REALTOR®, Broker/Owner CRS, GREEN, SRES, CIPS, CLHMS, ABR
919.697.5014
jodi@realestateexperts.net realestateexperts.net
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Meet Jodi Bakst
I am a Realtor and Broker/Owner of Real Estate Experts — a residential real estate company that has been serving Chapel Hill, Durham, and the greater Triangle area for over 25 years.
I focus on providing seamless customer service to my buyer and seller and clients. I also have expertise in listing and positioning homes for sale and in green, high-performance homes. I have also developed North Carolina’s first 100% net-zero energy neighborhood in Orange County — visit: www.ArraySustainableLiving.com.
When you meet with me, I will make sure you fully understand all the steps and processes going forward, so you can make the best informed decision. We will have a detailed discussion of:
• NC’s listing and sale contract
• The property disclosure form (as revised, 2024)
• The sellers offer of compensation (per the NAR 2024 Settlement)
If you are ever looking for more insight and informative content to help you on your journey, please visit my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@JodiBakstOnline/videos
JODI BAKST
Full-Service Real Estate
I pride myself on being upfront and preparing my clients by setting expectations, which allows them to make educated decisions. When you work with me, I will become your:
MARKETING MANAGER
• Showcase your property with the finest marketing
• Develop and implement a customized marketing plan
• Determine the best price in line with market forces
• Communicate regularly so you are informed
LIAISON MANAGER
• Introduce new buyers to your property
• Pre-qualify buyers to avoid time wasters
• Provide you with timely updates on viewings and feedback
• Offer a Multiple Cash Offer Program where you can compare cash offers and instant selling solutions in 24 hours
NAVIGATOR
• In light of the current industry situation, it is going to take serious discussion and navigation. I am on top of this and will help you develop the right selling strategy
NEGOTIATOR
• Present and negotiate on your behalf with potential buyers
• Advise you on the merits of each offer
• Always keep your best interests as first priority
CLOSING MANAGER
• Provide information to the buyer in a timely manner
• Facilitate answers, resolve any issues during the closing process, and ensure the process is completed seamlessly
CONCIERGE
• Provide you with access to experts, including legal advisors, insurance experts, builders, landscapers, interior designers, rental experts, home stagers, painters, handymen, home inspectors, and moving services
Dedication and Commitment
KIND WORDS FROM MY CLIENTS:
“Never before have I had a service that so exceeded my expectations! As a person that has had some experience in life, I’ve understandably bought services of all types, real estate services included. You will obviously like the services most that meet or exceed your expectations. The way Jodi Bakst helped us find a house in Chapel Hill and finish all the paperwork needed for financing and closing on the house so exceeded my expectations that I was frankly astounded. Jodi did a fantastic job of setting up a customized search for us and speed-shopping with us for long days. Her commitment to succeeding in meeting our housing needs was obvious. Furthermore, her friendliness, jolly spirit, and her driven, no-nonsense way of dealing with the task at hand delighted me — a very effective type. I enthusiastically recommend her to anyone looking for a property.”
— Siggi Saemundsson
“This is the second house that Jodi has helped us sell in Chapel Hill. She is very sharp and professional, and I always knew that she would get the deal done! Especially at this crazy time in the market, I felt so confident putting the
success of our house sale in Jodi’s hands. I especially liked her transparency in helping me set a selling price that was ambitious but achievable. I hope to be able to work with her again on the buy side someday!”
— Allison Wood
“As our listing agent, Jodi Bakst truly partnered with us to ensure we were set up for success before our house even hit the market. She suggested having an inspection done upfront, and following this advice put us in a great position as sellers. We benefitted from her knowledge and great connections in the industry, and despite not being at all involved with our new build, she showed interest and gave us valuable advice there too. From start to finish, she was on top of things and minimized the stress of prepping and selling our house on a very short timeline. She is assertive, results-oriented, accessible, and relatable. Jodi is a rock star at what she does, and I highly recommend her.”
— Leigh Patel
THE BRANDS BEHIND THE AGENT
Real Estate Experts
At Real Estate Experts, we put our hyper-local knowledge to work for you. We are dedicated to giving you expert, honest, and professional service. Whether you are buying or selling a home, we will tell you like it is and set your expectations every step of the way. Our strengths are in negotiation, marketing, and taking care of every detail. We have an unbridled commitment to next level customer service because IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU!
