT FLOOR When looking at homes, buyers often focus their attention on large items, such as the flooring, wall color, or ceiling height.

The type of flooring can make a significant difference to the appearance and finish of the home. Gorgeous flooring can enhance the value of the home and attract buyers. When building a home, choosing the right flooring material is one of the most important steps in designing the interiors of the home. However, there are also many cost-effective opportunities to freshen up the floors to achieve a similar objective at a fraction of the cost of new floors. After all, the flooring will act as the main palette upon which the colors, patterns, and design of the furniture and decorations will be based.

The DeLeon Design Team will guide you through the process and recommend the best choices for flooring. Naturally, we will consider the use of the space, characteristics of the individual product choices, and current buyer preferences.

We will walk through your home and evaluate your floors and determine what work, if any, should be done to provide the maximum impact on the final sales price at the lowest possible cost.

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HARDWOOD Hardwood flooring is known for its timeless beauty and durability. It is a favorite of designers who focus on enhancing a home’s value by adding warmth and character. Further, hardwood floors make the home look larger, and they are easy to clean.

If the home already has hardwood floors but they are damaged, having them sanded, refinished, and sealed can add new life at a surprisingly low cost. While refinishing, the designer may recommend applying wood stain color or letting the natural wood color shine.

Some sellers are surprised when we tell them that they have hardwood floors under their old carpet. In these cases, we often suggest removing the old carpet to showcase the hardwood floors. Refinishing these floors can usually make them look new again. Another option for floors in better, but worn, condition is to screen them and apply sealer to make them feel new at a significantly reduced cost.

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ENGINEERED WOOD Engineered wood flooring is made from a relatively thin layer of hardwood bonded over a substrate of high-quality plywood. While it looks very similar to solid hardwood, engineered flooring is a less expensive alternative that is also much easier to install.

Once regarded as a pale imitation of solid hardwood, engineered flooring has seen tremendous improvement in product quality over the years and has managed to eliminate that perception. With its wide planks and large range of finishes, engineered wood flooring can provide a more contemporary look throughout the home. That, along with its low cost and ease of installation, may give it the edge over solid hardwood when deciding to update your floors.

Plus, engineered wood is a greener alternative since it uses less actual hardwood, which can appeal to environmentally conscious buyers.

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LAMINATE Once considered a low-cost alternative to hardwood, laminate floors have improved significantly over the years. Today, they provide a cost-effective alternative and are engineered to provide long-lasting durability and strength.

With its realistic hardwood appearance as well as its functionality, laminate may provide a sizable return on your investment when using it to replace damaged or unattractive flooring.

Factors to consider when deciding between hardwood and laminate include the overall look of the rest of the house, the price point of the home, and the profile of the likely buyer.

This high-quality flooring option can provide an aesthetically pleasing look along with a reasonable cost.

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CARPET Carpet has long been a favorite go-to material for many homes, especially in bedrooms and other private areas. It is soft to the touch, reduces noise, and it is comfortable to walk or sit on. Carpet comes in a range of colors and patterns, is one of the most versatile of all flooring options, and can be an economical way to cover a room or an entire house.

If you have carpet that is still in good condition and only needs minor cleaning, steam cleaning may be the best choice.

Ripples in the carpet can often be stretched out and re-seamed in the areas that have started to separate. If the carpet is badly stained or sun-damaged, consider replacing it with a cost-effective selection.

The DeLeon Design Team will evaluate and recommend the right choice for your carpet before putting your home on the market.

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TILE Tile is often a great choice for high-traffic areas in the home. In addition to being a highly durable flooring surface, tile can help sell your home, provided that it is in good condition.

While there is a remarkable range in the price of different tile options, in our experience, many buyers do not fully appreciate the difference between the expensive options and the more cost-effective alternatives. Similarly, rather than replace a tile floor that is in poor condition, we can often regenerate the look by cleaning the grout and polishing the tile.

Tile encompasses many different materials and surfaces, including stone, ceramic, porcelain, and marble, just to name a few.

Selecting the right tile can work wonders in creating an appealing and marketable look to otherwise dated kitchens, bathrooms, entryways, or high-traffic areas.

The DeLeon Design Team can help you pick the best tile material that will work well with the style of your home. We choose from numerous designs and colors that are on-trend and appeal to a multitude of different buyers.

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Generally, in Silicon Valley, sellers obtain a home inspection report before a home is marketed to the public. Home inspectors have a long, thorough list of things to check in the home, and they prepare a detailed report highlighting all of the problems with the home. Naturally, this report must then be disclosed to the buyer.

