NORT H TA M PA F LOR I DA
LIFESTYLE HOW JOSEPH LEWKOWICZ SELLS
Joe
VS. Average Agent
HOW JOE STANDS OUT IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY
11
TIPS TO GET YOUR HOME SOLD
FEATURED ARTICLES NORTHWEST TAMPA STATISTICS
Lewkowicz HOME SELLING
PREPARING TO LIST A HOME 2017 YEAR-END STATISTICS HOW WE SELL SELL A HOME
I
Dear reader,
n writing this letter, I wanted to give you, the reader, an idea of what it takes to sell and buy a home in the real estate market we have today. There are many more real estate companies and agents in business now than there were just 4 years ago, with close to 12,000 agents in Tampa alone. Ideas of how to sell a home and what value a real estate agent brings to the transaction may have changed but a lot of things remain the same. This magazine is designed to show you what I do, compared to the majority of agents, either working full time, or the many that are part time in this business. A good way to look at what a typical day for me is to start with last night, which was a Monday evening. Starting at 7:45 PM, the phone and text went off over 10 times all with different issues.
ISSUE #1:
I had to handle a closing that is supposed to happen on Friday and the selling agent does not usually contact us or the buyer or the mortgage broker, so we can get things approved to close. In this case we had to bypass the agent and go directly to the mortgage broker and the buyer to work things out.
ISSUE #2:
In another case, the agent expected the seller to move out before the loan is approved and agree to sell the house for whatever the appraisal price is. I, of course, could not recommend that and then had to stop the other agent from trying to cancel the sale when they were not getting their way and not agreeing to the terms in the contract.
ISSUE #3:
On another listing, we had to check on photos that were not perfect, make the changes to that and then present an offer on the same house.
ISSUE #4:
On another listing, the gutter from the next door neighbor drains into the yard of my listing. The sellers are the estate of the owner and we are trying to figure out what to do, because this causes the yard to flood causing some damage to the property. I also had to arrange to get the water turned on for the same home the next day.
The calls ended at 10:15PM and I started the day again at 6:00 the next morning. As you can tell from above, this may not be a completely typical evening but it is typical day. When selling a home, I have found it is best to keep completely involved in the details and the process of getting from on the market, to closing. Most agents are not willing to spend the time to do this. They may have another job, other interests, or they just may think they are too busy. An agent who represented the buyer on one of my listings was only available at certain times. The agent’s availability was at noon, or after 7 PM. “This is not my full-time job,” – he went on to say, he had a more important job. I explained to him that this is a full-time job; after all this is the most significant purchase or sale for most people! Others, delegate the details to a team member or a virtual assistant. Sometimes the task or question gets handled correctly, many times it does not or gets delayed, especially if it is very hands on. I am a single player. I have one assistant, who has run a large office for a foreclosure company and has been in the title business for over 16 years. My wife, who is the creative and advertising person, ran the ad department for Tam-Bay Realty when they had 41 offices. This is my entire team. Full time, all the time, because that is what it takes to sell a house.
Sincerely, Joseph Lewkowicz Licensed Real Estate Agent Coldwell Banker 2 | North Tampa Florida Lifestyle
contents
TABLE OF Featured Neighborhoods
4
Luxury Listing Showcase
9
Joe vs. Average Agent
10
Northwest Tampa Statistics
11
Joseph Lewkowicz TV
12
5 Star Rated Realtor
13
NRT Award
13
Sell a Home
14
How Joseph Lewkowicz Sells
16
How We Sell
17
Where Joe Has Worked
18
2017 Year-End Stats
19
One on One with Joe
20
4 Steps to the Home Selling Process
22
Preparing to List Your Home
24 JosephLewkowicz.com | 3
FEATURED NEIGHBORHOODS: Original Carrollwood
When one thinks of Suburban life they think of affordable high end homes on sizable lots; However, the inconvenience of traveling far in order to get to popular amenities and jobs is often a sacrifice that is made for living in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Despite these connotations, a certain neighborhood suburb in Tampa, FL is proving that you don’t need to be in the downtown scene to be trendy.
4 | North Tampa Florida Lifestyle
JOE LEWKOWICZ TV HOUSES EXCLUSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD PROFILES THAT SHOWCASE TAMPA BAY TO BE THE PRIME SPOT OF CUTTING-EDGE REAL ESTATE BUYING AND SELLING.
