FLORIDA 3-1-21

FLORIDA EDITION

ADDING VALUE TO LISTINGS BE THEIR REALTOR® FOR LIFE:

How to Build a Relationship with Your Clients that Will Last a Lifetime

5 REASONS WHY YOU NEED A MENTOR COVER STORY

ELVIDA MASSON

FEATURED AGENTS

MICHELE BAILEY LINDSEY WHITNEY

FLORIDA EDITION

LINDSEYMICHELE WHITNEY BAILEY In her seven years in the business, Lindsey

7Whitney has put a lot of work into 16making

her career as prominent as it can be in her local Brevard County and the surrounding region of Eastern Florida. Despite juggling her work life with taking care of her three children, Lindsey has made a name for herself as a Top Producing Realtor over a relatively short time span. With a focus on interpersonal relationships and a ELVIDA MASSONstrict adherence MICHELE BAILEY to a persistent work ethic, Lindsey hopes to continue to succeed in building her career for years to come.

21

LINDSEY WHITNEY

my success.” This her career, both as businesswoman.

Lindsey enjoys ge last year, she conc closing just under volume, placing he in her area. She list and does open ho maximum exposur to see each home ing buyers and sell and maximize thei

With years of experience in customer service, Lindsey In her free time, Lindsey loves has a keen sense for how to treat people and give them her husband and three children. a rewarding CONTENTS experience while doing business with nity involvement; among other them. “I’m very intentional about being personal with With a drive to help others, Michele Bailey has “I’m a real with the fundraising committee my clients. I make sure to take time out of my day to a real agent in theorganization Florida thatofprovides the indu reso call andflourished stay in touchaswith them estate regularly,” Lindsey ® 4) BE THEIR REALTORsays.

FOR LIFE: 18) CONNECT BEYOND REAL are survivors of domestic “I’m here for them as a friend beyond the transacpanhandle. After a successful career freelancing resulted inviol M a regular monetary supporter o tion.” Lindsey makes her clients feel comfortable and HOW TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP ESTATE TO ATTRACT FUTURE as a court reporter and running a retail acknowledging business, how equipping h helpful spo cared forWILL throughout the process of buying or selling WITH YOUR CLIENTS THAT CLIENTS of the market inmajority 2008 anddevelopment the loss anddecisions.

S future success. a home,the anddownturn they appreciate her for it, as the LAST A LIFETIME to continuePolitical to push hersel of her business is through repeat clients and referralsleftplans of the family construction business Michele Act 22) ADDING VALUE TO she works on building a small, c from past clients. path. “I&was to figure cate for her c 13) 5 REASONS WHY YOUlooking NEED for a new LISTINGS THEtrying ADVANTAGE estate team to come along with do next, and my direct momcorsuggested A MENTOR OFmaintaining IDENTIFYING NEIGHBORHOOD ing for real fantasticunderstand real estate servw Lindseyout putswhat a lot to of stock in hesitate toon contact Lindsey respondence with clients,AMENITIES even business estate, soher I reached outafter to their a friend who don’t managed somethin has concluded. She knows that staying focused on the a local real estate office,” she explains. The rest will hurt tou well-being of her customer base will keep them satisiscoming history, astoMichele quickly community fied and back her services time andearned again, her license and oneand of thehit bestthe ways to maintain a healthyHer relationground running. ship with someone is to talk to them consistently. journey as an agent started as an“The focus is not on me,” Lindsey says. “It is 100% on the Phone 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440 assistant and that evolved client. I want to ensure we haveinto openjoining communicamag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com tion anda they don’t feel blindsided team, going out on by heranything.” own as

ELVIDA MASSON

No portion of this issue may be reproducedan in any manner whatsoever without priorworkconsent of the publisher. Top Agent independent agent, then In an effort successfully through herthe accuracy of published Magazine is published by Feature Publications GA,to Inc.maneuver Although precautions are taken to ensure ingLindsey as VPemploys of Development materials, Top Agent Magazine cannot held responsible forAgent opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors. busybelife, a goal-oriented approach You can contact Lindsey Wh To subscribe or change address, send inquiry mag@topagentmagazine.com. to organizing herlaunch schedule.a “When wakebroup in the to tohelp brandI and 321-405-3153, email at lindse Published in the U.S. morning, I have clarity around my priorities and what You can also visit her

kerage ultimately circling back to what she loves most, working directly with customers. As a solo agent today, Michele’s business is primarily built on repeats

my goals are for the day. That’s been a big reason for

2

lindseywhitneyteam.com for

www.

