Are you ready to sell your home? What are the next steps?

Speaker A: Welcome to your home, your market, your move. We're the Saratani team and this is where real estate gets real. Let's go. Alright, so today we're going to talk about. We have a client that is ready to list their home. What do they do next? So let's first talk about who we are. So I'm Leanne Saratani. I am with the, uh, Serratani team. I'm a Realtor. Um, and this is Lauren.

Speaker B: Yes, I'm Lauren Hollingshead and I'm a

Speaker A: real estate photographer, one of the best real estate photographers I've ever worked with. And we have Jenna Goulart.

Speaker C: Jenna Goulart with the Saratoni team. I'm a realtor and also work for Jack Conway.

Speaker A: And we have Tina lynch from Tina Lynch Designs and Home Staging.

Speaker D: I'm also a realtor.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker D: And I stage 99.9% of Leanne's listings.

Speaker B: Yes, you do.

Speaker D: And some of Jenna's.

Speaker A: Yes, absolutely. And you do an amazing job. So we're really. This is the full Saratoni team. We all work together. We've been together for several years. And, um, I think we have some really great things that we could help you out with in terms of getting your house ready to sell. So I think the first question is, when do you start getting your house ready to sell? Do you do it when you want to list it tomorrow?

Speaker B: No.

Speaker D: Yeah, you need a little bit of time. So it all depends on the condition of the house that's being listed, right?

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker D: If it's a vacant property, then that's. That can be done very quickly. I just bring in all the furniture and the accessories that's needed so that the buyers can visualize themselves in the space.

Speaker A: Absolutely, yeah.

Speaker D: If it's owner occupied, more times than none, that house needs to be decluttered, reorganized, and I need to come in and zhuzh a few things to make it look presentable to all buyers.

Speaker A: Absolutely. And I think what you do, um, really makes such a huge difference. So even before that, like, I have clients that call me and say, oh, my gosh, I really want to sell my home. But I am so overwhelmed. I don't even know what, like, my house is a mess. Do I need to upgrade the kitchen? Do I need to upgrade the bathrooms? What do you say to that, Jenna?

Speaker C: I think it's our job, right, as realtors, to go in to the homes and really assess. Right. Of what the home looks like, what they're willing to do if they have a budget, what we want to stay on trend. Can we put things in storage? Are they comfortable doing that? Do we need to hire a professional to come in, um, and stage the home? Do we just kind of rearrange their furniture that they have? Um, so those are kind of the things that we look at.

Speaker A: Yeah. I agree. I think budget's a huge thing. Right. Because, you know, some people just don't have the budget, and they need to get their property sold. So what? Like, if they don't have any money, then what do you do? Do you sell it as is? Do you make m. Any small recommendations that might not be so costly? Um, one thing I did just recently, this week, I was with a seller, um, and unfortunately, her husband had passed away, um, and she broke a wrist, like, just a week ago. And so she can't. She cannot pack. Like, she doesn't. So Christine Dumichel, who is an amazing organizer, um, I called her, I said, I need your help. And she went over there and she just started help organizing all her stuff. And she's very reasonable, and it was exactly what she needed. In just a couple of days, they got the whole first floor done. So then you can really see the house now. Right. Because it's hard to see it when it's so cluttered. Right. So it's like decluttering it just so we can see it as realtors. Like, we can see past that stuff for the most part. But then when you have a stager come in, you kind of need all that clutter to go away first. Right. So I guess m. My message to a seller is that you don't have to do this all by yourself. Like, we offer a full service, um, approach. It's not just like, throw the sign up and call us when you're ready.

Speaker B: Yes. And that's what you get when you call Leanne Serratani. A lot of the, uh, A lot of the properties that I go to are not in nearly as good shape as your house is.

Speaker A: Oh, thank you. We work hard.

Speaker B: It's all about hiring the correct realtor. And a lot of people don't know that. They might just contact a friend or family member or their neighbor or whoever they know. But you really have to hire somebody who knows the business inside and out, preferably someone who is full time and who has. Who knows the industry. Yeah. And if you want to get the home selling as much as it can, you need to go with Leanne and Jenna.

Speaker A: Yeah. Um, I agree. I think I. Well, I think there are a lot of realtors out there that do what we do you don't see them though? Which is so interesting to me because I'm like. I just feel like this is what you do.

Speaker B: No. When I walk into a home, I know that you guys are always going to have it photo ready for me. Not many of my.

Speaker A: So what do you do when you go into a home and you're just like, it's not photo ready. Do you spend a lot of time prepping it? Like, do realtors let you.

Speaker B: It depends on the condition of the house.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: There's many houses that I will walk into that are just absolutely filthy. That I will not take my shoes off because I'm not comfortable.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: Just every nook and cranny.

Speaker C: Ah, yes.

Speaker B: Is gross. Whether someone passed away and their family is selling the home or the person may be a hoarder, whatever the situation is.

Speaker A: I have seen that situation. We sell homes like that too. And so we don't expect that. Especially in estate sales, when there is with the owners are just not available. Right. And they have kids that live out of state. Um, I had a house down in Mashpee, actually. I had. Um. Someone called me, they found the website and we went in and there was stuff everywhere. Um, but the estate actually had some funds so I had to manage the process because, um, they were out of state. They couldn't be there for the junk removal people. They couldn't be there to have the furnace come in and checked on. They didn't have someone to meet the cleaners. Um, so I was happy to coordinate all that. And I know you've done that too. And then. But there was some money in the estate because then they could pay those people. Thank goodness for Venmo. Right? In Zelle we have those things that make it easier no matter where you are in the country to pay a provider. Um, so that is something I don't mind doing. Um, I know you don't mind doing. You just did that in your hometown with the listing.

Speaker C: Right. M. And I think it's important for people to know that of who they're hiring as a real estate agent. Right. So who will go above and beyond for you? Um, who's going to do those services for you? Obviously we do whole as a team. Um, but really asking those questions, you know, when you're hiring somebody to sell your home because it's a big deal

Speaker A: and I think it's important to interview people. You know, when you're ready to sell your house like you want, don't just hire someone in your family. I mean, interview them like truly, this is your largest asset.

Speaker D: Ask what are you going to do to help me sell my house?

Speaker A: That's right.

Speaker D: Instead of just putting that for sale sign out front.

Speaker B: Yep. What are their marketing strategies? And make sure that professional photos is on the list.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: As well as house cleaner and home stage.

Speaker A: Yes, absolutely.

Speaker D: That's where the Serotoni team, in my opinion, goes above and beyond. Um, under any team I've ever seen.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker D: Out there.

Speaker A: Yeah. There's a lot of really good agents out there, I have to say. And I think that they do take lot of this into consideration. Um, but one thing I would do is also check out MLS listings. Right. See what that person actually does. Right. Everything's on either Zillow or redfin or realtor.com and you can check out what their prior listings look like. Were they taken with their iPhone? You know, are they dark? Are they just very long and narrow so they don't really fill the photo space? Um, do the homes look good or is there laundry on the couch? You know, things or Christmas year round? Or Christmas. Some people love that, right?

Speaker D: Oh, no.

Speaker A: Um, do you know, like I'm selling a house with the in ground pool. You know, I always ask owners, it's wintertime and your backyard could be a beautiful oasis. Do you have any prior pictures? Because that also speaks to. Don't wait until you're ready to list your house. Like start planning ahead. I say start planning a year in advance because you want to get, uh, through all four seasons. Take pictures of your home. Ask your realtor to have your photo. You've done that for me. You've gone in in advance, like in the summertime and taking pictures in the backyard. And if we know about it and then we have them when we're ready to list. So if you're thinking about it a year or two in advance, don't wait to start photographing your house. I think that's always a really good suggestion. Um, it's worth having those professional pictures done a year in advance and get all four seasons.

Speaker B: Yes. And also make sure that your Realtor is going to provide 2D floor plans and 3D floor plans as we move into 2026 are very important for family homes. So anything that's three bedrooms and plus should really have 3D floor plans. Simply because your buyers are going to be between ages 30 and 40. Assuming that they're the ones with children.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: And their minds work video games because that's what 30 and 40 year olds grew up with. So when we look at floor plans, 2D versus 3D. We understand the 3D floor plans far more because we can bounce from room to room. Whereas 2D floor plans is for the older generation who likes the black and white and simple.

Speaker A: Because I remember saying that to you because, you know, a few years ago, you're like, leanne, don't you want 3D? I'm like, no, I don't like them. My mind cannot relate.

Speaker B: Right. Now you understand.

Speaker A: Now I understand, you know that you have the Millennials and the Gen Z's that really like, um, those 3D floor plans.