Carrollwood Village
Carrollwood Village provides a serene lifestyle with a quiet suburban feel. The streets are lined with giant oak trees and plenty of space between homes. Most homes have generous lot sizes and large-sized yards with room for a pool and beautiful landscaping that family, friends and pets can enjoy. The community also features scenic walking and running trails as well as pris-tine recreational parks that receive regular maintenance and upkeep. With over 3,500 homes including residential single family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and assisted living facili-ties, Carrollwood Village offers a suburban oasis with a strong sense of community involvement and activity that is ideal for individuals of all ages and families large and small.
JosephLewkowicz.com | 5
Lake Magdalene
The optimum setting for a classic Carrollwood Community, Lake Magdalene is the picture perfect neighborhood. Once used as breeding grounds for peacocks, Lake Magdalene has been transformed into an upscale community housing some of Tampa’s most prominent executives. Today, the same peacocks that were once bred on these grounds roam the pleasant streets adding to the unique atmosphere that comprises Lake Magdalene.
6 | North Tampa Florida Lifestyle
Belle Meade | Belle Glen Van Dyke Farkms
Bucolic country in the heart of Tampa is the quiet suburbs of Odessa. What was once known as Tampa’s far-away country has now been fully incorporated into the heart and mix of everything else that is in accordance with this bustling Metropolis. Conveniently located off of the Veterans expressway, these neighborhoods were built here before anything else. Characterized by large homes on expansive lots with beautiful conservation areas and lakes, are what deďŹ nes the scenery. No where else in Tampa will you get this much land, with this much home so conveniently close to the heart of downtown.
JosephLewkowicz.com | 7
Calusa Trace | Reflections
Calusa Trace and Reflections are two neighborhoods, located in North Tampa, that are known for their convenience and accessibility. Situated right off the Veterans with imminent proximity to Dale Mabry, many people find that living here opens up the rest of Tampa conveniently, with the perk of being sprawled out on scenic pond views.
8 | North Tampa Florida Lifestyle
Luxury Listing S HO W C ASE
18819 ANNELIS DR, LUTZ FL Joseph Lewkowicz show cases his luxury listing nestled in Lake Fuller Estates. Located at 18819 Annelis Drive, Built in 2005, the house has a unique but still classic floor plan, which features the master bedroom and an office on one side of the home, with two remaining bedrooms tucked away by themselves. It also features a huge bonus room, bedroom, and bath at the far end. Lake Fuller Estates is an ideal location for parents to raise a family, or those seeking a more private residence.
3406 LINEBAUGH AVE, TAMPA FL Joseph Lewkowicz show cases his luxury listing on Tampa’s premier White Trout Lake. Located at 3406 Linebaugh Ave, the stunning colonial home is the epitome of Tampa’s elite real properties. Boasting over 5,900 sqft of living space and spacious outdoor elements like an oversized lanai, rectangular pool, and a new dock equipped with it’s own boat lift; this house is ready to be called home!
JosephLewkowicz.com | 9
JOE VS AVERAGE AGENT How Joe Stands Out in the Real Estate Industry
JOE 40+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE SELLING YOUR HOME IN NORTH TAMPA
#1 OF 2422 AGENTS IN NORTHWEST TAMPA
PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATION WITH EACH CLIENT
AWARD WINNING PASSION IN REAL ESTATE
JOE HAD 102 SALES IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS
JOE SOLD 4X MORE THAN THE NEXT SINGLE AGENT IN NORTHWEST TAMPA
JOE SPENT $226,000 ON ADVERTISING ALONE IN 2017
AVERAGE AGENT NEWLY LICENSED AGENT
OF THE AGENTS IN NORTHWEST TAMPA 2322 SOLD LESS THAN 5 HOMES
HAPPY HOUR CHATS, AND NETWORKING EVENTS
WORKING TOWARDS A CREDIBLE REPUTATION MOST AGENTS WORK WITH BUYERS AND DON’T SPECIALIZE IN SELLING LISTINGS
WHEN YOU CALL, YOU MAY GET A TEAM MEMBER
MEDIAN INCOME IS $38,000 - $49,000
WHEN YOU CALL, YOU ACTUALLY CONNECT WITH JOE 85% OF NEW LICENSEES ARE OUT OF THE BUSINESS WITHIN THE FIRST 18 MONTHS JOE SOLD 10% MORE THAN ANY OTHER TEAM OR COMPANY IN NORTHWEST TAMPA
JOE STARTED IN 1977
OVER A DECADE OF DOOR KNOCKING AND GUERILLA MARKETING
10 | North Tampa Florida Lifestyle
AVERAGE AGENT HAS BEEN IN THE FIELD FOR 1-3 YEARS
MARKETING FROM BEHIND THE DESK
*Data reflected represents updated information as of May 2018
North Tampa
STATISTICS
As of August 2018 | Out of 716 Agents
43 LISTINGS CLOSED IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS 14 ACTIVE LISTINGS AS OF AUGUST 2018 JOSEPH LEWKOWICZ
9 LISTINGS UNDER CONTRACT AS OF AUGUST 2018 JOE SPENT $181,000 THIS YEAR ADVERTISING HIS PROPERTIES FOR SALE 13 LISTINGS CLOSED IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS 1 ACTIVE LISTING AS OF AUGUST 2018
#2 SINGLE AGENT
2 LISTINGS UNDER CONTRACT AS OF AUGUST 2018
*According to MLS data
3 LISTINGS CLOSED IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS 1 ACTIVE LISTING AS OF AUGUST 2018 1 LISTING UNDER CONTRACT AS OF AUGUST 2018
AVERAGE AGENT
LISTINGS CLOSED IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS JOSEPH LEWKOWICZ
43 13
#2 SINGLE AGENT AVERAGE AGENT
3 5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
For more North Tampa statistics and to learn more about Joe’s selling process, visit:
JosephLewkowicz.com/Magazine Includes zip codes 33612,33613,33618,33624,33625,33626,33548,33549,33556,33558,33559,34638,34639 All the single family resale homes not including short sales, bank foreclosures or new construction with a higher sold price than $250,000 that have closed in this time period.