Top Agent Magazine Copyrig

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com

Top Agent Magazine

3

Be Their REALTOR for Life: ®

How to Build a Relationship with Your Clients That Will Last a Lifetime In the world of real estate, an agent’s relationship with their clients can make or break their career. This industry revolves around working well with people, and being able to develop a strong relationship with your clients is the foundation that you business is based upon.

Just like with a house, if that foundation is weak, the rest of the structure is also going to be unsteady and fragile. The mark of a good REALTOR® is their ability to build up a good referral network and following of loyal clients. This isn’t something that just happens by accident. Building healthy, strong relationships with your clients takes work and knowing how to gain another person’s trust, respect, and friendship. Here are some ways to make sure you are building the right kind of relationship with your clients.

4

Top Agent Magazine Top Agent Magazine

1. Use Your Friendliness and Optimism to Win Them Over: No one wants a pushy, overly confident salesperson for a REALTOR®. Clients are much more inclined to put their trust in the hands of someone who is friendly when it comes to one of the biggest financial transactions of their lives. A pleasant, outgoing disposition will win you more clients as well as friends. You want to establish rapport in the first few minutes of first meeting prospective clients. Rather than starting with business right off the bat, begin your meeting with some small talk such as similar interests, hobbies, and family life. This will immediately help to put your clients at ease, and show that you are not simply trying to “sell” them something.

People also respond well to optimism. During what can be a very stressful time, clients need someone to help them stay positive when a situation looks difficult and challenging. Optimism also tends to radiate charisma, and people want to be around and do business with charismatic people. You want to learn how to understand, motivate, and inspire people.

2. Be an Inquisitive Learner and an Empathetic Listener:

out any potential concerns they might have.

After you’ve gained as much information as possible, you can then gauge their interest in your possible solutions by asking “what if” questions. Being inquisitive also demonstrates to your clients that you are genuinely interested and invested in their situation.

On the other side of this coin is knowing how to listen empathetically. Empathy involves actually putting yourself or your mind in their shoes so you can genuinely understand their concerns, needs, and opinions. That understanding and empathy is then reflected in your conversation with that client. Your clients want to know that you care about their situation, and that they’re not just another sale for you to make. People are much more willing to put their trust in you when they can sense that you are actually making an effort to feel what they feel in order to understand their situation.

Showing your interest through questions, and then thoughtfully listening goes a long way towards gaining trust. Showing empathy and acknowledging the feelings and emotions involved in your clients situation helps build a relationship founded on genuine care and trust.

3. Watch for Nonverbal Clues:

Don’t be afraid to show your curiosity and ask your clients a lot of questions. Some of these questions may even be difficult and uncomfortable. You want to discover and learn as much as you can about your client. Don’t make the mistake of jumping straight into the role of the know-it-all. Every different client has unique needs, so you want to learn as much as you can about their specific situation before trying to propose a solution. You want to uncover their primary motive for buying or selling, and flush

Most communication happens nonverbally, so knowing how to interpret your client’s body language can be incredibly helpful. Here are a few things to pay special attention to: Eye contact: Be careful with the level of eye contact you use with clients when first meeting.

Too much and too little eye contact can send the wrong impression. You want to try and maintain eye contact around 70 percent of the time. That is the amount that most people are comfortable with. Pay attention to your client’s level of eye

Top Agent Magazine

5 Top Agent Magazine

contact to determine how comfortable they are.

When someone avoids eye contact that could mean they are not engaged in the conversation.

A good way to quickly build a feeling of rapport when first meeting clients is to make eye contact when you first meet them and then start nodding yes to what they’re saying. If the client reciprocates the eye contact and nodding, you’ve established a connection.