Speaker B: Yes, yes. And now a new option for 3D floor plans is the house is not perfect. I can make it so I do neutral palettes in certain rooms.

Speaker A: Oh, nice.

Speaker B: So, for example, if there's too much texture in a living room, maybe there's an area rug and multiple color patterns on walls. I can make it so it's neutral. So when someone is looking at that aerial view, looking down, they understand it's the living room. A couch can go here. Here's the windows and the fireplace.

Speaker A: That's great. I think we're all, as human beings, very visual. And so I think it's important to know what that looks like. Because if you walk into a house that might be empty. Right. Those 3D floor plans that are virtually staged, um, are really helpful.

Speaker B: Yes, they are.

Speaker A: So we always try to stage if the homeowners will allow us to do so, we will have staging. Because when you walk into that house, you need to feel the space. And if it's empty, I even do this. Like, I walk into an empty room. I always look at you, I'm like, can we fit a queen size bed in here? Right, right. It's, like, hard to tell when a

Speaker D: buyer walks into an empty space. Say for a living room, for example, they walk into an empty living room. The first thing a buyer is going to think is, can my sofa fit? Where is my sofa going to go? Where is my TV going to go? By staging it, not virtually, but physically, physically staging it. You take that guesswork out of that for the buyer. So now the buyer can really focus on the beauty of the house, like perhaps the hardwood floors and, uh, the beautiful windows, the focal points. So that's what I think. That physical staging is a big plus for all staging.

Speaker A: About three months ago, I had listed, um, a condo in a 55 plus community. And I went in and, um, they actually were getting ready to move out. And so we really had a blank slate so to bring it in. But in this Community, they were just turning over. So the community was about 20 years old. So the original owners that uh, had just bought new construction and had moved in had started aging out. Like they were either moving home to kids or they passed away or whatever the situation was. So there were 17 of these condos on the market at the same time.

Speaker C: Wow.

Speaker A: Um, so people were wondering, like, what's happening, right? Is there something wrong with the association? And so I, of course did. We did the research to make sure that it had a good reserve. Everything was okay with the hoa. It just was timing. However, a lot of those units were either empty or they had all of the old furniture in and they were still living there waiting to sell. So they really weren't photo ready, they weren't open house ready. And so people were walking in, seeing their old personal pictures and clutter and they weren't really liking what they were seeing. So right before I listed this, our condo, another one had gone on the market just 10 days prior. They sold it in four days. And so I called that agent, did my homework. I'm like, what was your magic? Because I just want to make sure I'm not missing something. And she's like, they were ready. They had updated everything in their unit. It wasn't 20 years old. They had done some updating, freshly painted it. Like the homeowners themselves had done all this work and she also provided staging. So uh, my unit was not freshly painted, was not, you know, brand new. However, they were white cabinetry. They weren't like a darker color or a brown. So white is always timeless. Right. It really does go with all of the decades. So we went in and actually we were lucky because the paint on the walls were all neutral.

Speaker D: Mhm.

Speaker A: The whole entire unit was the same color. So that actually worked to our benefit. So of course I brought Tina lynch design in and I always. We always work together, right? Like we lift the furniture, we move it in. Um, we do have guys that come in and do the heavy lifting on the heavy stuff. Because, you know, we're over 50 now. Not telling you how old we are, but we don't lift heavy things anymore. We just don't do that. So we bring in the light stuff, like the pictures and the pillows and the blankets, all that stuff. But, um, we staged it and literally we put it on the market. It was over Christmas when it got listed, over the new year. And we, because. And we, we got an offer within six days. Wow.

Speaker D: See staging and expertise.

Speaker A: And we only had like seven people look at it. Because it was a quiet time.

Speaker B: Yeah, People really have a very hard time visualizing where their furniture should go.

Speaker A: It does. Right. So, you know, I asked everybody that walked through. They said it was the best unit that they had seen. Because the other unit prior to ours that sold like in four days, they only showed it to one person. It was done. So they never really exposed it to the market.

Speaker C: So.

Speaker A: So it shows that that works. Those other 16 units are still sitting there.

Speaker D: Wow, that's amazing.

Speaker A: Right, so it does make a difference.

Speaker D: Mhm. Staging does make a difference. Even if it's not a vacant staging and I'm using what the homeowner already has, and I'm just zhuzhing things. Sometimes their sofa's in the wrong place. I can just move it over here for better traffic flow, just to open up the space.

Speaker A: Right, right.

Speaker D: So there's different.

Speaker A: So even if they have beautiful furniture, we still do a feng shui. We still go in and move things around and depersonalize, right? Absolutely. So what do you think? If a seller is ready to. And they don't have an updated kitchen, um, and their bathrooms aren't updated, um, is there anything that we can do to maybe make a difference on that?

Speaker D: Absolutely. Because every staging project to me is different. If the fixed elements in a space such as a kitchen or the bathroom cannot be replaced because it's not in the budget and it's, uh, a bad color, for example, there's so many staging techniques around that that you can make it look pleasing. Like if it's an avocado green kitchen, for example, it has to stay. The trick to that is I don't spill my secret, but add more avocado so that that camouflages with the avocado fixed elements that are there and it makes sense.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: I remember we had a listing, and Jenna, you were so cute. So they had an orange rug. Yes, I remember the living room was so cute. But this woman loved color. And I love color too. And I thought it looked nice, but I was just like, it wasn't neutral when you're trying to appeal to the masses. And I thought she had really beautiful taste. Like, I thought it was really well done, but it wasn't going to appeal to everybody. So she. So Jenna goes, what did you say to Tina?

Speaker C: I think we were there helping you stage. And I said, do you want me to roll up this rug now? And she goes, no, we're going to use this rug. And we're going to, you know, bring out the color of the home. So it's definitely like a, uh.

Speaker A: And you did. And you brought in all this orange.

Speaker D: I brought in all this orange and different shades of orange. You can't just use the same one shade of orange for ex. So I brought bright orange, uh, soft orange, tangerines. And then that rug, it just connected with the room.

Speaker C: It really did.

Speaker D: Beautiful.

Speaker C: It really did.

Speaker A: I could not. It was awesome. I was floored because I walked in because I was busy doing other things that weekend and you guys were staging. And then I walked in and I was like, oh my God. Like this wasn't what I was thinking was gonna happen. I totally felt the same way. You did that the orange rug would go and you would do all your neutral like. And it was great. I loved the use of color. It was fabulous.

Speaker D: You need to use color in staging. I mean, it doesn't have to be over the top, but color just is just so appealing.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker D: It all depends on the house.

Speaker A: Mhm. I agree.

Speaker B: All depends on the house. I agree.

Speaker A: So when you're thinking about selling your house, I think the first thing is plan ahead if you can. If you can plan ahead, try to get pictures taken in advance, um, and start to declutter. Right. The second thing is start to declutter. Um, and then if you can't do those things, it's not a wash. You know, we can. You'll still do a good. Well, you'll hire the right realtor, do your investigating. Yes.

Speaker B: Make sure that you interview a few realtors or go with the best and make sure that they're going to hire a professional photographer who can remove things virtually or if there's stains on the wall or cords.

Speaker A: Like you had come back out. Because, um, we had a house that it was literally the end of the fall season. We hadn't had a chance to power wash yet. And you took the pictures before because we weren't ready and we needed the pictures right away because we were getting ready to stage and do everything. We were ready to go. But the house hadn't been power washed and they came the day before the open house. So in the pictures you were able to remove like all of the things that the power washer did remove from your pictures. And so that was perfect. We didn't have all the heavy staining and it was, it worked really well. Um, and then in other cases, if something happens after the fact, you always come back out too, which is great. You always come back out for me. And um, again, these aren't additional costs to the seller. Um, as a team, we absorb Those costs. So, um, it's built into our commission as a team.

Speaker D: We will make sure that your listing gets sold for top dollar, and we'll do the preparations that need to happen.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: And a lot of realtors want to turn around the sale asap, and they're not even getting a professional cleaner in the home. And I have seen horrible homes

Speaker A: where the homes are beautiful and could have sold for so much more.

Speaker C: Right.

Speaker A: But they were days in a rush to sell.

Speaker D: Exactly.

Speaker A: You know, that brings me to that thought about the as is house. Right. So I have a lot of clients that always say to me, you know, I have no budget. I just want to sell as is. Um, but I want this highest price point. Right. So we have to have that conversation. And we always kind of find a way to meet in the middle. So, you know, we'll do professional cleaning. We will get staging in there. We will help kind of make work with what we have, but we also need to price it realistically. And so when you. What do you say to clients, Jenna, when they are. Their house needs a lot of work. Um, they recognize that. Um, so how do you word that with a client? Um, when you're talking about pricing strategy?

