In 2003, 25% of the 4800 homes listed in Marin County did not sell. Many reasons account for this, but primarily it comes down to one of the following reasons: incorrect pricing, poor positioning or ineffective marketing.

As your Realtor, my goal is to develop a strong and consistent marketing plan for your home that takes into consideration your home’s overall positioning, the needs of your target buyers, your home’s value, your pricing strategy in respect to current market trends, and the appropriate mix of promotional and advertising activities targeting both Realtors and buyers.

The following is an overview of my Six-Phase Home Marketing Plan. Each plan I develop is drawn from the following activities and customized to my client’s own individual needs, circumstances and objectives.

Phase 1: Marketing Strategy and Positioning Your Home
A cookie-cutter approach to selling a home in today’s complex market is simply not effective. To ensure you successfully get the right buyers, sales price and contract terms, I develop a plan based on your homes unique characteristics, its target buyers, its leading strengths and current market conditions.

Phase 2: Market Analysis and Pricing
Pricing your home effectively is critical to a successful sale. Overpricing as well as underpricing your home can both have very negative affects. To set an effective price, I conduct an analysis of current market conditions and assess how balanced the market is to buyers or sellers. I then look at recent sales of comparable homes in your area, the number of days it took them to sell, as well as listings that expired, were withdrawn, or got stale and reduced the price.

Phase 3: Home Presentation
Presentation is paramount in selling a home. The excitement and anticipation generated from the advertising needs to be reinforced by the exterior of the home because first impressions are critical. Similarly, the interior of the home needs to be presented in a way that keeps excitement levels high. In conjunction with my interior designer/staging consultant, I will provide a detailed plan of action on how best to prepare your home for market.

Phase 4: Advertising and Promotion to Realtors
Roughly 60% of home buyers are first exposed to the home they purchase through a Realtor. This makes marketing to the real estate community essential to successfully selling a home. My mix of marketing activities to Realtors includes:
• Presentation of your home on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)
• Exposing your home to Coldwell Banker’s Marin internal marketing system
• Exposing to corporate relocation buyers through Coldwell Banker Relocation
• Setting up a Lock Box program for easy showing
• Presenting your home to other Realtor networking groups in Marin
• Placing your home on the Marin Broker Tour to expose your home to the entire Marin Market of Realtors
• Promoting the Broker Tour by sending flyers to every Realtor’s inbox
• Identifying Realtors through the MLS that have buyers looking for a home like yours
• Setting up Coldwell Banker agent tour to preview your home for their clients
• Following-up with Realtors who have shown your home for feedback
• Developing a Showing approach that fits your situation yet maximizes exposure to potential buyers

Phase 5: Advertising and Promotion to Buyers
My mix of buyer marketing programs is designed to expose your home to the greatest number of buyers in the fastest time possible. Buyer marketing activities include:
• Placing a For Sale sign in front of your home
• Buyer open house on Sunday and if Saturday if needed
• Mailing of announcements to your immediate neighborhood
• Mailing announcements to my network of buyers
• Emailing/mailing announcements to your network of contacts
• Preparing buyer brochures and flyers
• Developing local information books
• Developing finance/purchase options brochure for potential buyers
• Leveraging Coldwell Banker’s institutional TV, Radio and Print advertising
• Advertising your open house in the real estate company sections of local newspapers
• Advertising your open house in the general open house section of local newspapers

Phase 6: Internet Marketing
More than 70% of buyers now begin their home search on the Internet. Although a part of my buyer marketing activities, Internet Marketing is becoming so important that I now treat it is a separate and distinct process in the whole home marketing mix. My Internet marketing activities expose your home to approximately 8 million buyers.
• Placing your home on www.coldwellbanker.com, www.CaliforniaMoves.com, www.Realtor.com, www.greathomes.org, and www.marinrealty.net.
• Developing a virtual tour of your home
• Coldwell Banker Internet advertising
• Email marketing of your home to potential buyers through New Listing Alert!