4. Prove your honesty and credibility:

Choose the right handshake for each client: One handshake does not fit all people, and that first handshake can be crucial to making a good first impression. The way to do a good handshake for each client is to try and mirror the other person’s handshake in strength, keep your shoulders aligned as you are preferably standing when you shake hands. While you shake your client’s hand make sure you make eye contact and give them a sincere smile.

Showing a little weakness can actually be to your advantage in this situation, and will actually make others more inclined view you as honest. You don’t want to come across as too good to be true. When revealing this weakness, however, the key to coming out on top is turning what sounds like a weakness into a strength. For example, your service may be more expensive, but that’s because you offer more personalized and extra services than your competitors.

Honesty and integrity are the two traits that 98 percent of buyers and sellers report are qualities they consider “very important”. The thing is you can say you have these traits all you want on your website, bio, etc., but trust has to be earned, and the only way to do this is to prove your credibility.

Here are a few tips for how to sound more credible:

When you talk to your clients avoid using filler words such as “um” and “uh”, which can decrease your credibility. You also want to watch the tone of your voice. People tend to translate a deeper tone as sounding more credible.

You want to develop a relationship to last a lifetime when interacting with your clients. There are many things you can do to accomplish this, and using these tips can take you from getting just a few referrals and repeat customers to gaining a loyal client following. Taking the little extra time to make sure you are projecting the right attitude and making sure that you are doing things to gain your client’s trust can make a world of difference for your business.

6

Top Agent Magazine Top Agent Magazine

ELVIDA MASSON Top Agent Magazine

7

ELVIDA MASSON Top Agent Elvida Masson is a full-time agent with MVP Realty, where she helps southern Florida with their real estate needs and always serves her clients with enthusiasm, honesty, and expertise.

Completing her first successful real estate transaction in 2002, it was not until later that Elvida Masson considered real estate to be her actual career. “I did not have time to pursue it,” she explains, but since becoming licensed in 2015 and 8Copyright Top Agent Magazine

completing more transactions on her own, Elvida says, “I love what I do.”

Elvida now is a full-time agent with MVP Realty. She helps southern Florida with their real estate needs and always serves her clients with enthusiasm, honesty, and Top Agent Magazine

expertise. “Most of my business is from referrals,” Elvida says, and she primarily attributes this success to her customer service and communication skills, as well as the trust that clients give her. “I always Top Agent Magazine

go above and beyond to help them,” she says. “They always know they can count on me and call me, even once we’re done with the transaction.” This helps Elvida maintain relationships with clients over Copyright Top Agent Magazine9

Elvida says, “I put myself in my client’s shoes,” which helps her ensure that they are pleased with the results when the transaction is complete. time, even when she is not directly working with them. Additionally, Elvida says, “In this business, you have to be knowledgeable.” Elvida’s clients count on her to be an expert in regards to the local market and are able to trust her to keep their interests and goals at the heart of the transaction.

Clients undoubtedly appreciate this special attention and service they receive Copyright Top Agent Magazine 10

when working with Elvida. One of her recent clients shared in a review, “I must say that I wholeheartedly appreciate all the work and effort that she invested into this accomplishment. She made the process so smooth. She’s professional and an expert at what she does. She is very kind and thoughtful, She is very patient and she makes herself available at all times.” Elvida says, “I put myself in my client’s shoes,” which helps her ensure Top Agent Magazine

that they are pleased with the results when the transaction is complete.

It’s safe to say Elvida’s days are filled to the brim with her work in real estate Top Agent Magazine

and raising her daughter. “I’m very, very busy,” Elvida explains, “But I’m blessed.”

When she does have free time, some of Elvida’s favorite things to do include playing tennis, cooking, and going out with Copyright Top Agent Magazine 11

her friends to dinners and movies. Elvida is currently teaching her daughter how to drive, and as she becomes more independent, Elvida plans to begin working in real estate full-time.