Speaker C: You know, when you have a client, you obviously want to bring them the comps, and you show them the different homes that are on the market. Right. Or ones that just sold, and you show them the pictures of what those homes look like in the inside of the home. And, you know, sometimes, uh, you have to kind of go with what the client wants, unfortunately, and then you kind of put a time crunch on it. So if your house is sitting for two or three weeks, this is going to be our next strategy if it comes to that. And you guys can't come to an agreement of what the price is. Obviously you want to have that come into place. And I just had this with the past client.

Speaker A: I think that's a great.

Speaker C: That I had.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker C: Within two weeks, we dropped it a little bit because we already had that conversation of, you know, we really want this to sell. We don't care them in advance.

Speaker A: Correct.

Speaker C: And we did end up selling it. As soon as we dropped that price, we had an offer accepted within three days.

Speaker A: That's great. That's great. And you only had to do one price reduction. Uh, so that tells me that you are priced just a little bit above market value. Right. So you only had to do one price reduction, and you didn't let it sit for 30 or 45 or 60 days, uh, before that happens. Because we're here in the Northeast, expanding, especially Massachusetts. We're very unique to the rest of the country. We have a low inventory issue still. We still have low inventory. So if you see a house sitting on that market past that 30 day mark, they've never made a price adjustment and it's fully staged and it's show ready, then it is the price and then you miss the mark. So I think if you have a home that's really cluttered, it has a lot of repair issues and you are selling it as is and you haven't cleaned it out, there's a lot going on there. And so, yes, it's about price, but it's also about you didn't do your work right as a realtor or the seller didn't let you. So a lot of times we say, what is that realtor thinking? A lot of times it may not be the realtor, it could be the homeowner. And at the end of the day, the homeowners make the decision. We don't make the decision. We can advise them, we can make our recommendations. Um, and sometimes they take our recommendations and sometimes they don't. Um, but getting back to the price point, I always like to price it just below market value. And we have a lot of these same conversations because sellers do think, you know, I really want 700 for my home. Um, I'm not listing it for less than 700. And in my opinion at that time, I'm like, well, 700 is definitely the top range. What we really should be doing is going right below market value and that organically drives a couple of offers. So then you might have two offers that work against each other and then you might get that 700. Right. But if you start too high, you might not get the foot traffic you need to get that number. And I know that's a hard place to be, but the bottom line is the market's the market. And if you want 700, the best way to do that is to price it lower, to really try to organically drive it up. If we start at 700 and you only get a couple people coming through after that two weeks, we might be in that same position where we need to do a price reduction and we do a price reduction, you're probably not getting that 700, you're probably going to get that price reduction because people think there's something wrong. So strategy does play. I mean, it is all about getting in to people's minds and selling the house, having them fall in love with the house. Um, but price Is very essential in being strategic with it.

Speaker C: And I think some things, too, is, you know, if it's not all about the price and it is like a clutter issue that, you know, maybe your client doesn't have the money to put things into storage. Right. Or to have a stager come in, um, or things like that. But it's truly. What do you know about the neighborhood of the home? What do you know about the home? What does it have to offer for you? Um, and really kind of dig into those things a little bit deeper of when buyers come in, if they have families. If they don't have families, like, what are they looking for? What. What can house offer for people? So I think it's.

Speaker A: So you had a list like that that the woman was a hoarder.

Speaker C: She was.

Speaker A: Right. So tell us a little bit about that story. And how did you get that? Like, you really. Your hands are pretty tied.

Speaker C: They were. So she, you know, my client didn't have a lot of money, so the house was pretty much like a hoarder's condition. Um, so unfortunately, we had to photograph her how it was. And, you know, you had to look past it. So there's a lot of character that was in that home, um, which was great, and it was unique, but you really had to look past all of the things. So as a strategy of when you're touring a home, you need to make sure that you're physically touring everybody throughout the home. Right. Because one, there's so much stuff, so you want to make sure that no one gets hurt.

Speaker A: Number one, safety.

Speaker C: Number one, safety. And secondly, to really point out, like, the characteristics or like, the maybe, like, little improvements that this could be of to really, you know, enhance the home of. It could really, like, have its, like, good life.

Speaker D: Like, you have to visualize it for the buyer.

Speaker C: Absolutely, absolutely. So that was.

Speaker A: I mean, you're being hired to sell.

Speaker C: Yes.

Speaker A: Sell a home, not just put a sign out.

Speaker C: Right.

Speaker B: And in that situation, too, when you do have a hoarder home, the photographer. I can come in and take my photos at my proper angles, but I am also able to remove all of the cult clutter digitally. And that is something that. Because I am a graphic designer, in addition to being a real estate photographer, I know how to do that. So that's a big plus.

Speaker A: That is. So. Thank you for mentioning that.

Speaker B: When you're a realtor, making sure that, you know, the tools that you can use to sell your seller's home.

Speaker A: And I think it's really. That's a Great suggestion. Because then you can actually see. See what the home looks like. Um, Right. If you declutter it, and then you have virtual empty home.

Speaker B: Yep. And I can have it empty or I can stage it on top of that. Yeah. And then in that case, what I recommend is printing out the photo that I do, whether it's just decluttered and then virtually staged. Print them out both. And present them in that room.

Speaker A: Yes. I think that that is awesome. And I think your particular client didn't want anybody in her home. No, that was the problem. And, like, she was not taking your suggestion on, um, bringing in the professional photographer. Like, you were. You had. You had a challenge on your hands,

Speaker C: and it was a challenge. But, uh, within two weeks, we were under agreement. You were so under agreement within two weeks. And we closed just after 30 days. That's when the whole process. So that was like a, uh, win, win.

Speaker A: Did you need a price reduction?

Speaker C: We did do a price reduction, yes.

Speaker A: She was. She was. She really listened to you, but she was really holding onto that initial list price.

Speaker C: She did. And, you know, I think it's hard when you. Obviously, she was a hoarder, but she loved her things. Right.

Speaker B: And her home.

Speaker C: So I think you have to be a little bit, you know, when you're talking to clients of. You have a lot of things in your home. Right. And it's not, like, cluttered, but you have a lot of things. It's how you talk to your clients because, uh, people take offense to that.

Speaker A: Yeah. You don't want to hurt their feelings. M. And how many times do people sell their home? Sell a home. For the majority of people, they do it one time in a lifetime. Right. So they've been there 30, 40 years, and it's like, this is the place they raise their kids in. Yep.

Speaker B: They're very attached to.

Speaker A: It's a very emotional process. And I think all of us have such a really nice way with people. Like, you're. None of you are insulting. You're respectful. Um, and I think our clients really appreciate that. Um, because you really need to meet yourself where the client is. Um, and I think that's really, really important. And I love watching. I love watching the way you work in a home, too, because you are so tasteful, but you're so respectful. Like, do you mind if I just move this over here? Like, you're not. Like, you don't go in and, like, take charge. Right. You're just so kind, Lauren. And so. And you have an eye for those angles. I think that's so important because the majority of our clients, they, like. We had a commercial client recently here in Mansfield. You took pictures of their building, and then he called you. He's like, I need you to come to all my buildings.

Speaker C: Yes.

Speaker A: Uh, he was like, you took such great professional, bright lighting. It made the pictures come alive. So he was thrilled, like, with. With your. With your taste and your approach to things. And the same thing with you, Tina. Like, when you. We go into homes and we're staging, we're moving a lot of people's personal stuff. And that could feel. That can feel very intrusive, you know, so if you've ever had a family member come into your house and comment on maybe something like, I don't know, like a great aunt or a mother in law or, you know, someone come in and say, oh, you know, you should really move this. Like that. That feels so intrusive. Right. Like, so I think we've all been in that situation. And you do such a nice job because I love the way you compliment people. Like, you're like, this is such a beautiful piece. I love this. I love to use this in another room. Can we. Do you mind if I, like, try to move some things around just for flow? Yeah.

Speaker D: Because a lot of homeowners, when I'm staging, um, owner occupied homes, a lot of homeowners have really nice things that I can use.

Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker D: They just need to be judged. Sometimes they don't.

Speaker A: Right?

Speaker D: You know?

Speaker A: Absolutely, absolutely.

Speaker B: Yes. And also, um, updating, updating decor that they have. For example, when I walk into people's houses and I see valances,

Speaker C: I know

Speaker B: that they haven't updated their house in 10 years because valances are so old. Or if I see a tablecloth. I know also. Oh, near. Oh, dear.

Speaker A: I was such a tablecloth person. It took me a long time to get away from tablecloths, especially the valances

Speaker D: with the stuff with newspaper.