JosephLewkowicz.com | 11
Lewkowicz PR E S E NTAT IO N V ID EO Tune into Joseph LewkowiczTV
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE ON JOE LEWKOWICZ TV: PROFILES ON NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT TAMPA BAY TOUR OF PRIME LOCATIONS FOR BUYING & SELLING REAL ESTATE LATEST CONTEMPORARY TRENDS WHERE TO FIND THE HOME OF YOUR DREAMS TIPS ON BUYING & SELLING A HOME
V I S I T:
JosephLewkowiczTV.com T O D AY T O L E A R N M O R E !
12 | North Tampa Florida Lifestyle
5 STAR R AT E D
R E A LT O R
International President’s Premier Honor AWARD WINNER
CONGRATULATIONS TO JOSEPH LEWKOWICZ ON BEING HONORED COLDWELL BANKER’S INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT’S PREMIER AWARD FOR 2017-2018. Each year, Coldwell Banker recognizes its top-producing agents with honors. Coldwell Banker of North Tampa is honored to have one agent identified for their exceptional work throughout 2017-2018. The International President’s Premier is known to be the highest recognition an agent can receive; awarded to a Sale Associate who achieves a closed GCI of $570,00 in closed CGI or 90 closed Revenue Units. With this Joe Lewkowicz is now ranked among the top 1% of agents internationally. Joseph Lewkowicz is a Tampa Bay realtor and has worked for 40 years in the housing market. He has been ranked as one of the top salesmen in North Florida for the last decade and competes against the best of the best in markets across New York, California, and Miami. Joe’s work ethic ensures his consistency for providing valuable information to buyers and sellers, showing his dedication in helping clients reach their real estate goals.
“
No-one works harder to sell your home!
”
JosephLewkowicz.com | 13
Coldwell Banker Realtor
JOSEPH LEWKOWICZ
“
INTRODUCES
Sell a Home
”
OSEPH LEWKOWICZ HAS BEEN SERVICING THE TAMPA BAY AREA FOR OVER 40 J YEARS. AS A MEMBER OF COLDWELL BANKER, ONE OF THE LARGEST REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE COMPANIES IN THE WORLD, JOE BELONGS TO THE NRT FRANCHISE, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OVER $156 BILLION IN SALES THE PAST YEAR. HE IS RANKED IN THE TOP ½% OF REALTORS IN THE COUNTRY, COMPETING WITH OTHER AGENTS IN CITIES LIKE BEVERLY HILLS, MANHATTAN, AND MIAMI BEACH. JOE LEWKOWICZ HAS SUCCESSFULLY SOLD OVER 3,000 HOMES IN HIS CAREER THROUGH HIS PERSONAL MANTRA: “NO-ONE WORKS HARDER TO SELL YOUR HOME!” 14 | North Tampa Florida Lifestyle
”
WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF HIS NEW WEBSITE FEATURE, “SELL A HOME,” JOE HAS MADE AVAILABLE HIS PERSONAL MARKETING STRATEGIES USED TO SELL A CLIENT’S HOME BEST. Joe goes into detail in ‘A Successful Marketing Plan’ on explaining the multiple advertising techniques implemented. The success of Coldwell Banker’s brand affords them the ability to spend millions on high-quality marketing, including top-tier placements for listings on Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com. They focus on global and local marketing with digital and media advertisements, as well as more local sources like the Tampa Bay Times. Joe himself spends several hundred thousand dollars each year to market properties for potential buyers. By creatively showcasing the neighborhoods to attract buyers, Joe ensures his work is done with high quality and appeal to help sift through the crowd of advertising found on the Internet. Also on the website, Joe outlines several of his offline marketing strategies in his new feature. For instance, the Lewkowicz Gazette is one of the first of its kind in North Tampa real estate marketing. The edition aims to share information easily for real estate listings and market reporting. Joe also utilizes direct mailers to target specific zip codes in North Tampa to give listed properties the best marketing advantage. Lastly, to showcase the best North Tampa real estate, Joe also incorporates broker notes that offer waterfront lake homes, golf course neighborhoods, equestrian properties, country clubs, and residential listings. Another feature viewers will see on the website is online marketing. Online marketing is used to its full advantage with Joe Lewkowicz. Joe uses his business and professional social media channels to gain market advantage by appealing to multiple demographics and exposing them to residential listings for his properties. Listing videos are produced to highlight listings in the North Tampa Bay area and to show the unique selling points of each home. Joe continues to stay ahead of the curve with his affiliations for sites like Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com. He spends a significant amount on advertising to ensure his listings remain at the top of the search engine searches. Through his dedication and hard work, Joe has proven himself to be a top contender in the real estate industry. Clients know exactly what they are getting when working with Joe Lewkowicz. His exceptional customer service, attention to detail, and market knowledge makes him an invaluable source to help navigate the North Florida real estate market.