Also in the future, Elvida hopes to continue growing her business. She believes she has a really good pace right now that

will allow her to expand to $6-10 million in sales within the next few years. Elvida says that her favorite part about working in real estate is helping people, seeing their smiles, and making their dreams come true. As she expands her business and begins to impact more and more people, then, she is sure to enjoy her work just as much as ever.

For more information about Elvida Masson, call (941)441-5611, email realtorelvida@gmail.com or visit paradisefloridahomesforsale.com www.

MVP REALTY

Copyright Top Agent Magazine 12

Top Agent Magazine

5 Reasons Why You Need a Mentor As great as it might feel to start your own business, and be solely responsible for its success, at some point, every entrepreneur reaches the limit of their potential, and needs a boost that only experience can provide.

But how do you get a lifetime of experience when you’re just starting out? Sure you can read countless books, but no book can replace the real life experience and advice of a mentor.

Mentors not only provides valuable insights, but they also have access to valuable connections as well. In fact a majority of the Top Agent Magazine

most successful CEOs and entrepreneurs in the country have said that having a mentor early on was instrumental in their success.

Here are some of the reasons why.

1. They’re able to see where you need improvement, when you can’t When you’re working non-stop to get your business off the ground, you might feel sensitive to any criticism from people who aren’t going through what you are. A good

Top Agent Magazine

13

mentor knows exactly what you’re going though, and has probably made every mistake. When you’re in the thick of it, you might not be able to see where the problems are. A knowledgeable outsider, who knows exactly where you’re at and has only your best interests at heart is just what you need.

When you have a trusting relationship with someone like that, you will be more willing to listen to that brutal honesty, even if that constructive criticism stings.

energy into it. They can see things in a completely logical way and guide you based on the facts rather than emotion. A good mentor helps you work smarter, not harder. They help you focus on your goals and how to get there, as well as setting boundaries for you so you don’t overextend yourself. They teach you how to say no and help you let go when you need to move on from a setback.

2. They will encourage you to think outside of the box

In addition to expertise, building a strong network is something that can only come with time. A mentor will most likely have that already, giving you access to people and resources that would take others years to gain. These connections will lead to opportunities that might never have happened otherwise. It’s also a great confidence boost knowing that your mentor trusts and believes in you enough to invite you into their inner circle.

Years of experience can give someone a great idea of what works and what doesn’t.

They’ve seen things first hand, not just in theory. At the same time, mentors recognize the importance of taking chances, calculating risks, as well as cutting losses and moving on. A good mentor isn’t trying to encourage you to be a carbon copy of them, they are trying to create the best ‘you’ possible. That includes encouraging you to take chances, and then being there pushing you to keep going forward if it doesn’t work out.

A good mentor knows that even failures can be opportunities.

3. They take the emotion out of decisions and help set boundaries Unlike you, a mentor has no emotional investment in certain business approaches that you might have decided to try. There’s nothing harder than admitting something isn’t working when you’ve put a lot of time and 14

4. Networking

5. Encouragement At the heart or it all, a mentor offers you encouragement and motivation along the way, in good times and in bad. After a failure, it can be hard to get back on track and keep forging ahead. It helps to have someone who has spent year getting back up after being known down and coming out stronger than ever. It’s during those moments, when you feel alone and isolated, that having someone around offering you advice and positive feedback will be a much needed salve. They’re your cheerleader, they want you to succeed, and hopefully, you’ll pay it forward one day when you become as successful as them.

Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com http://www.topagentmagazine.com

Top Agent Magazine

15

MICHELE BAILEY

With a drive to help others, Michele Bailey has flourished as a real estate agent in the Florida panhandle. After a successful career freelancing as a court reporter and running a retail business, the downturn of the market in 2008 and the loss of the family construction business left Michele looking for a new path. “I was trying to figure out what to do next, and my mom suggested real estate, so I reached out to a friend who managed a local real estate office,” she explains. The rest is history, as Michele quickly earned her license and hit the ground running. Her journey as an agent started as an assistant and evolved into joining a team, going out on her own as an independent agent, then working as VP of Agent Development to help launch a brand and brokerage ultimately circling back to what she loves most, working directly with customers. As a solo agent today, Michele’s business is primarily built on repeats and referrals, a testament to her superior service.