Speaker A: I know, like the fluffy from the 80s. I know, I know.

Speaker B: It's really hard and seeing it with dust, too. And going back to your hoarder house. Hoarder houses are very difficult to photograph simply because the people who live there don't know that they are hoarders.

Speaker A: They think it looks great and it's

Speaker B: ceiling to floor stuff.

Speaker A: And for them it's fine. It's just not for the general public

Speaker B: and they're not understanding why their house isn't selling. And then they asked me about my photos and I said, listen, your house has been on the market for two years now on and off.

Speaker A: Oh my gosh.

Speaker B: It's because you need to declutter. And granted they've already had declutterers come, but they're one of my people that likes Christmas year round.

Speaker A: Yes, yes.

Speaker B: And we're talking multiple Christmas trees throughout the house.

Speaker A: Like, they don't ever put them away.

Speaker B: No, no. And they have multiple dogs as well. So there's strong odors in the home. And like I said, it's just stuff.

Speaker A: That's a great, that's a great thing that you bring up odors in a home. Because whenever we're showing a house, it's. You have to think about the senses, right?

Speaker D: Yes, you do.

Speaker A: Like, I have a very keen sense of smell. Um, and I always feel like I can pick up anything. And I actually missed a very light odor in a house recently. And I was so surprised because my buyer walking through picked it up and it was a moldy smell, but it wasn't too strong. And it was only like in one area of the home. And come to find out that corner of the house had an ice dam and they had painted over it, but there was still like a smell there. And it came up on the inspection. So it was interesting because usually I can pick that up. But when people are walking through, you think of sight, smell you're feeling in the space. Right. Because just your feeling of the space is one of our senses. Right. Your personal space and how you feel in a room, the height of the ceiling. Um, I've actually had rugs in a home that they were so bad with the odor because of cat odor. I just ripped them up. Mhm. And I said, you know what? We just ripped them up. It didn't cost, it was a little bit of labor. But I had a handyman come in, they ripped them up and I just left the bare floor because it was better to have the bare floor because the homeowner just couldn't afford to do the carpet because we got rid of that odor. Um, and it was better than having that smell. So I think you really need to think about all of your senses. And you know, when you live in a house for 30 years, you're not going to be, you're not going to have an objective view on your home. You don't smell the smell.

Speaker D: Right.

Speaker A: You don't smell the smell. Um, you don't understand like, why something doesn't look right. You just don't know. Like, it's just like even in my house, like, have you come over and I'm like, I think this Looks great. But I want your opinion and you always have a critique and I am grateful for it.

Speaker D: I am very.

Speaker A: Because I am open to all suggestions because I want to make my space better. So people are sensitive to criticism and all of you have a great way about you and how to approach someone you know, and I think that's really, really important. Um, so what do you think is what, what upgrades like if we were to move into. If people do have a budget, what do you think the most important upgrades? And, and I think you should weigh in on this too, Lauren, because you photography so many things that you probably see what sells really quick. Like when you do the. Because I know you watch the listings. Um, so all of you, what do you think are the most important upgrades in a home? Say you have. Someone says, I have $5,000. And I saw every budget's going to be different. So let's say the $5,000 budget and the $10,000 budget, what do you think the most important upgrades would be for a home to sell?

Speaker D: Well, it depends on what needs to be done to the home.

Speaker C: Meaning. Mhm.

Speaker D: Like does the kitchen need a gut job? You're not going to do it on five or ten thousand dollars.

Speaker B: I'm going to say pink to paint, definitely.

Speaker A: I agree. Paint, yeah. Because a homeowner can do that themselves. Right. You can hire a pretty reasonable handyman. Um, which I have an amazing handyman. He like paints. I paint my rooms all the time because he's so reasonable. You know, if you pie. If you are under the gun and you need the whole interior house painted, you hire a house painting team because that, that's, you can get it all done and that is costly to do. Um, I had a client just do that because they wanted fresh paint throughout their house and it cost them about $7,000 to do the interior. And this room, this house was about 2,100 square feet. So it was a typical colonial. You know, four rooms on the first floor, three bedrooms upstairs, two and a half bath. Um, and it cost about 7,000 to do all of the walls. None of that. That doesn't include trim.

Speaker C: Right.

Speaker A: Trim is a different animal. Right. So, um, paint, I think that is fresh paint can go a long way.

Speaker D: Fresh paint and decorate.

Speaker A: Yes. Yeah. The staging piece.

Speaker B: Many people don't know how to decorate. So if someone thinks that they're going to be selling their home in one year, I would say start interviewing realtors, start checking them out on social media and ask around and then meet with three realtors and see what they're going to do for you, make sure that they're going to spend money. Make sure that they're going to market your home the way that it deserves so you can get top dollar.

Speaker A: I will say that in our industry, um, it's about a 50, 50 split that realtors do not like to spend money.

Speaker B: No, not at all.

Speaker A: They don't like. They feel like their work is. And I agree it's a lot of heavy lifting that we do as Realtors, but some do more than others. And um, you know, paying for professional photography, for floor plans, for staff, staging. Staging can be tough because staging can be very expensive depending on who you interview with. I think your staging is so reasonable that you do such a great job. I feel like if you're getting paid like a $10,000 commission as a Realtor, I should have an opera. I should have an operating budget for that piece. So, you know, I would say that spending 2,000 to $2,500 on is worth it because you're going to get that house sold. That's part of my cost that I build into to spending. Um, it just depends on what the house needs.

Speaker B: Right. And not many other people think like you're afraid to spend their money up front because they don't know if they're going to sell the home. And maybe after 90 days it goes to another realtor.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker D: But I will say most all of Leanne's listings, especially the ones that get. They sell pretty quickly.

Speaker A: They sell pretty quickly because. Yeah, M. We've been in a very fortunate, um, we've been in a very fortunate market. We are going to start to shift and we'll talk about market trends in another episode. Um, but we are going to start to shift from a seller's market. That is going to start to happen. So houses, regardless of everything we do, if it's not going to be priced strategically, it's going to like all of it needs to kind of come together. Um, so sellers beware, you're gonna have to kind of adjust that price point a little bit.

Speaker B: So let's recap here.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: So interview several realtors and find out what they're going to do as far as marketing for your home.

Speaker A: Mhm. I agree.

Speaker B: Figure out if you need to do any upgrades, if you need to retile, if you need to change your appliances,

Speaker A: take pictures through four seasons if you can in advance, like start thinking this a year ahead.

Speaker B: Yes. Especially if you're going to be lifting when the pool is closed.

Speaker A: Yeah. Right. I also think some homes have beautiful trees. And so to see that home in the fall.

Speaker C: Absolutely.

Speaker A: To see it in the summer and even in a beautiful winter landscape sometimes is gorgeous. So I think taking professional photography throughout the four seasons can really make a difference in your marketing.

Speaker D: Yeah. And if, um, renovation is not in the cards for sellers. Paint and decorate.

Speaker A: Yes, I agree.

Speaker B: Yep. And that's why it's important to get your Realtor in advance so your realtor can say, let me get Tina in here to decorate what she rented out

Speaker D: to pick out colors.

Speaker A: Yep. We always do a staging consultation, um, well, before we list, too. So, um, you know, I. To. To. To you. Someone mentioned about spending money. Um, and then if it doesn't sell, you know, I have that conversation with my clients because, yeah, you don't want to put money on the table if you're not going to get paid. So there is a lot of that, uh, conversation up front and how that happens and how things kind of play out if you do pull your listing too early. So there's a piece to that. And, you know, you have to respect your people that you're hiring. You know, they don't get paid until you sell.

Speaker B: Yep.

Speaker A: You know, so that does have to be part of that discussion, too.

Speaker B: Yep. And start decluttering, declutter. Get a storage unit, put it in

Speaker D: the basement, put it in your car. Do what you gotta do.

Speaker A: Yeah. Right.

Speaker B: Figure out if you're downsizing, which. Which is most of the case. Just get rid of that clutter.

Speaker A: And, you know, a good Realtor will have resources. Right. Like, you have great resources. I have great resources. Like, as a team, we always help each other, too. If our junk removal people, if we go through, like, the top three people we use, if they're not available, then we always have a backup. Right. So junk removal, decluttering, organizational, um, specialists, like there. We have those resources. So tap into us for that.

Speaker B: Yep. And also make sure that your Realtor is willing to pay for drone as well. Not all houses need to have drone for marketing, but if you have a pool or beautiful trees or if you have telephone poles in their front yard, a regular camera is not going to do it. You do need to have a drone for that. So make sure, again, that your Realtor is not afraid to spend money.