COLDWELL BANKER EARNED
$156 BILLION IN SALES IN 2017
JOE IS IN THE
TOP 1/2%
OF REALTORS IN THE U.S.
3,000 HOMES SOLD IN JOE’S CAREER
JosephLewkowicz.com | 15
how
JOSEPH LEWKOWICZ SELLS
THE HOME SELLING PROCESS SUCCESSFUL MARKETING PLAN R E A LT O R J O S E P H L E W K O W I C Z
J O E ’ S M A R K E T I N G S T R AT E G I E S
Joe Lewkowicz has been servicing the Tampa Bay area for 40+ years. His concentration has been centered around the Northwest territory, an area where Joe has been the top agent for at least a decade. Specializing in residential resale Joe sells more houses in this area than any other agent with sales doubling the next closest agent with any other company.
The prominence and success of their brand affords them the ability to spend millions of dollars on high quality marketing including top tier placements for listings on Zillow, Trulia and realtor.com, the most trafficked websites for home searches. Coldwell Banker focuses their dollars on global and local marketing, such as digital and media advertisement, as well as more local sources like the Tampa Bay Times.
A member of the largest real estate brokerage in the world, Coldwell Banker — Joe belongs to the NRT franchise — a real estate empire that was responsible for nearly $156 Billion in sales in the past year. Joe is among the top ½% in the country, which speaks very highly, considering that he is competing with agents in Beverly Hills, Manhattan, and Miami Beach.
Keenly aware of the importance of marketing, Joseph Lewkowicz isn’t shy to spend several hundred thousand dollars of his own monies, each year, to market his properties to prospective buyers. Joe’s aggressive marketing strategies include: direct mailers, websites, paid advertising, and social media; in fact it may have been one of these very outlets that caused you to give him a call.
His personal mantra: “No-one works harder to sell your home!” has proven to work successfully throughout his career and has connected him with over thousands of buyers. Joe has helped sell over 3,000 homes that perfectly fit his client’s needs, but he is happy to assist anyone in the Tampa Bay area looking to buy or sell.
With a full-scale marketing plan, Joe attracts buyers to the area by creatively showcasing the neighborhoods. He realizes that the internet is a crowded field for attention and that is why all of his work is done with the highest quality & appeal in mind. This is how Joe ensures that more people will see your home, resulting in the maximum potential sales price.
16 | North Tampa Florida Lifestyle
JosephLewkowicz.com | 17
WHERE JOE HAS WORKED
IN THE LAST 2 YEARS ODESSA C H E VA L
LUTZ
NORTHDALE LAKE MAGDALENE C A R R O L LW O O D
C A R R O L LW O O D V I L L A G E
N O R T H W E S T TA M PA
NORTHWEST TAMPA AREA
18 | North Tampa Florida Lifestyle
JOSEPH LEWKOWICZ
2017 YEAR-END
S TAT I S T I C S Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation Years as a Real Estate Leader
110
#1 Nationwide Company 20 Years in a Row
NRT
Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate
#1 in Florida
Worldwide Countries and Territories Served
49
Offices Worldwide
3,000
Sales Associates Worldwide
over 92,000
Nationwide Number of U.S. Transaction Sides
730,736
Average U.S. Sales Price
$332,025
Total U.S. Sales Volume
$242.6 Billion
Luxury Real Estate Number of U.S. 1 Million+ Transaction Sides Global Luxury Sales Per Day Average Luxury Sales Price
28,746 $148.7 Million $1.9 Million
JosephLewkowicz.com | 19
One on one
with the
Top Northwest Tampa Realtor Joe Lewkowicz, Realtor
Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate
JOE – You have been very successful over 40 years in selling Residential Real Estate. In fact, you were awarded the title of Top Realtor in the Northwest Tampa Territory which encompasses Carrollwood, Northdale, Lutz and Odessa. This is recognition that you’ve received for more than a decade. What do you attribute your success to?