16

“I’m a real estate nerd, I just can’t get enough of the industry,” she says. That passion has resulted in Michele learning as much as possible, equipping her to help customers make the best decisions. She’s involved in the REALTORS® Political Action Committee, where she can advocate for her customers and ensure local residents understand what’s on the ballot. “If we’re voting on something that will raise property taxes, or will hurt tourism, I make sure we educate our community about it. I do everything I possibly

Copyright Top Agent Magazine

can to be the best agent to my customer base, which includes advocating for laws that benefit them.”

Michele provides all customers with guidance and support, whether they’re first time home buyers or experienced sellers. For her buyers, she listens closely to their needs and does not stop searching for their ideal home until it’s found. Once they pinpoint a property they love, Michele uses her stellar negotiating skills to get them the best deal possible. Meanwhile, for her sellers, she offers exceptional marketing through social media, the MLS, video tours and open houses.

When it comes to staying in touch with her customers, she reaches out in a multitude of ways. “I had custom masks made and I’m sending them out with a note for a happy and healthy 2021. I also send out a monthly newsletter and keep up with them on social media,” she explains.

When Michele isn’t working, she’s staying active in the community through the local REALTORS® Association, where she is the president-elect. She is the vice chair of the Leadership Academy for Florida REALTORS®.

She is also a member of the National Women’s Council where she was just accepted into their Leadership Institute and a member of the Residential Real Estate Council where she just finished her term as the Northwest Florida Area Director.

Looking ahead, Michele is eager to continue growing her business and serving more people.

“What I love most about what I do is the relationships, our market is the Epcot of real estate with something for everyone at every price point. Being a part of the connectedness this region provides its residents has made what started out as a job a true calling.”

Top Agent Magazine

For more about Michele Bailey, please call 850-586-1382 or email michele@30acurator.com Copyright Top Agent Magazine 17

CONNECT BEYOND

REAL ESTATE

to Attract Future Clients What kind of content are you sharing on your blog, website, and social media? Does most of it have something to do with buying or selling a home? While sharing the latest market information or tips on how to qualify for a mortgage, or when someone should buy or sell is important and demonstrates your value as a REALTOR®, it shouldn’t be the only subject you cover. If you only focus on real estate, you’ll be missing the chance to connect with future clients that might not be ready to move just yet. By sharing a lot 18

of industry-heavy content, you are only going to appeal to those who are currently in the market rather than a broad base of potential clients.

To pull in those other future clients you want to provide fresh, interesting content that will appeal to those possible future clients that aren’t quite ready to move yet. However, you also want to still tie this content back into your business goals.

So, how do you share content that will speak to a wider audience, but also still be relevant to your business?

Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

n

Talk About Your Philanthropic Activities

The philanthropic work you do to support your community says a great deal about who you are as a person. Many people will be attracted to working with you because of the charitable works you are involved with. While you may be hesitant to share these efforts because you feel it may come across as bragging, you also need to remember that sharing information about the charitable organizations you support will actually help those organizations. Many of them have small marketing budgets, so any free exposure you can give them helps to promote their cause.

In fact, they want and need you to promote them.

And you can promote them without coming across as a braggart. Focus your content entirely on the organization. Talk about why you support them, how they help the community, and how others can also get involved. This turns what could have been bragging into something that benefits everyone. n

Your Local Community

We humans are connected to each other through our community – our local sports teams, parks, churches, schools, and much more. What better way is there to connect with people in your community than to talk about your community? Demonstrate that you are an expert on your community, and bring that community to your followers. Share information about a local event; perhaps even share the actual event through live-stream video. Interview city officials to get the low-down on the latest development project. Share information with your followers about things they didn’t know about their community. Consult with local historians or the historical society to share interesting information about your community that your followers will want to read. You could even turn it into a series of podcasts or videos. n