Speaker A: Right. I agree. I agree. Great. Well, thank you so much, guys. This was a great first episode.

Speaker D: Lots of fun.

Speaker A: Yeah. Welcome to your home, your market, your move. We're the Saratani team, and this is where real estate gets real. Let's go. All right, so today we're going to talk about. We have a client that is ready to list their home. What do they do next? So let's first talk about who we are. So I'm Leanne Saratani. I am with the, uh, Serratani team. I'm a Realtor. Um, and this is Lauren.

Speaker B: Yes, I'm Lauren Hollingshead, and I'm a

Speaker A: real estate photographer, one of the best real estate photographers I've ever worked with. And we have Jenna Goulart.

Speaker C: Jenna Goulart with the Serratoni team. I'm a Realtor and also work for Jack Conway.

Speaker A: And we have Tina lynch from Tina Lynch Designs and Home Staging.

Speaker D: I'm also a realtor.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker D: And I stage 99.9% of Leanne's listings.

Speaker B: Yes, you do.

Speaker D: And some of Jenna's.

Speaker A: Yes, absolutely. And you do an amazing job. So we're really. This is the full Serratoni team. We all work together. We've been together for several years. And, um, I think we have some really great things that we could help you out with in terms of getting your house ready to sell. So I think the first question is, when do you start getting your house ready to sell? Do you do it when you want to list it? Tomorrow?

Speaker D: No. Yeah, a little bit of time. So it all depends on the condition of the house that's being listed, right?

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker D: If it's a vacant property, then that's. That can be done very quickly. I just bring in all the furniture and the accessories that's needed so that the buyers can visualize themselves in the space.

Speaker A: Absolutely.

Speaker D: If it's owner occupied, more times than none, that house needs to be decluttered, reorganized, and I need to come in and zhuz a few things to make it look presentable to all buyers.

Speaker A: Absolutely. And I think what you do, um, really makes such a huge difference. So even before that, I have clients that call me and say, oh, my gosh, I really want to sell my home. But I am so overwhelmed. I don't even know what, like, my house is a mess. Do I need to upgrade the kitchen? Do I need to upgrade the bathrooms? What do you say to that, Jenna?

Speaker C: I think it's our job, right, as realtors, to go in to the homes and really assess Right. Of what the home looks like, what they're willing to do if they have a budget, what we want to stay on trend. Um, can we put things in storage? Are they comfortable doing that? Do we need to hire a professional to come in, um, and stage the home? Do we just kind of Rearrange their furniture that they have. Um, so those are kind of the things that we look at.

Speaker A: Yeah, I agree. I think budget's a huge thing. Right. Because, you know, some people just don't have the budget, and they need to. They need to get their property sold. So what? Like, if they don't have any money, then what do you do? Do you sell it as is? Do you make m. Any small recommendations that might not be so costly? Um, one thing I did just recently, this week, I was with a seller, um, and unfortunately, her husband had passed away. Um, and she broke a wrist, like, just a week ago. And so she can't. She cannot pack. Like, she doesn't. So Christine Dumichel, who is amazing organizer. Um, I called her, I said, I need your help. And she went over there and she just started help organizing all her stuff. And she's very reasonable, and it was exactly what she needed. In just a couple of days, they got the whole first floor done. So then you can really see the house now. Right. Because it's hard to see it when it's so cluttered. Right. So it's like decluttering it just so we can see it as realtors. Like, we can see past that stuff for the most part. But then when you have a stager come in, you kind of need all that clutter to go away first. Right. So I guess my message to a seller is that you don't have to do this all by yourself. Like, we offer a full service, um, approach. It's not just like, throw the sign up and call us when you're ready.

Speaker B: Yes. And that's what you get when you call Leanne Serratani. A lot of the properties that I go to are not in nearly as good as shape as your house is.

Speaker A: Oh, thank you. We work hard.

Speaker B: It's all about hiring the correct realtor. And a lot of people don't know that. They might just contact a friend or family member or their neighbor or whoever they know. But you really have to hire somebody who knows the business inside and out, preferably someone who is full time and who has. Who knows the industry.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Um, and if you want to get the home selling as much as it can, you need to go with Leanne and Jenna.

Speaker A: Yeah, I agree. I think I. Well, I think there are a lot of realtors out there that do what we do. You don't see them, though, which is so interesting to me, because I'm like. I just feel like this is. This is what you do.

Speaker B: No, When I walk into a Home. I know that you guys are always going to have it photo ready for me. Not many of my.

Speaker A: So what do you do when you go into a home and you're just like, it's not photo ready. Do you spend a lot of time prepping it? Like, do realtors let you.

Speaker B: It depends on the condition of the house. There's many houses that I will walk into that are just absolutely filthy, that I will not take my shoes off because I'm not comfortable.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: Just every nook and cranny, uh, is gross. Whether someone passed away and their family is selling the home or the person may be a hoarder, whatever the situation is.

Speaker A: I have that situation. We sell. We sell homes like that too. And so we don't expect that. Especially in estate sales when there is. With the owners are just not available. Right. And they have kids that live out of state. Um, I had a house down in Mashpee, actually. I had, um, someone called me. They. They found the website and, you know, we went in and there was stuff everywhere. Um, but the estate actually had some funds, so I had to manage the process because, um, they were out of state. Like, they couldn't be there for the junk removal people. They couldn't be there to have the furnace come in and checked on. They didn't have someone to meet the cleaners. Um, so I was happy to coordinate all that. And I know you've done that too. But there was some money in the estate because then they could pay those people. Thank goodness for Venmo. Right? In Zelle, we have those things that make it easier, no matter where you are in the country, to pay a provider. Um, so that is something I don't mind doing. Um, I know you don't mind doing. You just did that in your hometown with the listing.

Speaker C: Um, and I think it's important for people to know that of who they're hiring as a real estate agent. So who will go above and beyond for you? Um, who's going to do those services for you? Obviously we do whole as a team. Um, but really asking those questions, you know, when you're hiring somebody to sell your home, because it's a big deal

Speaker A: and I think it's important to interview people, you know, when you're ready to sell your house like you want, don't just hire someone in your family. I mean, interview them. Like, truly, this is your largest asset.

Speaker D: Ask what are you going to do to help me sell my house?

Speaker A: That's right.

Speaker D: Instead of just putting that for sale sign out front.

Speaker B: Yep. What are their marketing strategies and make sure that professional photos is on the list.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: As well as house cleaner and home stage are.

Speaker A: Yes, absolutely.

Speaker D: That's where the Serotoni team, in my opinion, goes above and beyond under any team I've ever seen.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker D: Out there.

Speaker A: Yeah. There's a lot of really good agents out there, I have to say. And I think that they do take lot of this into consideration. Um, but one thing I would do is also check out MLS listings. Right. See what that person actually does. Right. Everything's on either Zillow or redfin or realtor.com and you can check out what their prior listings look like. Were they taken with their iPhone? You know, are they dark? Are they just very long and narrow so they don't really fill the photo space? Um, did do the homes look good or is there laundry on the couch? You know, things or Christmas year round? Or Christmas. Some people love that, right?

Speaker D: No.

Speaker A: Um, do you know, like I'm selling a house with the in ground pool. You know, I always ask owners, it's wintertime and your backyard could be a beautiful oasis. Do you have any prior pictures? Because that also speaks to. Don't wait until you're ready to list your house. Like start planning ahead. I say start planning a year in advance because you want to get through all four seasons. Take pictures of your home. Ask your realtor to have your photograph. You've done that for me. You've gone in advance, like in the summertime and taking pictures in the backyard. And if we know about it and then we have them when we're ready to list. So if you're thinking about it a year or two in advance, don't wait to start photographing your house. I think that's always a really good suggestion. Um, it's worth having those professional pictures done a year in advance and get all four seasons.

Speaker B: Yes. And also make sure that your realtor is going to provide 2D floor plans. And 3D floor plans as we move into 2026 are very important for family homes. So anything that's three bedrooms and plus should really have 3D floor plans. Simply because your buyers are going to be between ages 30 and 40. Assuming that they're the ones with children.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: And their minds work video games because that's what 30 and 40 year olds grew up with. So when we look at floor plans 2D versus 3D, we understand the 3D floor plans far more because we can bounce from room to room. Whereas 2D floor plans is for the older generation who likes black and white and simple.

Speaker A: Because I remember saying that to you because, you know, a few years ago, you're like, leanne, don't you want 3D? I'm like, no, I don't like them. My mind cannot relate to 3D. Now, I understand, you know, that you have the Millennials and the Gen Z's that really like, um, those 3D floor plans.