Facebook, Zillow and Google and the multiple listing system. On these sites, which are very crowded for attention, I make sure that the homes I am featuring show up the best they can possibly be. This entails professional photos, video, drone aerial shots and good copy to help sell the home. I also target the market via massive amounts of direct mail to Northwest Tampa. An old cliché is all real estate is local. This means that neighbors know other folks that want Specializing has really been the key to this success. In 2004 I decided to focus to move to the area and they also know the best areas. I make sure they know only on the Northwest Tampa market. I had already been working in most of about the homes I have for sale. these neighborhoods and had done a lot of direct mail and phone calling, however, I was spreading myself thin by showing and listing homes in Wesley It would appear that no one knows the Northwest Tampa real estate Chapel, South Tampa and other areas. That year I decided to get even more market better than you, Joe. Unlike most realtors who seem to cover familiar with the area by going door to door to meet more people and become larger territories, you have concentrated your efforts in your target market very familiar with the area again. I would stop at 6,000 homes every 90 days area. Why did you decide to specialize in Northwest Tampa? and drive by most of the other neighborhoods. By doing this, I have come to know these areas intimately. When someone calls about a property, I just need Coldwell Banker has one of the largest internet marketing efforts in the area and to know the address and most of the time I can picture where it is located and in the world. Our company spends millions of dollars every year on developing what the neighborhood is like. Because of this I can help someone determine and paying for top performing internet sites. Most agents are proud to say they what their value really is and where in the area they may want to move. spend $10,000 a year on advertising their homes for sale and the companies they are affiliated with have the same philosophy. I think differently. I spent Can you tell me about some of your more notable transactions? What was over $200,000 of my own money last year to market to my area of town. I send your most difficult sale? over 20,000 pieces on a monthly basis, to homes in the Northwest Tampa area. These are advertising my properties on a regular basis. This includes spot The most memorable transaction was during my first year. I had sold a home mailers, a regular newsletter with all of my listings for sale and market studies that was new construction. The buyers were moving from North Carolina and to keep homeowners informed. It all combines to get my properties noticed. were staying in a hotel until closing. They had already been staying there for two weeks and the day we went to close, which was on a Friday, everything went fine. I have been working in the Northwest Tampa area for most of my career. Most However, on Monday we learned that the builder skipped the country to the agents seem to be all over the bay area. Last year of the 91 homes I sold only Caribbean and had 90 liens on the home that were not disclosed. The title was 3 were out of my target market. I knew that if I was going to be different and I held up for a very long 90 days. I got everything closed and got everyone paid really wanted to be the expert in the area, I needed to just concentrate on one off. I ended up being the contractor, the realtor and the psychologist all in one. area time. Can you tell me about some of your larger sales? Were they in this area?
It has been proclaimed that your knowledge of the Northwest Tampa Real Estate market is unmatched. We understand that you know nearly every house by their floor plan and can easily spot abnormalities, additions or extensions that may have been made to the home later on. What are the most common problems that you’ve experienced with houses in the Northwest Tampa territory?