Use Your Creativity to Connect

Find creative ways to engage your followers on the topic of real estate. Try engaging your followers in an interactive project such as posting photos of interesting front doors. Doors are the entry point into our homes as well as our private lives. The way we adorn our front door can give someone a sense of our style and personality. Ask followers to submit photos and choose one to post each Friday. Make sure to watermark each photo with your logo at the bottom and include an inspirational quote that ties back to the importance of home. You could also ask your followers to provide a little story or caption to go along with the photo that tells something about them and their home. These kinds of projects are interesting and unique, and clearly connect back to your business. n

Share Your Hobbies

Are you an adrenalin junkie who has bungee jumped from some of the tallest bridges in the world? Are you a foodie that grows your own organic vegetables and fruit? Do you have a Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

19

secret passion for photography? Everyone has hobbies that they enjoy outside of work. When you look past the surface people become quite interesting. People also happen to find interesting people interesting, and tend to remember people based on their distinctive traits. We humans love discovering a person’s behind the scenes story, the mind behind the face. While you don’t want to talk too much about yourself, sharing pieces of your personal life and things that interest you can be a great way to connect with followers. By sharing interesting facts about your life, you will find that many followers will feel a strong, personal connection to you based on your hobbies and personal interests. n

Divulge Interesting Experiences

This is somewhat similar to the idea of sharing your hobbies. Sharing some of your more interesting personal experiences such as a fateful conversation with a stranger or an exciting adventure you had while in another country can be a great way to connect with followers as long as it also relates to some kind of life or business lesson. Talk about experiences you’ve had with clients or purchasing your own home. Experiences that relate to your business are great ways to connect with future clients in a manner that goes beyond the world of business. n

What and Who Inspires You

No matter what you’ve chosen to spend your life doing, you didn’t get there alone. You may have had a mentor that made a special impact on your life or someone already in the business that you looked up to and who perhaps inspired you to get into real estate. You may have found inspiration through a love of architecture or design. People want to know why others do the things they do. Sharing who or what influences you in your personal and business life is a great way to connect with followers. Recognizing that you didn’t get to where you are now by yourself shows humility, and talking about those people that had an influence on you shows others that you stay connected to the world and people around you.

Connecting with potential clients is something that is essential to any REALTOR’S® business. If you’re doing the work to create interesting blog posts and make those connections, you want to make sure that you’re sharing the right kind of content to draw in those future clients. It takes a lot more than simply providing the latest market news. To get the most out of what you share, you need to provide a wide array of interesting content 20

that will draw in a broad range of followers.

Providing the right kind of content can make all the difference when it comes to connecting with future clients and building the right kind of relationship with them right from the start. Connecting through your website or social media and sharing more than just real estate advice will help you build confidence and trust with future clients before you even meet them.

Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

LINDSEY WHITNEY my success.” This has paid dividends in her career, both as a communicator and a businesswoman.

In her seven years in the business, Lindsey Whitney has put a lot of work into making her career as prominent as it can be in her local Brevard County and the surrounding region of Eastern Florida. Despite juggling her work life with taking care of her three children, Lindsey has made a name for herself as a Top Producing Realtor over a relatively short time span. With a focus on interpersonal relationships and a strict adherence to a persistent work ethic, Lindsey hopes to continue to succeed in building her career for years to come.

With years of experience in customer service, Lindsey has a keen sense for how to treat people and give them a rewarding experience while doing business with them. “I’m very intentional about being personal with my clients. I make sure to take time out of my day to call and stay in touch with them regularly,” Lindsey says. “I’m here for them as a friend beyond the transaction.” Lindsey makes her clients feel comfortable and cared for throughout the process of buying or selling a home, and they appreciate her for it, as the majority of her business is through repeat clients and referrals from past clients.

Lindsey puts a lot of stock in maintaining direct correspondence with her clients, even after their business has concluded. She knows that staying focused on the well-being of her customer base will keep them satisfied and coming back to her services time and again, and one of the best ways to maintain a healthy relationship with someone is to talk to them consistently. “The focus is not on me,” Lindsey says. “It is 100% on the client. I want to ensure that we have open communication and they don’t feel blindsided by anything.”