As local Realtors, we are passionate about our business and delight in offering exceptional service to each of our clients. We work in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham, Hillsborough, Pittsboro and Cary, Apex, Morrisville and Mebane and Burlington, North Carolina.
Over the past 20 years, our seasoned team members have worked together to provide outstanding service to our buyers and sellers, while developing a unique partnership to better care for our clients.
Luxury Expertise
CERTIFIED LUXURY HOME MARKETING SPECIALIST
The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing is the premier independent authority in training and designation for real estate agents working in the luxury market. Their goal is to ensure that real estate professionals are able to provide high-quality service to discerning buyers and sellers of luxury homes.
The Institute exists to provide only the best resources, training, and guidance to its Members. Working with an agent who is fully certified in luxury marketing is critical as you look to maximize the exposure of your home. As a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, my knowledge, expertise, and access to a unique and targeted network are second to none.
Going Green
GREEN DESIGNATION
Energy efficiency and green features add value to a home. Real estate agents who have earned the GREEN designation are proficient in all aspects of green real estate, such as:
• Low-cost fixes and big-budget remodels to increase your home’s energy efficiency
• The benefits smart home technology can offer you as a homebuyer or seller
• How affordability and walkability impact consumer decisions to buy a home
• Earning green home certifications like Energy Star and LEED
As a GREEN designation holder, I am highly knowledgeable about green homes, how to value and market green features, and have experience selling energy-efficient homes.
Expertise for All Ages
SENIORS REAL ESTATE SPECIALIST
Agents who hold the Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation possess the knowledge and expertise to counsel clients age 50+ through major financial and lifestyle transitions when selling, buying, relocating, or refinancing residential or investment properties. As an SRES designee, I am prepared to offer my mature clients the best options and information in order for them to make life-changing decisions.
Green Experts
I am highly knowledgeable about green homes and how to value and market green features.
WE HAVE DEVELOPED ARRAY, NORTH CAROLINA’S FIRST 100% NET ZERO ENERGY NEIGHBORHOOD IN ORANGE COUNTY, NC
High-performance homes have more value — they are designed for energy efficiency, comfort, and healthy living, including site orientation to take advantage of the sun. Features in a highperformance home can include energy efficient wall systems, better insulation and air sealing, high efficiency heat pump water heaters and HVAC systems, energy efficient windows and doors, LED lighting, high efficiency appliances, sealed crawl spaces, and active solar.
With the 12 homes built in Array, there will be a reduction of at least 110 metric tons of carbon annually. Most of the development is forest with streams and wildlife, with 56% in a perpetual easement with Orange County so the land will be protected forever. Array and its neighbors live in beautiful, comfortable, energy-efficient, healthy homes with no utility bills other than the cost of being connected to the power grid.
Global Exposure
CERTIFIED RESIDENTIAL SPECIALIST
The Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation recognizes residential real estate professional accomplishments in both experience and education. As a CRS designee, my professional knowledge goes above and beyond and my referral network with other agents both nationally and globally is a true asset to my clients.
CERTIFIED INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY SPECIALIST
As a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS), I have undergone specialized training to complete global transactions seamlessly, with considerable experience in global business and access to an exclusive international network. I am your best and most trusted resource for navigating the worldwide market.
Showcase Listings by Zillow
As a Zillow Showcase Listing Agent, I can list your home through Showcase — a platform offered by Zillow to help your home stand out among the competition. On average, Showcase listings sell for more and are more likely to go pending in the first 14 days than similar, non-Showcase listings on Zillow.
Zillow Showcase boasts a unique AI-powered listing display, with key features such as:
• High-resolution photography
• Virtual tour
• Interactive floor plan
• Email alerts to buyers
• Prioritized placement within buyer’s search results
Watch the Zillow Showcase listing video here: www.showingtimeplus.com
Determining Your Home’s Value
My objective is to sell your home:
› For the highest possible price › In the shortest amount of time › With the most favorable terms
Prior to implementing any marketing strategies, it is critical to go through a process of discovery — determine the fair market value, survey the current market conditions, and review the variety of factors that will help us prepare your home for sale. By setting expectations, you can feel confident in making informed decisions.
INFLUENCES ON HOME VALUE
With any marketing strategy, it is important to research the market conditions that are currently influencing home values. “Market value” is the highest price at which a property will sell on the open market, given a reasonable time period to find a qualified buyer.