I have had several large sales which may not seem expensive now but were back when they were sold. About 35 years ago, I sold the most expensive house in North Tampa, which was on Lindelaan in the Old Carrollwood area. Very traditional style home at the end of the street. Cheval and Tampa Palms were just being developed at that time and Avila was still fairly new. Westchase did not exist yet. People would come to the area because the lots are larger and the values were better than South Northwest Tampa is a mix of subdivisions and larger lot properties. Many of Tampa. It is a similar situation to the current market. the homes and homesites in the area have been here since the early 60’s, if not earlier. Determining a value and getting them appraised can be a challenge According to the MLS statistics, you have sold an average of 95 homes per when so many of them have been modified and improved throughout the year for the last five years, which is a staggering amount for any realtor. years. Many of the older homes have had additions added on that may not As a top listing agent, how do you market your properties differently from have been permitted. Flood insurance can be another big issue in this area. other realtors? You have been a realtor with Coldwell Banker, the top real estate brokerage in I think a lot about marketing properties including what will make them stand the World, for a long time and have earned numerous accolades and awards. out and get noticed in a crowded real estate market. Surprisingly, the largest What advantages does Coldwell Banker provide for you and your clients? internet companies, like Google, Zillow and Realtor.com all use their internet sites but have also use traditional selling tools such as phone calls, direct Coldwell Banker spends a lot of money on advertising. They do what I call mail and print advertising. I employ the same mix of internet advertising in the macro advertising, meaning they covered the whole spectrum of Tampa,
20 | North Tampa Florida Lifestyle
Florida. They make it easy for me to do the micro Area of Northwest Tampa, which means that I can spend $200,000 plus per year on advertising and get the maximum effect for people selling their home in this area. They say that real estate has become technologically integrated. What do you do to stay on top of the changing marketing trends and technologies? I used to be considered to be a year to three years ahead of any of my competition in technology. It turns out that now I have to hire people in order to stay up on what’s happening in marketing and social media. Because I’m willing to invest in my business, I am able to hire the best people to keep me on track for the newest trends in marketing. The tech marketing and tech explosion make everything change within a six-month period and you have to be willing to invest and use the latest innovations. Many buyers do not understand the value that a realtor can provide. In fact, many people believe that brokering reduces the equity realized at the final settlement. What do you tell your critics? What services do you provide that’s worth the commission sellers provide? I believe that a great realtor brings a lot to the table. They will get buyers the best possible value for their desired home. More importantly they recognize any of the issues that could happen on a sale before it takes place. The first closing I had back in 1977 was four pages total for all parties to sign. The closing that I had last week was over 250 pages long of materials. There is a lot that can go wrong without a realtor’s expertise. Another cliché often heard is “you don’t know what you don’t know.” Whether selling on your own or hiring an inexperienced agent that cliché will apply. People believe that the real estate market is highly speculative. As a result, many are reluctant to buy or sell their home even when the market conditions are right (citing evidence of our most recent economic downturn, which devastated the housing market). As a realtor who sold houses well before, during and after the recession, what do you think of the current market conditions and how they compare to bottom of the market? The market climate that we’ve had the last several years has been the best for buying real estate in a very long time. I don’t see homes dropping in value very much because home inflation rates have been way lower than they were back before the real estate bubble. Residential real estate is not just an investment. I always tell people to buy a house that they really like. I do not suggest anyone move unless they really want to. What’s your forecast for the future of the Northwest Tampa Real Estate Market? I believe that the Northwest Tampa area will be a very vital and vibrant market for years to come. At some point the area that we are in now may be considered the center of town. Most areas here are very centrally located to get to town or to go out further. The prices in this area are affordable for the majority of people that want to look into a neighborhood. I think with younger families, the move to a near suburban location, such as this area, will continue as these buyers seek more value in their purchase. What is the biggest problem for the residential real estate industry? We have two main issues. Both really irk me. The first is that so many agents, many new, are untrained and have no experience. They do not know the market or the issues that can potentially arise. They also don’t know how to sell, which is a mix of art and practice. They also cannot spend any money to market a home. The second is lack of personal service. Many agents belong to a team. Folks selling don’t know this when they list a home but they may never talk to the agent that knows the area or has the expertise to handle issues when they arise. I have to work with some teams that have more than 40 agents with them. It can be hard to get answers for important questions that come up. Some smaller teams do this so agents can work part time. My belief is that this is more than a full time business. Selling a house is a big deal and to many folks the most important transaction they will ever do. I believe the agent they hire has to be available to consult with them and have the knowledge they need to make the transaction go smoothly and profitably.