That is why the DeLeon Team provides a Field Coordinator (a licensed contractor or experienced, full-time handyman) to perform a pre-inspection checklist. Our Field Coordinator will start his pre-inspection of your home to make sure we identify and, if possible, address simple items (e.g., replacing light bulbs, oiling squeaky hinges, checking and installing mandated smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and strapping water heaters) early, before the property and pest inspectors arrive.

Given our experience, we know the types of items that property inspectors usually flag.

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CHECKLIST A pre-listing inspection could make the whole sales process faster and easier for everyone involved. Plus, the home inspection report will be more representative of the condition

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ventilation (HVAC) system

of the home at the time of sale, since many of the items that would have been on the report

Check thermostats and heating, cooling, and

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will have already been fixed and therefore not

Check and tighten plumbing fixtures, faucets, and water heater

flagged. We also provide a detailed list of all of

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Check and tighten loose hardware

the items identified and fixed for the new buyer,

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Check leaky faucets

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Check running toilets and tighten bolts

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Check cracks in the walls, ceiling, and floor

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Check sediment trap at furnace gas line

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Check and oil squeaky doors

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Check and replace burned-out light bulbs

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Check and caulk around tubs, shower, and

presented in a format that showcases these improvements and repairs in an appropriately positive light.

Another advantage to our pre-inspections is that we identify cosmetic as well as more substantive issues. To optimize the sales price, we look for cost-effective improvements that

sinks

make a difference — both in the inspection

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Check water heater seismic straps

report and in the buyers’ minds. To the extent

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Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

that our Field Coordinator does not fix an

and check for proper placement

item, we will recommend the right vendor who can perform the repair at a reasonable cost.

Alternatively, if the item is not cost-effective to fix, we will recommend disclosing the item to buyers and provide an attorney to guide you through the disclosures.

Our attention to detail will show buyers that your home has been well-maintained and is move-in ready. Small improvements or repairs can provide a big payoff when selling your home.

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An often overlooked area of the home preparation process is house cleaning. The DeLeon Design Team usually recommends a deep cleaning, followed by maintenance and light cleaning to increase the longevity of the finishes and materials in the home. Cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting will keep the home looking fresh and dust-free.

It will also make the home feel newer and more lovingly maintained.

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VASTU SHASTRA, FENG SHUI, HARMONY, AND POSITIVE ENERGY According to the principles of Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui, clean homes create a positive flow of energy and a harmonious atmosphere.

After decluttering and a thorough cleaning inside and outside, the home is warm and inviting, and visitors feel the positivity in the home environment.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN REGULAR WEEKLY CLEANING AND DETAILED CLEANING DURING LISTING Regular house cleaning is often done by the homeowners to keep the house dust-free. Floors, countertops, and surfaces are cleaned in all rooms, bathrooms, and the kitchen. In preparing the home for sale, our Design Team recommends detailed interior and exterior cleaning for many of our listings. The detailed cleaning includes decluttering, organization, preparing for packing and moving, deep cleaning, garage cleaning, specialized tile and carpet cleaning, windows and skylight cleaning, and outdoor cleaning.

DECLUTTERING AND/OR MOVING If you will be occupying the property during the listing period, our Design Team will guide you on decluttering and depersonalizing your home. Additionally, we can lend you moving bins and provide access to a van, if necessary. If you will be vacating the property and need help with packing and moving, our Team is there for you every step of the way, from helping you pack, donating unwanted items to Goodwill, hauling away junk, to recommending movers.

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INTERIOR CLEANING Deep Cleaning Deep cleaning goes beyond the routine and includes cleaning baseboards, moldings, windows, appliances, door knobs, hinges, cabinets, drawers, and closets that buyers may open. It often includes cleaning the skylights inside and outside, and steam-cleaning the carpets.

Light Cleaning Light cleaning includes a touch-up cleaning to maintain the cleanliness of the home and removal of dust that may collect. Our Design Team recommends a light touch-up cleaning after the open houses and another one just before the buyer’s final walkthrough.

EXTERIOR CLEANING Exterior of the Home Exterior cleaning means cleaning all exterior surfaces of the home. This includes removing cobwebs and dust from the pillars, posts, and gazebos, and cleaning all outdoor furniture on the decks and patios.

Decks and Patios Decks and patios can be cleaned by blowing away any leaves and removing loose dust particles. For more substantial cleaning, power-washing may be recommended on certain surfaces.

Pathways and Walkways This includes cleaning the pathways and walkways throughout the landscape. These surfaces can be power-washed to deep clean, if needed.

Gutters Gutters should be cleaned to ensure all debris and leaves are removed.