Speaker B: Yes. And now a new option for 3D floor plans. Is it? The house is not perfect. I can make it so I do neutral palettes in certain rooms.

Speaker A: Oh, nice.

Speaker B: So, for example, if there's too much texture in a living room, maybe there's an area rug and multiple color patterns on walls. I can make it so it's neutral. So when someone is looking at that aerial view, looking down, they understand it's the living room. A couch can go here. Here's the windows and the fireplace.

Speaker A: That's great. I think we're all, as human beings, very visual. And so I think it's important to know what that looks like. Because if you walk into a house that might be empty. Right. Those 3D floor plans that are virtually staged, um, are really helpful.

Speaker B: Yes, they are.

Speaker A: So we always try to stage if the homeowners will allow us to do so, we will have staging. Because when you walk into that house, you need to feel the space. And if it's empty, I even do this. Like I walk into an empty room. I always look at you, I'm like, can we fit a queen size bed in here? Right, right. It's, like, hard to tell.

Speaker D: When a buyer walks into an empty space, say for a living room, for example, they walk into an empty living room. The first thing a buyer is going to think is, can my sofa fit? Where is my sofa going to go? Where is my TV going to go? By staging it, not virtually, but physically staging it, you take that guesswork out of that for the buyer. So now the buyer can really focus on the beauty of the house, like perhaps the hardwood floors and, uh, the beautiful windows, the focal points. So that's what I think that physical staging is a big plus for all staging.

Speaker A: About three months ago, I had listed, um, a condo in a 55 plus community. And, you know, I went in and, um, they actually were getting ready to move out. And so we really had a blank slate so to bring it in. But in this community, they were just turning over. So the community was about 20 years old. So the original owners that had just bought new construction and had moved in had started aging out. Like they were either moving home to kids or they passed away or whatever the situation was. So there were 17 of these condos on the market at the same time.

Speaker D: Wow.

Speaker A: So people were wondering, like, what's happening? Right? Is there something wrong with the association? And so I, of course, did. We did the research to make sure that it had a good reserve. Everything was okay with the hoa. It just was timing. However, a lot of those units were either empty or they had all of the old furniture in and they were still living there waiting to sell. So they really weren't photo ready, they weren't open house ready. And so people were walking in, seeing their old personal pictures and clutter, and they weren't really liking what they were seeing. So right before I listed this, our, uh, condo, another one had gone on the market just 10 days prior. They sold it in four days. And so I called that agent, did my homework. I'm like, what was your magic? Because I just want to make sure I'm not missing something. And she's like, they were ready. They had updated everything in their unit. It wasn't 20 years old. They had done some updating, freshly painted it. Like, the homeowners themselves had done all this work. And she also provided staging. So, uh, my unit was not freshly painted, was not, you know, brand new. However, they were white cabinetry. They weren't like a darker color or a brown. So white is always timeless. Right. It really does go with all of the decades. So we went in and actually we were lucky because the paint on the walls were all neutral. The whole entire unit was the same color. So that actually worked to our benefit. So, of course, I brought Tina lynch design in. We always work together.

Speaker D: Right.

Speaker A: Like, we lift the furniture, we move it in. Um, we do have guys that come in and do the heavy lifting on the heavy stuff because, you know, we're over 50 now. Not telling you how old we are, but we don't lift heavy things anymore. We just don't do that. So we bring in the light stuff, like the pictures and the pillows and the blankets, all that stuff. But, um, we staged it and literally we put it on the market. It was over Christmas when it got listed, over the new year. And we. Because. And we. We got an offer within six days. Wow.

Speaker C: See?

Speaker D: Staging and expertise.

Speaker A: And I. And we only had, like, seven people look at it because it was a quiet time.

Speaker B: Yeah, people really have a very hard time visualizing where their furniture does.

Speaker A: Right. So, you know, I asked everybody that walked through, they said it was the best unit that they had seen because the other unit prior to ours that sold like, in four days, they only showed it to one person. It was done, so they never really exposed it to the market. So we. It shows that that works. Those other 16 units are still sitting there.

Speaker D: Wow, that's amazing.

Speaker A: Right? So it does make a difference.

Speaker C: Mhm.

Speaker D: Staging does make a difference. Even if it's not a vacant staging and I'm using what the homeowner already has, and I'm just zhuzhing things. Sometimes their sofa's in the wrong place. I can just move it over here for better traffic flow, just to open up the space.

Speaker A: Right, right.

Speaker D: And there's different things.

Speaker A: So even where, like, they have beautiful furniture, we still do a feng shui. We still go in and move things around and depersonalize, Right?

Speaker D: Absolutely.

Speaker A: So what do you think? If a seller is ready to. And they don't have an updated kitchen, um, and their bathrooms aren't updated, um, is there anything that we can do to maybe make a difference on that?

Speaker D: Absolutely. Because every staging project to me is different. If the fixed elements in a space such as a kitchen or the bathroom cannot be replaced because it's not in the budget and it's a bad color, for example, there's so many staging techniques around that that you can make it look pleasing. Like if it's an avocado green kitchen, for example, and it has to stay. The trick to that is I don't spill my secret, but add more avocado so that that camouflages with the avocado fixed elements that are there and it makes sense.

Speaker A: Yeah. I remember we had a listing, and Jenna, you were so cute. Uh, so they had an orange rug. Yes, I remember the living room was so cute. But this woman loved color. And I love color too. And I thought it looked nice, but I was just like, it wasn't neutral when you're trying to appeal to the masses. And I thought she had really beautiful taste. Like, I thought it was really well done, but it wasn't going to appeal to everybody. So she. So Jenna goes, what did you say to Tina?

Speaker C: I think we were there helping you stage. And I said, do you want me to roll up this rug now? And she goes, no, we're going to use this rug and we're going to, you know, bring out the color of the home. So it's definitely like, uh.

Speaker A: And you did. And you brought in all this orange.

Speaker D: I brought in all this orange and different shades of orange. You can't just use the same one shade of orange, for example. So I brought Bright orange, uh, soft orange tangerines. And then that rug, it just connected with the room.

Speaker C: It really did. It really did.

Speaker A: I could not. It was awesome. It was. You did. I was floored because I walked in because I was busy doing other things that weekend and you guys were staging. And then I walked in and I was like, oh my God. Like this wasn't what I was thinking was gonna happen. I totally felt the same way. You did that the orange rug would go and you would do all your neutral, like. And it was great. I loved the use of color. It was fabulous.

Speaker D: In my opinion, you need to use color in staging. I mean, it doesn't have to be over the top, but color just is just so appealing.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker D: And it all depends on the house.

Speaker A: Mhm. I agree. All depends on the house.

Speaker B: I agree.

Speaker A: So when you're thinking about selling your house, I think the first thing is plan ahead if you can. If you can plan ahead, try to get pictures taken in advance, um, and start to declutter. Right. The second thing is start to declutter. Um, and then if you can't do those things, it's not a wash, you know, we can. You'll still do a good. You'll hire the right realtor, do your

Speaker B: investigating, make sure that you interview a few realtors or go with the best and make sure that they're going to hire a professional photographer who can remove things virtually or if there's stains on the wall or cords.

Speaker A: Like you had come back out. Because, um, we had a house that it was literally the end of the fall season. We hadn't had a chance to power wash yet. And you took the pictures before because we weren't ready and we needed the pictures right away because we were getting ready to stage and do everything. We were ready to go, but the house hadn't been power washed and they came the day before the open house. So in the pictures you were able to remove like all of the things that the power washer did remove from your pictures. And so that was perfect. We didn't have all the heavy staining and it worked really well. Um, and then in other cases, if something happens after the fact, you always come back out too, which is great. You always come back out for me. And um, and again this, these aren't additional costs to the seller. Um, as a team, we absorb those costs. So, um, it's part built into our commission.

Speaker D: As a team, we will make sure that your listing gets sold for top dollar and we'll do the preparations that need to happen.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: And a lot of realtors want to turn around the sale asap, and they're not even getting a professional cleaner in the home. And I have seen horrible homes

Speaker A: where the homes are beautiful, but it's been sold for so much more.

Speaker C: Right.

Speaker A: But they were staying on show in

Speaker B: a rush to sell.

Speaker D: Exactly.

Speaker A: That brings me to that thought about the as is house. Right. So I have a lot of clients that always say to me, you know, I have no budget. I just want to sell as is. Um, but I want this highest price point. Right. So we have to have that conversation. And we always kind of find a way to meet in the middle. So, you know, we'll do professional cleaning. We will get staging in there. We will help kind of make work with what we have, but we also need to price it realistically. And so when you. What do you say to clients, Jenna, when they are. Their house needs a lot of work. Um, they recognize that. Um, so how do you word that with a client? Um, when you're talking about pricing strategy?