JosephLewkowicz.com | 21
4Steps
The
TO THE HOME SELLING
PROCESS
THE COLDWELL BANKER SYSTEM STEP 1
STEP 3
D E V E L O P A PR ICING S TR ATE G Y
MANA GE T HE T RANSITI ON
• Homes currently on the market
• Aggressively represent you in negotiations
• Homes recently sold
• Assist in completing contracts & documents
• Homes that failed to sell
• Guide you through all deadlines
• Local economic conditions
• Evaluate & follow up on inspections, termite
• Desired timetable to sell your home
STEP 2 SUCCESSFULLY MARKET YOUR HOME
reports, survey & insurance, & appraisal
• Prepare & negotiate any amendments
• Update you on buyer’s loan status
• Provide access to documents, tasks, &
deadlines through HomeBase
• Sales documents and disclosures
• Home Protection Plan
• Stage your home for sale
• Distinctive yard sign
• MLS
• Flyers/brochures
• Coordinate closing date, time, location, & contacts with you
• Implement active marketing strategies
• Follow up on details for smooth closing
• Website marketing
• InTouch
• Submit Home Protection Plan information to initiate coverage for buyer, if required
• Arrange showings
• Review HUD Statement (closing statement)
• Communicate feedback
• Provide copies of all closing documents
• Provide market updates
22 | North Tampa Florida Lifestyle
STEP 4 C O ORDINAT E T HE C LOSI NG
OTHER HELPFUL TIPS ONLINE SHOWING REPORT
THE INDUSTRY’S MOST POWERFUL WEB PRESENCE
THE COLDWELL BANKER INSIGHT REPORT shows how many views your property has received on ColdwellBankerHomes.com, ColdwellBanker. Your Home can be Found on as many as 900 websites com, and several of Coldwell Banker’s online partner websites including Coldwell Banker’s comprehensive internet strategy includes displaying realtor.com, Trulia, Yahoo!, Homes, Zillow.com, and more. homes with a detailed property description and multiple photos on the This report allows your Coldwell Banker realtor to track the effectiveness most dominant real estate websites and portals. of our online marketing strategy and share the results with you. To tap into these buyers, Coldwell Banker invests in search engine Your representative will email this report weekly and then follow up with a optimization, which includes purchasing more than 60,000 search terms on Google. call to discuss the report and answer any questions your may have.
MAXIMUM ONLINE MARKETING
GLOBAL CONNECTIONS
The MAXimum online marketing platform is designed to Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate is aligned with the following organizations: reach the highest number of potential buyers, wherever Cartus they are. With MAXimum you’ll get:
MAXimum Branding: Your name will be displayed with key information on four of the most visited real estate sites: Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, and Homes.com. Your realtor’s name and contact information will be shown next to your property so buyers can easily reach them directly. MAXimum Exposure: In addition to the four websites listed above, your home will be shown on as many as 900 websites, including all powered-by-Zillow sites and the ever expanding List Hub and homefinder.com networks. On top of all that, luxury listings are distributed to 50+ additional sites targeting high-net-worth individuals.
Cartus is the largest corporate provider of relation services in the world. This partnership expands access to qualified buyers moving into our area. If you will be moving outside of the area, through Cartus, your Coldwell Banker representative can put you in touch with an experienced real estate agent in your destination city. FIABCI FIABCI is a leading international real estate network of 3,000 members in 65 countries, including 100 national real estate associations. Proxio Proxio connects agents to a global network of real estate agents and a large audience of international buyers.
Hamptons International MAXimum leads: All company listings are features on the websites of Hamptons Any online inquiries from buyers interested in your home are routed International, a United Kingdom real estate company with 85 offices. directly to your realtor’s cell phone for immediate response. This helps ensure that no potential buyer for your home is missed Corcoran Group Real Estate Through an affiliation with Corcoran Group Real Estate, a renowned New York City and Hamptons brokerage, I can reach a unique audience of highly affluent global buyers.
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P RE PA R IN G T O
LIST A HOME
SELLING YOUR HOME REQUIRES A TACTICAL STRATEGY THAT IS CALCULATED & TESTED A proven strategy will work over and over again given similar market conditions. A realtor with a successful system can incorporate the same marketing strategies to each house they sell. With knowledge and experience, the realtor refines their strategy scaling, optimizing and investing their own well earned dollars into selling your home. Of course anyone can put a sign in your yard or list your property on the MLS, but does that necessarily sell the home? More importantly, are you getting the amount that your house is worth? Often times people will list with an inexperienced realtor or forgo the real estate pro and try to sell it themselves (FSBO). Many times these people sell their homes for less than its worth, all while handling the complex process of a real estate transactions in its entirety; a nightmare for many who aren’t seasoned pros and are unfamiliar with the ever-changing real estate laws, regulations, practices and marketplace. Houses are the single biggest purchase that most people will make in their lives. Many homeowners will spend years building equity into their property, all while running the gauntlet of continual maintenance. Every little bit that is cut into a seller’s equity is time and savings that diminishes the efforts that sellers have poured into their homes. The nature of such a high purchase investment makes it that much more important to be knowledgeable and experienced when selling and buying real estate. A seasoned real estate pro provides the knowledge and experience that helps to level the playing field when negotiating the right price for your property. In order to sell your home, Joe Lewkowicz provides these simple yet key pointers for getting top-dollar for your home.
