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Real Estate Agent |
RAINER 4,255 |
| Susan J Norman | ||
| location_on Cedar Rapids, IA — Skogman Realty | ||
| insert_link http://www.skogman.com/find_an_agent/info/SusanNorman | ||
| web Susan J Norman's (rubybluebird) Blog | ||
Why I love what I do...
Meeting your needs in today's Housing Market.
Susan J. Norman, REALTOR®, Graduate, REALTOR Institute® Skogman Realty, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
In Cedar Rapids, Iowa you have a choice of more than 800 REALTORS® to work with so why should you choose me?
I am going to illustrate why you should choose me through a story about an old car that I once had. Her name was "Precious" and she was a tan 1969 VW Bug with a sunroof. When I bought her for $100.00 she had 149,000 miles on her but she ran well and was inexpensive to operate and maintain, as a college student.
Precious taught me the value of having a great mechanic. I met such a mechanic in 1979. This mechanic would listen to Precious and tell me exactly what was wrong with her. It was like taking a child to good doctor, or a pet to a good vet; they cannot tell you what is wrong-the professional must listen well and guess well. This mechanic was the mechanic that set the norm for me. He did not do too much to her because he understood her value, which, other than relational, was not great. He had an innate talent for cars, an intuition, if you will, that went far beyond computer analysis and diagnostic machines. He could hear the timing, or the bearings, a weird tweak or twinge. He could look at the engine, listen to the purr, and adjust it "just right". This was a Bug that had been kept in optimal condition for most of her life and he intended on continuing that regimen of excellent care. He didn't mince words when she needed something a bit more expensive nor did he ever go overboard to line his pockets. Everything he did was "just right". On rare occasions I have come across other mechanics that had this "sixth sense" or mechanic's intuition and I can assure you that I stick with them when I find them.
This is the standard by which I do my business. I want to listen to buyers in such a way as to perceive not just what they say their needs are but to go deeper. I want to listen to them in such a way as to attempt to second-guess what their needs will be five and ten years down the road. When I walk into a house I begin to look at it very critically and I think deeply about whether it would be right for them. I use my intuitive sense to see not only how they feel about the house but also if it would be right for them on many levels. While a home is always the ultimate choice of the buyers, it is also a choice so loaded with stress they often need an objective viewpoint, which is what I offer.
Like the auto-mechanic I listen to the house. I ask myself if the squeaks and quirks are friendly ones; do they make the house feel homey or do they give one cause for concern? I look at what is there in the house but I also look below that level. If a home is excessively unkempt are there problems beneath the surface that will become bigger problems? Did they maintain the house well? Even deeper- if the house looks in shambles are there problems with the title, the neighborhood, the future of the neighborhood?
No one can really see into everything about the home and the sellers, but I believe there are very good clues that must be listened to. We all have gut-level instincts; I try to be really clued into mine.
I have attended a lot of classes where the philosophies range from what I call the "Slam-Dunk Method of Selling Homes" to what I feel is my philosophy and methodology, "The Intuitive Mechanic Method". It is the most important decision you can make for yourself and your loved ones so you need to have the best information you can get. You need to analyze all of the information so that you can make an informed decision. I will help you with all of it. When it is right, you will feel it and I will feel that you feel it.
I have a mental checklist that I go through at every house:
Will it fit your needs for the next 7-10 years Does it match most of your wants Is there something special about it that makes it desirable for you Location, Location, Location Exterior condition Curb appeal School concerns if those are important for you Entry Floor plan- is it spacious or closed-in Kitchen and bath amenities Livingroom, bedrooms and family room spaces The garage The basement and the home's construction Furnace, AC, roof, siding, windows Potential hazards to your health or the health of your loved ones
I tailor my questions about the home according to what you tell me you want but also according to what I know you will need, so that you can make the most informed decision possible.
Why I love what I do. I love getting to know you and understanding you a little better than I might have otherwise. I love helping you meet your housing needs. Nothing pleases me more than for us to find a home that is right and to pursue it for you. After finding the best home for you, I then make certain, to the very best of my ability that all other details fall in line as easily as possible.