Speaker C: You know, when you have a client, you obviously want to bring them the comps, and you show them the different homes that are on the market. Right. Or ones that just sold, and you show them the pictures of what those homes look like in the inside of the home. And, you know, sometimes, uh, you have to kind of go with what the client wants, unfortunately, and then you kind of put a time crunch on it. So if your house is sitting for two or three weeks, this is going to be our next strategy if it comes to that. And you guys can't come to an agreement of what the price is, Obviously you want to have that come into place. And I just had this with a past client.

Speaker A: I think that's a great.

Speaker C: That I had. And within two weeks, we dropped it a little bit because we already had that conversation of, you know, we really want this to sell. We don't want to go with. Correct. And we did end up selling it. As soon as we dropped that price, we had an offer accepted within three days.

Speaker A: That's great. That's great. And you only had to do one price reduction. Uh, so that tells me that you are priced just a little bit above market value. Right. So you only had to do one price reduction, and you didn't let it sit for 30 or 45 or 60 days before that happens. Because we're here in the Northeast, especially Massachusetts, we're very unique to the rest of the country. We have a low inventory issue still. We still have low inventory. So if you see a House sitting on that market past that 30 day mark, they've never made a price adjustment. And it's fully staged and it's show ready, then it is the price and then you, you miss the mark. So I think if you have a home that's really cluttered, it has a lot of repair issues and you are selling it as is and you haven't cleaned it out, there's a lot going on there. And so yes, it's about price, but it's also about you didn't do your work right as a realtor or the seller didn't let you. So a lot of times we say, what is that realtor thinking? A lot of times it may not be the realtor, it could be the homeowner. And at the end of the day, the homeowners make the decision. We don't make the decision. We can advise them, we can make our recommendations. Um, and sometimes they take our recommendations and sometimes they don't. Um, but getting back to the price point, I always like to price it just below market value. And we have a lot of these same conversations because sellers do think, you know, I really want 700 for my home. Um, I'm not listing it for less than 700. And in my opinion at that time, I'm like, well, 700 is definitely the top range. What we really should be doing is going right below market value and that organically drives a couple of offers. So then you might have two offers that work against each other and then you might get that 700. Right. But if you start too high, you might not get the foot traffic you need to get that number. And I know that's a hard place to be, but the bottom line is the market's the market. And if you want 700, the best way to do that is to price it lower, to really try to organically drive it up. If we start at 700 and you only get a couple people coming through after that two weeks, we might be in that same position where we need to do a price reduction and we do a price reduction. You're probably not getting that 700. You're probably going to get that price reduction because people think there's something wrong. So, uh, strategy does play. I mean, it is all about getting in to people's minds and selling the house, having them fall in love with the house. Um, but price is very essential in being strategic with it.

Speaker C: And I think some things too is, you know, if it's not all about the price and it is like a clutter issue that you know, maybe your client doesn't have the money to put things into storage. Right. Or to have a stager come in, um, or things like that. But it's truly. What do you know about the neighborhood of the home? What do you know about the home? What does it have to offer for you? Um, and really kind of dig into those things a little bit deeper of when buyers come in, if they have families. If they don't have families, like, what are they looking for? For what is. What can this house offer for people? So I think it's a strategy like

Speaker A: that, that the woman was a hoarder.

Speaker C: She was.

Speaker A: Right. She. So tell us a little bit about that story. And how did you get that? Like, you really. Your hands were pretty tied.

Speaker C: They were. So she, you know, my client didn't have a lot of money, so the house was pretty much like a hoarder's condition. Um, so unfortunately, we had to. Photographer how it was. And, you know, you had to look past it. So there's a lot of character that was in that home, um, which was great and it was unique, but you really had to look past all of the things. So as a strategy of when you're touring a home, you need to make sure that you're physically touring everybody throughout the home. Right. Because one, there's so much stuff, so you want to make sure that no one gets hurt.

Speaker A: Number one, safety.

Speaker C: Number one, safety. And secondly, to really point out, like, the characteristics or like, the maybe, like, little improvements that this could be of to really, you know, enhance the home of. It could really, like, have its, like, good life.

Speaker D: Like, you have to visualize it for the buyer.

Speaker C: Absolutely. Right, Absolutely. So that was.

Speaker A: I mean, you're being hired to sell.

Speaker C: Yes.

Speaker A: Sell a home, not just put a sign out.

Speaker C: Right.

Speaker B: And in that situation, too, when you do have a hoarder home, the photographer. I can come in and take my photos at my proper angles and. But I am also able to remove all of the cult clutter digitally. And that is something that. Because I am a graphic designer, in addition to being a real estate photographer, I know how to do that. So that's a big plus.

Speaker A: That is. So. Thank you for mentioning that.

Speaker B: When you're a realtor, making sure that, you know the tools that you can use to sell your seller's home.

Speaker A: And I think it's really. That's a great suggestion because then you can actually see. See what the home looks like. Um, Right. If you declutter it and then you have virtual empty home.

Speaker B: Yep. And I can have it empty or I can stage it on top of that. Yeah. And then in that case, what I recommend is printing out the photo that I do, whether it's just decluttered and then virtually staged. Print them out both. And present them in that room.

Speaker A: Yes. I think that that is awesome. And I think your particular client didn't want anybody in her home. No, that was the problem. And, like, she was not taking your suggestion on, um, bringing in the professional photographer. Like, you were. You had. You had a challenge on your hands, and it was.

Speaker C: That one was a challenge. Uh, but within two weeks, we were under agreement. You were so under agreement within two weeks. And we closed just after 30 days. That's amazing with the whole process. So that was like a, uh, win, win.

Speaker A: Did you need a price reduction?

Speaker C: We did do a price reduction, yes.

Speaker A: She was. She was. She really listened to you, but she was really holding on to that initial list price.

Speaker C: She did. And, you know, I think it's hard when you. Obviously, she was a hoarder, but she loved her things. Right. And her home. So I think you have to be a little bit, you know, when you're talking to clients of. You have a lot of things in your home. Right. And it's not, like, cluttered, but you have a lot of things. It's how you talk to your clients because, uh, people take offense to that.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: You don't want to hurt their feelings. M. And how many times do people sell their home? Sell a home? For the majority of people, they do it one time in a lifetime. Right. So they've been there 30, 40 years, and it's like, this is the place they raise their kids in. Yep.

Speaker B: They're very attached to.

Speaker A: It's a very emotional process. And I think all of us have such a really nice way with people. Like, you're. None of you are insulting. You're respectful. Um, and I think our clients really appreciate that. Um, because you really need to meet yourself where the client is. Um, and I think that's really, really important. And I love watching. I love watching the way you work in a home, too, because you are so tasteful, but you're so respectful. Like, do you mind if I just move this over here? Like, you're not. Like, you don't go in and, like, take charge. Right. You're just so kind, Lauren. And so. And you have an eye for those angles. I think that's so important because the majority of our clients, they, like. We had a commercial client recently here in Mansfield. You took pictures of their building and Then he called you, he's like, I need you to come to all my buildings.

Speaker B: Yes.

Speaker A: He was like, you took such great professional bright lighting. It made the pictures come alive. So he was thrilled, like with, with your, with your taste and your approach to things. And the same thing with you, Tina, like when you. We go into homes and we're staging, we're moving a lot of people's personal stuff. And that could feel. That can feel very intrusive, you know, so if you've ever had a family member come into your house and comment on maybe something like, I don't know, like a great aunt or a mother in law or, you know, someone come in and say, oh, you know, you should really move this. Like that. That feels so intrusive. Right. Like, so I think we've all been in that situation. And you do such a nice job because I love the way you compliment people. Like, you're like, this is such a beautiful piece. I love this. I'd love to use this in another room. Do you mind if I try to move some things around just for flow? Yeah.

Speaker D: Because a lot of homeowners, when I'm staging, um, owner occupied homes, a lot of homeowners have really nice things that I can use.

Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker D: They just need to be judged. Sometimes they don't, right?

Speaker A: Absolutely. Absolutely.

Speaker B: Yes. And also, um, updating. Updating decor that they have. For example, when I walk into people's houses and I see valances,

Speaker A: I know

Speaker B: that they haven't updated their house in 10 years because valances are so old. Or if I see a tablecloth. I know also. Oh, dear, oh, dear.

Speaker A: I was such a tablecloth person. It took me a long time to get away from tablecloths, especially the valances

Speaker D: with the stuff with newspaper.

Speaker A: I know, like the fluffy from the 80s. I know, I know. It's really hard.