Pool Pools should be thoroughly cleaned, which includes skimming off leaves and debris, removing sediment (e.g., algae and small bits of debris) from pool walls and steps, cleaning the skimmer, and removing debris from the pool filter. During the listing period, we recommend continuing pool maintenance on a regular basis and keeping the pool vacuum and pump running.

Landscape Maintenance Our Design Team recommends keeping the landscape clean and maintained with regular visits from the landscaping crew.

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MAINTENANCE VISITS Additionally, the DeLeon Design Team maintains the house with regular visits to clean and wipe surfaces, remove cobwebs, and dust.

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Decorating for staging versus decorating for you – there are similarities, yet there are definitive differences as well.

When your home is decorated by you, your personality and design aesthetic are the stars of the show. When decorated for staging, your home becomes the star.

Let’s take you back to the days of selling empty homes, when people would bring tape measures to see if their furniture might fit. This was a very one-dimensional way of viewing your new home.

Fast forward to today. A buyer does not have to imagine how a sofa or king size bed will look in the home that you are about to sell; rather, it is three-dimensional, visual, and buyers can even sit in their new living room. This is because of staging.

Décor for staging is going to take more of an edited and curated look than one might normally use when decorating their home. There will be a lot of open spaces – this is a positive – as it shows the beauty of the home (walls, baseboards, trims, placement of outlets, windows, built-in electronics, and smart-home systems). There will be a flow going from one place to another in the staged home with an uninterrupted connection and continuity, as we want potential buyers to be able to move freely from room to room and from inside to outside. One does not want to overcrowd a room, but rather to let it breathe.

Your newly staged home will not look as “lived in” and personalized with personal mementos or family photos, but will look very editorial like one would see on the pages of Architectural Digest or Elle Décor.

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IMPORTANT DESIGN POINTS & FEATURES

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Mirrors are used not only for design aspects, but also used to bring light into darker places.

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White or neutral towels are used throughout the home in all bathrooms for consistency.

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Imitation plants are used because less care is needed. They are also more durable, do not need natural light and are not limited to one place. Live plants seasonally shed their flowers and leaves, which changes their appearance.

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Outdoor staging is an extension of the home, especially with California’s weather that is ideal for seamless indoor/outdoor living. In fact, we found that many stagers lacked high-quality outdoor furniture, so Michael Repka and one of our Mandarin-speaking designers went to one of the world’s largest furniture shows in Guangzhou, China, to purchase 7 sea-crates of outdoor furniture and accessories.

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Use scale to fit your home.

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Air fresheners keep the homes smelling fresh.

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Clean, uncluttered, and attention to detail – details should never be overlooked. We have amazing designers and work with the top staging companies, who are also experts in this type of design, so we can create the perfect look for today’s buyers.

DeLeon Realty will exquisitely stage your home in order to maximize your profit. Given the quality and related expense associated with utilizing the best materials and stagers in the industry, you will be pleased to know that DeLeon Realty pays for 100% of all staging charges, including the design, delivery, and removal, as well as all cost for furniture rental for the entire time the home is listed.

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#

1

Team

IN THE UNITED STATES* *As ranked by REAL Trends 2019 Team Volume list. Published in the Wall Street Journal in June 2019.

Bro c hu re de si g ne d by t he Mon ic a C a s orl a A rc h it e c t u r a l Phot o g r aphy by t he D eL e on Te a m

DISCLAIMER As prominent members of the real estate community, we respect all pre-existing listing agreements. If your home is currently under a listing contract, please do not construe this publication as a solicitation of that listing. On the other hand, if you have not yet selected a Realtor®, we urge you to consider our team’s resources and design acumen, as demonstrated in this proprietary publication.

All consultations are free and without obligation. DeLeon Realty reserves the right to cancel any promotions or offerings contained within this material. Please refer to our website for our latest offerings, which will also be clearly detailed in our listing agreement addendum.

All complimentary and/or free services listed in this guide and other marketing materials are available to our sellers (with an active listing agreement in place) at no additional charge beyond the commission listed in said listing agreement. Access to these services begins on the day the listing agreement is signed and ends on the day of closing. In the unlikely event that the house does not sell, then the client is not required to reimburse DeLeon Realty for the cost of the marketing or other complimentary services listed in this guide or other marketing materials. However, the client would remain responsible for charges by outside vendors for services such as repairs, improvements, moving, storage and cleaning.

This publication, and all articles, information and photographs contained herein, are the intellectual property of DeLeon Realty, Inc., and protected by copyright. No reproduction or transmission of any kind is permitted without the express, written permission of DeLeon Realty, Inc. ©2020 DeLeon Realty, Inc.