We’re in the middle of our Help-U-Sell Success Summit 2011. We’ve heard from Patricia Boyd about Creative Financing and Nick Taylor of Zillow, as well as our own brokers and our home office. Right now, we’re getting great information from our ‘Good Things Happening’ Star Panel. Moderated by John Powell of Help-U-Sell Galleria Realty, it stars Tammy Whitehead of Help-U-Sell Riverside Realty, Stephen Taber of Help-U-Sell West Valley Specialists and Kimberly Zelena of Help-U-Sell Direct Savings Real Estate.
Everyone on the panel has at least 50 percent of their sales from short sales and foreclosures.
Whitehead says she’s traditional Help-U-Sell Real Estate. She rarely places homes on the MLS. She encourages sellers to show their own houses, as well. She tells them, “you’re saving $16,000 [by showing your home yourself],” says Whitehead of Help-U-Sell Riverside Realty. “Let’s try this for 30 days.”
Zelena shared some marketing tips. “You have to have a lot of patience,” says Zelena. “You have to be nice.” She also does charity work, including selling candles as a fundraiser, and turns her ETMs into JPEGs to post on Facebook.
Powell says, “Do a set fee. Give your sellers a lot of signs for their open houses.” Taber says foreclosures bring in a lot of leads. He’s a one-man show, but he’s looking to hire an agent. He wants to split his time between REOs and short sales.
“I make sure at least once a week I give an update on each REO,” Taber says. “Treat the bank like any other seller.”