Speaker B: And seeing it with dust, too. And going back to your hoarder house. Hoarder houses are very difficult to photograph simply because the people who live there don't know that they are hoarders.

Speaker A: They think it looks great and it's

Speaker B: ceiling to floor stuff.

Speaker A: And for them it's fine. It's just not for the general public.

Speaker B: And they're not understanding why their house isn't selling. And then they asked me about my photos and I said, listen, your house has been on the market for two years now, on and off.

Speaker A: Oh, my gosh.

Speaker B: Because you need to declutter. And granted, they've already had declutterers come. Yeah. But they're. They're one of my people that likes Christmas year round.

Speaker A: Yes, yes.

Speaker B: And we're talking multiple Christmas trees throughout the house.

Speaker A: Like they don't ever put them away.

Speaker B: No, no, no. And they have multiple dogs as well. So there's strong odors in the home. And like I said, it's just stuff.

Speaker A: That's um, a great, that's a great thing that you bring up odors in a home. Because whenever we're showing a house, it's. You have to think about the senses, right?

Speaker D: Yes, you do.

Speaker A: Like, I have a very keen sense of smell. Um, and I always feel like I can pick up anything. And I actually missed a very light odor in a house recently. And I was so surprised because my buyer walking through picked it up and it was a moldy smell, but it wasn't too strong. And it was only like in one area of the home. And come to find out that corner of the house had an ice dam and there they had painted over it, but there was still like a smell there. And it came up on the inspection. So it was interesting because usually I can pick that up. But when people are walking through, you think of sight, smell, your feeling in the space. Right. Because just your feeling of the space is one of our senses. Right. Your personal space and how you feel in a room, the height of the ceiling. Um, I've actually had rugs in a home that they were so bad with the odor because of cat odor. I just ripped them up.

Speaker D: Mhm.

Speaker A: And I said, you know, we just ripped them up. It didn't cost, it was a little bit of labor. But I had a handyman come in, they ripped them up and I just left the bare floor because it was better to have the bare floor because the homeowner just couldn't afford to do the carpet because we got rid of that odor. Um, and it was better than having that smell. So I think you really need to think about all of your senses. And you know, when you live in a house for 30 years, you're not going to be, you're not going to have an objective view on your home. You don't smell the smell. You don't smell the smell. Um, you don't understand like, why something doesn't look right. You just don't know. It's just like even in my house, like, have you come over and I'm like, I think this looks great, but I want your opinion. And you always have a critique. And I am grateful for it. I am very proud because I am open to all suggestions because I want to make my space better. So people are sensitive to criticism and all of you have a great way about you and how to approach someone you know, and I think that's really, really important. Um, so what do you think is what, what upgrades, like if we were to move into. If people do have a budget, what do you think the most important upgrades? And I think you should weigh in on this too, Lauren, because you photography so many things that you probably see what sells really quick. Like when you do the. Because I know you watch the listings. Um, so all of you, what do you think are the most important upgrades in a home? Say you have. Someone Sundays, I have $5,000. And so every budget's going to be different. So let's say the $5,000 budget and the $10,000 budget, what do you think the most important upgrades would be for a home to sell?

Speaker D: Well, it depends on what needs to be done to the home.

Speaker C: Meaning? Mhm.

Speaker D: Like does the kitchen need a gut job? You're not going to do it on five or ten thousand dollars.

Speaker B: I'm going to say painting.

Speaker A: Paint, definitely. I agree. Paint, yeah. Because a homeowner can do that themselves. Right. You can hire a pretty reasonable handyman. Um, which I have an amazing handyman. He like paints. I paint my rooms all the time because he's so reasonable. You know, if you pie. If you are under the gun and you need the whole interior house painted, you hire a house painting team because that, that's, you can get it all done. And that is costly to do. Um, I had a client just do that because they wanted fresh paint throughout their house and it cost them about $7,000 to do the interior. And this room, this house was about 2,100 square feet. So it was a typical colonial. You know, four rooms on the first floor, three bedrooms upstairs, two and a half bath. Um, and it cost about 7,000 to do all of the walls. None of that. That doesn't include trim.

Speaker C: Right.

Speaker A: Trim is a different animal. Right. So, um, paint, I think that is fresh paint can go a long way.

Speaker D: Fresh paint and decorate.

Speaker A: Yes. Yeah, the staging piece.

Speaker B: Many people don't know how to decorate. So if someone thinks that they're going to be selling their home in one year, I would say start interviewing realtors, start checking them out on social media and ask around and then meet with three realtors and see what they're going to do for you. Make sure that they're going to spend money. Make sure that they're going to market your home the way that it deserves. So you can get top dollar.

Speaker A: I will say that in our industry, um, it's about a 50, 50 split that realtors do not like to spend money.

Speaker B: No, not at all.

Speaker A: They don't like. They feel like their work is. And I agree it's a lot of heavy lifting that we do as realtors, but some do m more than others. And um, you know, paying for professional photography, for floor plans, for staging. Staging can be tough because staging can be very expensive depending on who you interview with. I think your staging is so reasonable that you do such a great job. I feel like if you're getting paid like a $10,000 commission as a realtor, I should have an oper. I should have an operating budget for that piece. So, you know, I would say that spending 2,000 to $2,500 on is worth it because you're going to get that house sold. That's part of my cost that I build into to spending. Um, it just depends on what the house needs.

Speaker B: Right. And not many other people think like you're. They're afraid to spend their money up front because they don't know if they're going to sell the home. And maybe after 90 days it goes to another realtor.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker D: But I will say most all of Leanne's listings is, especially the ones that get staged, they sell pretty quickly.

Speaker A: They sell pretty quickly because. Yeah, we've been in a very fortunate, um, we've been in a very fortunate market. We are going to start to shift and we'll talk about market trends in another episode. Um, but we are going to start to shift from a seller's market. That is going to start to happen. So houses, regardless of everything we do, if it's not going to be priced strategically, it's going to like, all of it needs to kind of come together. Um, so sellers beware. You're going to have to kind of adjust that price point a little bit.

Speaker B: So let's recap here.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: So interview several realtors and find out what they're going to do as far as marketing for your home.

Speaker A: Mhm. I agree.

Speaker B: Figure out if you need to do any upgrades, if you need to retile, if you need to change your appliances,

Speaker A: take pictures through four seasons if you can in advance, like start. Start thinking this a year ahead.

Speaker B: Yes. Especially if you're going to be listing when the pool is closed.

Speaker A: Yeah, right. I also think some homes have beautiful trees. And so to see that home in the fall, to see it in the summer and even in a beautiful winter landscape sometimes is gorgeous. So I think taking professional photography throughout the Four Seasons can really make a difference in your marketing.

Speaker D: Yeah. And if, um, renovation is not in the cards for sellers. Paint and decorate.

Speaker A: Yes, I agree.

Speaker B: Yep. And that's why it's important to get your Realtor in advance so your realtor can say, let me get Tina in here to decorate. What? She rented out colors.

Speaker A: Yep. We always do a staging consultation, um, well, before we list, too. So, um, you know, I. To. To. To you someone mentioned about spending money. Um, and then if it doesn't sell, you know, I have that conversation with my clients because, yeah, you don't want to put money on the table if you're not going to get paid. So there is. There is a lot of that conversation up front and how that happens and how things kind of play out if you do pull your listing too early. So there is. There's a piece to that. And, you know, you have to respect your. Your. Your people that you're hiring. You know, they don't get paid until you. You sell.

Speaker B: Yep.

Speaker A: You know, so that. That does have to be part of that decision discussion too.

Speaker B: Yep. And start decluttering.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Clutter. Get a storage unit, put it in

Speaker D: the basement, put in your car. Do what you got to do.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: Figure out if you're downsizing, which. Which is most of the case. Just get rid of that clutter.

Speaker A: And you're a good realtor. Will have resources. Right. Like, you have great resources. I have great resources. Like, as a team, we always help each other, too. If our junk removal people, if we go through, like, the top three people we use, if they're not available, then we always have a backup. Right. So junk removal, decluttering, organizational, um, specialists, like there. We have those resources. So tap into us for that.

Speaker B: And also make sure that your realtor is willing to pay for drone as well. Not all houses need to have drone for marketing, but if you have a pool or beautiful trees or if you have telephone poles in their front yard, a regular camera is not going to do it. You do need to have a drone for that. So make sure, again, that your Realtor is not afraid to spend money.

Speaker A: Right. I agree. I agree.

Speaker B: Great.

Speaker A: Well, thank you so much, guys. This was a great first episode.

Speaker D: Lots of fun.

Speaker A: Yeah.