What a property is truly worth (whether that is higher or lower than the selling price) and what prospective buyers are willing to pay for it is known as the “Fair Market Value” — as buyers are influenced by the following criteria:
• Location of the property
• Condition of the property
• Buyer demand
• Prices of similar properties on the market
• Recent sales of competitive properties
• Availability of financing
By reviewing this information, we can make an informed decision on how to strategically price your home.
Maximum Exposure
Selling your home can be a very exciting experience, but it can also be an emotional one. As a real estate professional, I have found the best way to sell a home is through partnership and teamwork — combining your requirements and goals with my knowledge, expertise, effective marketing strategies, and extensive resources.
Together we will:
• Prepare for the “Window of Opportunity”
• Leverage the attributes of your location
• Prepare and present your home ready for sale
• Highlight your home’s features through professional photography
• Showcase your home to the market through professional and strategic marketing
• Maximize the exposure of your home through our extensive network
• Cooperate and communicate to maintain your home’s perception of value
• Promote your home locally, nationally, and internationally
• Maximize your home’s web exposure
• Prepare your home so that it is always ready to be shown to potential buyers
• Discuss and review the market’s analysis of your home — feedback is essential to knowing the perceived value and potential for negotiation
• Finalize your sale
• Find your next home
The Window of Opportunity
The “Window of Opportunity” is the period of time in which your home will receive its maximum exposure — typically when your home is new on the market.
In order to capitalize on this window, it is crucial that we make sure your home is ready for sale: priced at Fair Market Value, prepared to showcase its features and attributes, and a marketing strategy is implemented to further increase its exposure.
MAKING THE MOST OF INITIAL INTEREST
Marketing Your Location
According to real estate convention, the three most important criteria to consider when buying a property are: LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. In fact, buyers are often attracted to a general location, a neighborhood, or even a certain street well before settling on a specific home.
Understanding your location’s positives and negatives is important when determining price and is significant in the marketing of your home. Misconceptions, preconceptions, and knowing the nuances of your home can make a difference in how the home is marketed, when it’s shown, and how it is positioned.
Prepare to Present Your Home
First impressions are lasting. Preparing your home is one of the most difficult, emotional, yet critical steps to maximize its value. Together we will review, recommend, prepare, and create an environment that is appropriate for the type of buyer looking to purchase your home. No matter how stunning, loved, or well-maintained your home, it is important that you view it with critical objectivity, and whether it needs simple changes or major repairs, these should be addressed before the home is listed.
To help with preparation, I will pay to have your house measured and a floor plan drawn.
PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography must reflect your property. Whether in print or on the web, photos are often the first impression that a potential buyer will receive. A photoshoot is the time when a home must shine — both figuratively and literally. A fully prepared home that is clean, tidy, with clear sightlines, and shot in its best natural light will speak volumes to the viewer before and after the home is visited.
HOME STAGING
According to The National Associate of REALTORS®, 83% of buyers’ agents say that staging makes it easier for buyers to visualize the property as their future home, and 44% say it increases the dollar value offered. Additionally, 53% of sellers’ agents say that staging a home decreases the amount of time a home spends on the market. I pay for two hours of home staging to help position your house for sale.
DIGITAL TOOLS
Using current technology helps showcase the true essence of the property and its environment. Lifestyle videos, 3D virtual tours, and aerial and drone footage all provide a realistic depiction of the intended space and livability.
Professional & Strategic Marketing
Sophisticated and professionally prepared marketing is essential to maximizing your home’s exposure and requires more than just listing the property for sale on the internet and the local real estate listing service. It needs to be a carefully prepared, strategically implemented plan. Your home must become a highly prized item, launched on the market with maximum impact to create the right exposure and reach the right buyers.
OUTDOOR SIGNAGE
The trusted yard sign is the #1 way to show your home is for sale. It is fast, effective, and easy to spot. Directional signs help guide people to the home.
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SHOWINGS
Broker tours and open houses are ways that other real estate agents see your home and recommend it to their potential buyers. This is why preparing the home is so important — sometimes real estate agents are more particular than the buyer.
NETWORKING AND REFERRALS
Real estate agents have a large database at their disposal, especially their networks with other agents. Referrals are especially important in the luxury market, as you will want to work with a well-respected agent with an extensive network of contacts.
PRINT ADVERTISING
For some homes, local advertising is not sufficient — high-end homes need exposure to the elite and discerning. Your home can be showcased to affluent buyers through various local, regional, and national publications.