In an effort to maneuver successfully through her busy life, Lindsey employs a goal-oriented approach to organizing her schedule. “When I wake up in the morning, I have clarity around my priorities and what my goals are for the day. That’s been a big reason for Top Agent Magazine

Lindsey enjoys getting results. Over the last year, she concluded 58 transactions, closing just under $14 million in total volume, placing her in the top 100 agents in her area. She lists homes on Thursdays and does open houses on Saturdays for maximum exposure, because she wants to see each home succeed. “I love helping buyers and sellers achieve their goals and maximize their equity.”

In her free time, Lindsey loves spending quality with her husband and three children. She is big on community involvement; among other things, she is involved with the fundraising committee for Serene Harbor, an organization that provides resources for women who are survivors of domestic violence. Lindsey is also a regular monetary supporter of children’s athletics, acknowledging how helpful sports can be for a child’s development and future success. For the future, Lindsey plans to continue to push herself to new heights while she works on building a small, consumer-focused real estate team to come along with her. If you are looking for fantastic real estate service in Eastern Florida, don’t hesitate to contact Lindsey Whitney soon!

You can contact Lindsey Whitney by phone at 321-405-3153, email at lindseynwhitney@kw.com.

You can also visit her website at lindseywhitneyteam.com for more information. www.

21 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

Adding Value to Listings & the Advantage of Identifying Neighborhood Amenities Everyone knows the famous real estate phrase: location, location, location. In fact, it is hard to underestimate the pivotal role that a region can play when it comes to determining a home’s value. In today’s competitive market, the littlest things can truly add up—especially when it comes to neighborhood amenities. While most savvy agents know the figures regarding school 22

district ranking and local property taxes, have you ever considered the under-the-radar amenities that drive buyers and bidding wars? To derive the highest value from a listed home, you need to paint a complete picture of the area in which you’re selling. With that guiding principle in mind, let’s consider a few modern amenities and how they add drastically to your bottom line.

Top Agent Magazine ®

Top Agent Magazine

Walking a fifteen-minute radius of the area or performing a deep-dive into customer review sites or food blogs can help you identify hidden gems or local favorites.

A little can go a long way: restaurants, coffee shops, and entertainment

Know thy history: creating a narrative of the neighborhood

Everyone has a favorite take-out spot, coffee shop, or neighborhood watering hole. Identifying the key players in an area—such as restaurants, nightlife, and entertainment hotspots—will create a livable picture that prospective buyers can latch onto. Walking a fifteen-minute radius of the area or performing a deep-dive into customer review sites or food blogs can help you identify hidden gems or local favorites. While a cute coffee shop down the street may seem like a bonus instead of a foundational amenity, you never know what kind of homebuyer you might net if you include the cozy characteristics that make a house a home.

As humans, we’re drawn to narratives. Sales pitches and marketing campaigns hinge on an alluring storyline. That’s why understanding a neighborhood’s history can frame and contextualize a property to great effect. After all, buyers aren’t just drawn to sturdy foundations and bedroom counts; they like to imagine their lives unfolding inside those four walls.

Get a sense of the area’s historical timeline, architectural style, noteworthy community members, and the like. Conveying this intriguing information to buyers helps them connect more personally with a property, while understanding the holistic picture of their potential new home.

From here to there: public transportation and commuter access While this rule may not apply to all properties, considering access to public transportation is a major draw for today’s buyers. Especially amidst the more eco-conscious Millennial segment eager to buy within city limits—knowing public transportation access points and schedules can add serious value to listed properties. Also, think outside the box: do nearby thoroughfares boast dedicated bike lanes? Are there plans to expand rail lines to the area in the future? Deliver a confidant picture of the area’s public transportation access and prospective buyers will trust your expertise.

Top Agent Magazine

While it is always good to cover the basics of school districts and property values, it is even more useful to expand your knowledge base and bring a warm, human element to locational knowledge. Not only will you appeal to a younger demographic of homebuyers who values this strategic information, but you will also broaden your understanding of your service area at large. Think of it this way: a neighborhood is far more than a collection of homes on a block. A neighborhood is about atmosphere, access, and a sense of community. If you authentically appeal to this guiding truth, and buyers will surely rise to the occasion.

Top Agent Magazine ®

23

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com

24

Top Agent Magazine