“Make it Shine” Prepare your home to sell; this means removing personal property and making the house look more open and presentable. Do you want 350K for your single family residence? Then make someone believe it is worth that much. Perception of value is huge in real estate and can make the difference between a few thousands or tens of thousands. Make improvements if you believe that they are worth the equity you can get out of it. Paint and cleaning provide the biggest contributory value. Kitchens and baths may add considerably more, depending on the cost and the market area of the home. Pools usually do not add the contributory value that they cost, but they certainly make marketing the
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property easier. Stage it tastefully. What does that mean? It means keep your nice furniture in the rooms to make them appear more livable. Take out anything unnecessary and store these items in the garage. Less is best, and clutter is mutter. Remember, open spaces are what consumers want to see.
Pricing Your Home This is by far the hardest decision sellers will need to make. What will you list your home for? Price too high and you risk a stale listing without many showings. Price too low and you may never get the amount you wanted. At Coldwell Banker we have a model to explain the buyers’ pool. We have the home buyers at the early stages of the home search process and then we have the seasoned, educated buyers. Buyers that are just starting to look will often low-ball, unaware of the existing market conditions. Seasoned buyers will pay at market value using comparably sold homes to guide their offer amount. By offering market value, they are more likely to win the bid which is what seasoned buyers who’ve lost many bids are more likely to do. Joe’s advice? List at market value. If the property is attractive, people will look. To determine market value, the realtor should know and, if possible, visit the homes that compete with your property. The realtor should have a very good idea of what is actually selling. How will your home stack up? If it is the best one on the market, you may have room to price high. If your competition stacks higher, you may have to reconsider your price.
Negotiate Your Price Like the title states – negotiate your price. Don’t be afraid to say no but at the same time don’t be unreasonable. Many times people will present a low-ball offer in order to begin the dialogue. If your property was priced to sell, then there is a good possibility that you will end up with multiple offers allowing you to leverage the opportunity for a higher sales price. Of course it is imperative to assess your position. How long has your property been on the market? Is there any other interested party? Can you afford that next mortgage payment? In negotiations, we call these items leveraging points. What item can be leveraged and for what amount. Many times the price will start at high, but after thorough inspections, it may be necessary to drop the price.
LEVERAGING POINTS ARE VERY IMPORTANT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU ARE THE BUYER OR THE SELLER. IF YOU ARE THE SELLER YOU CAN USE THEM TO DRIVE THE PRICE UP. If you are the buyer you can use them to drive the price down. See below for common price adjustment objections that can be used in the negotiating table.
IF YOU ARE THE SELLER:
1
The house has a pool unlike the one that sold most recently on the block
2
The house is fully upgraded with a new kitchen, bathrooms, roof, HVAC
3
The location has been trending upwards and many small businesses have moved into the area
4
I don’t have a mortgage payment so I am in no rush to move
5
The property has only been on the market for less than 7 days
6
We have multiple offers, what is your highest and best?
IF YOU ARE THE BUYER: property has been on the market for over 1 The 30 days 2 The property has no pool roof is severely old and will need to be 3 The replaced in order to insure you are really motivated then you will come 4 Ifdown to my price revealed problems, which were 5 Inspections unbeknownst to me, that will be recurring problems and must be taken care of properties in the area have sold for 6 Other much less
These are all things that must be accounted for in negotiations. Remember, negotiating is about meeting halfway. It is important to be firm yet reasonable. If you need a real estate pro to help you with your transaction then use a dedicated, professional and proven realtor like Joe Lewkowicz. You can never go wrong when you have the authority of the Northwest Tampa real estate market listing your home. JosephLewkowicz.com | 25
Joseph Lewkowicz
IS YOUR NORTH TAMPA RE ALTOR What makes Joe Lewkowicz the only real estate professional you need? He has... • Unique Gazette targeted to a very specific audience, the North Tampa community • Features and spotlights North Tampa homes • Provides more exposure through online avenues paid for by Coldwell Banker reaching 19 million unique views last year • Branded with one of the most recognizable brands in real estate • Reaches a local & global buyers pool Joe Lewkowicz is constantly pushing the boundaries of real estate excellence. Spending thousands of dollars, Joe personally sets a standard for real estate marketing that is unmatched by any other realtor in the Northwest Tampa Territory. He undersands that selling real estate is not always instant gratification but is an investment that can be truly rewarding. If you need a realtor who can sell your home for top dollar, in the shortest time possible, with the least inconvenience to you then give
JOE LEWKOWICZ A CALL TODAY.
• 813-551-2953
“
• JosephLewkowicz.com
No-one works harder to sell your home!
• Joe@JosephLewkowicz.com
If your property is currently listed with a Realtor, please disregard this notice. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other brokers.