I want to have you as return clients, calling me when you move up to the next house, or move on to another community. Thank you for reading about my philosophy. If I may be of service to you, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Susan J. Norman
Skogman Realty, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Logistics:
Upon listing, I will have a Skogman yard sign installed with my name rider on it. Yes, that bright red sign buyers wander the neighborhoods looking for. Upon listing, I will install an electronic key box on or near the front door so that I can monitor who has used their key to enter. I will take photos for my website, The Gazette, KGAN as well as for other purposes. Upon listing, I will set up showing instructions with my office manager, per your instructions. All of the Skogman offices (5) will be notified of the new listing through inter-office fax so that our agents can begin showing it immediately. As a note, I request that other REALTORS® leave a card when they show your property and most are happy to comply. On occasion a REALTOR® will either forget or not have their cards; regardless, I get notification of the showing by way of a note in my mailbox and I will know who has entered by the usage of the electronic keybox. Please note, while the vast majority of REALTORS® are very respectful and take great care to remember such things as locking your door behind them, not displacing anything of yours, taking care that children not displace anything of yours, on the rare occasion something happens by mistake. If you know about this possibility beforehand, the likelihood of it occurring will lessen. My office manager will submit the listing information to the Cedar Rapids Area Association of REALTORS®; that information comes out on the Multiple Listing System at approximately 4 p.m. every day. Your information will come out relative to when I get it back to the office, either that day or the next. At my discretion, I may order a virtual tour for your home.My Marketing Strategies:
I will set in motion several marketing resources:
Immediately, I will begin contacting any and all buyers that I have been working with for whom your home may be an appropriate choice. I contact them by email, snail mail, phone, and I have been known to drop information off at their doorstep on my way home for the evening on the first day the property is listed. Your home will be put on the http://www.Skogman.com/ and my own website: http://susannorman.net site shortly after I submit the information to my office manager. Information about the house, open houses and other information will be available there. I will be preparing a presentation booklet for your home. In it I will have photos of your home and required documents such as disclosure sheets and lead-based paint sheets. In addition, I like to provide utility information, some focal point information, and other items that may be of interest to potential buyers, school maps for instance.
I will be talking about your house at our Tuesday morning sales meeting. We have so many listings that we no longer go out and see the homes by car and instead have a
PowerPoint presentation. This way, all of the homes get seen at this meeting, none get missed or skipped over, and on top it we save hundreds of thousands of gallons of gas.
I will submit ads to the Gazette (the first ad is for a New Listing - subsequent ads willappear when there is an Open House; your quadrant or area is on a three week rotation schedule for open houses on the television program). I may choose to submit an additional ad from time to time for specific reasons- a certain event going on in your neighborhood over a given weekend.
I will be submitting ads to Real Estate Showcase and other real estate magazines. The Open House ads on the television program are on a rotating basis for location so when your location is up, that is the best time to have an Open House; I may choose to have them when your location is not on the show for that day depending on a number of variables which I will discuss with you. I have a lot of people that are new to real estate that I have help me with Open Houses. Having one of the new people at your house allows me to be elsewhere; if someone comes into the Open House where I am and your home might be suitable for them, I will give them a flier for your home and talk to them about going and seeing it at the Open House or scheduling another time. This gives me double exposure for your home on a given afternoon. I keep names of people that see your home as well as records of REALTORS® that have shown your home. As time permits, I do extensive calling back of potential buyers or of REALTORS® with potential buyers. I think "outside the box" on how to market your house. For example, on a vacation home in Brooklyn, Iowa I created a web page with photos and emailed the link to top REALTORS® all over the state, to Maytag and Amana Human Resources departments, anyone who might have interested people, since the home could have been used as a year-round or second vacation home. I pick up on tips that you give me. I want to promote the things that you liked best about your home. I am open to your suggestions for ads, though I may counter your suggestion with an approach that may be more "market friendly". I am dedicated to being completely responsive to your needs. I am on-call for you whenever you need me and I have a "Same Day Callback Policy" - if you call me I promise to call you back on the same day unless we discuss that I should not call after a certain hour. I want to be certain that your concerns are answered with as little stress to you as humanly possible. I am committed to using environmentally friendly resources to the greatest degree possible. Electronic mail over snail mail, recycled papers and the like. I am committed to marketing action that is tailored to your home and your needs. Action specific to your home: ________________________________________ Flexibility. Sometimes, especially in difficult market times, I have to be very flexible in how I market your home so that our ultimate goal of getting you the best price possible and on your terms comes to fruition. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to discuss my marketing plan with you. I look forward to serving you.
Susan J. Norman, REALTOR®
Graduate, REALTOR Institute®
I have been a Realtor with Skogman Realty for 17 years. I am a problem solver extraordinaire! I find solutions where none seem available. I will treat your referrals as if they are family!