Professional Printing & Direct Mail
The power of showcasing your home and its unique features through professional photography and sophisticated marketing materials is crucial to setting your home apart from the competition. Promotional materials that feature your home and are mailed to your neighbors, potential buyers, and other real estate professionals is one of the most powerful ways to spread the message that your home is for sale.
Your neighbors will be first to tell their friends and family about your home — they already love their community, so they are your biggest advocates! Also, knowing where the potential buyers are locally is powerful — after all, 78% of homeowners purchase within close proximity to their present home.
A Platform for 24/7 Web Exposure
With over 95% of home buyers beginning their search on the internet, we want to take advantage of this pool of prospects. As part of my marketing plan, your home will receive unparalleled exposure among consumers and real estate professionals across the globe through my extensive online partnerships as well as across various social media platforms.
Showing the Home
Your home needs to be ‘show ready’ at all times, which can be difficult to balance if you are still living in the home. However, if you ensure preparation is done upfront — unnecessary items are removed, space has been created, and a plan is implemented for the best times to show the home — the final prep and inviting touches are easy to add around your busy schedule.
Every buyer will be pre-qualified. During the showing, a fully guided tour will be provided to ensure that the features and nuances are showcased and explained to maximize the value of perception.
Multiple Cash Offers
NO SHOWINGS, NO STRESS
Selling your home shouldn’t be difficult, and it isn’t. Submit an offer in as little as ten minutes and get multiple cash offers on your home.
Compare cash offers and instant selling solutions on the Offer Dashboard — it’s easy! Here’s how it works:
1. Enter your address
2. Upload photos
3. Get your offers and instant selling solutions in 24 hours
www.realestateexpertscashoffers.com
Market Analysis
My market analysis is compiled from a system that tracks your showings, all real estate professional and buyer feedback, as well as my marketing effectiveness on your home. This report provides you with an in-depth analysis and a comprehensive list of actions, recommendations, and objectives.
Finalizing the Sale
A myriad of details must be attended to before the sale becomes final, including offers, counter offers, inspections, disclosures, contingencies, loan documents, insurance, mortgage approval, and escrow items. This final step can be overwhelming with all its moving parts.
However, I want to ensure the process goes smoothly. I will provide a one-year home warranty for the buyer and also pay for the cleaning of your home prior to closing so you can focus on moving forward.
Whatever the next step may be, know that I am here to guide you through this final process — managing expectations by maintaining constant communication, tracking the proceeding, and keeping things on schedule.
A LUXURY LEVEL OF SERVICE
Finding Your Next Home
If you are looking to buy another property, let my knowledge of your requirements, needs, likes, and dislikes be the foundation of a new search — from finding the perfect buyer to locating your next dream home.
It takes more than just searching for a home on the internet, so allow my extensive network of connections, strong marketing skills, and exceptional knowledge open the right doors.
EXCLUSIVE LUXURY NETWORKS STRATEGIC ONLINE SEARCH TECHNOLOGY
INSIDE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE & CONNECTIONS SUPERIOR PROSPECTING CAPABILITIES
Defining Your Goals & Options
In the search for your perfect home, we must define the goals and reassess your requirements so that we approach the search with complete insight. This will enable the creation of an appropriate action plan and expected timeline.
• Where are you thinking of moving — local or out of state?
• Do you have a budget?
• What do you and your family need from your next home?
• Are you looking for a turnkey or renovation property?
• What are your essential requirements during our search?
• Are there any financial considerations?
• When is the ideal time for you to move?
This information will enable a qualified search. Equally, it is important to ensure that we research the true value of homes and that their current selling price reflects an amount that the property is “worth” to you.
My Commitment to You
When helping you look for a new property, I will set expectations throughout the process so that you can make an informed decision. I will make recommendations based on my experience and local knowledge, in addition to my access to a variety of technology, a wide network of area agents, and homes not yet on the market. A comparison and thorough, objective inspection of each home, combined with such factors as market data and resale potential, will help in narrowing your search. By building a checklist, we can better evaluate each home and review together the important criteria of homes visited.
And when you find that perfect home, I will help negotiate the best offer based on the condition of the home, the length of time it’s been on the market, activity, location, and urgency of the seller. Ultimately, I will protect and represent your best interests.
I’d like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to present this preview of the marketing services I can offer you and your property.
I’d be pleased to assist you with the sale of your present home and the purchase of your next home, and the next one because I’m not just providing a service, I’m building a relationship. Please let me know when I can be of service.
Call me before you make any important real estate decisions; you’ll be glad you did.
Jodi Bakst