Selling Historic Phoenix Homes

Selling Real Estate Agent For Historic Phoenix, Central Phoenix, North Central, Midtown, Uptown, Downtown and Metro-Phoenix Homes

Selling Historic Phoenix homes have many important factors to consider. There’s more that meets the selling eye.

Are you thinking about selling your home, then, need a place to live but don’t want to pay a high interest rate? 

You may be thinking you want to wait to sell your home because you’re locked into a low rate. There are several fantastic ways to get your mortgage rate down at no cost to you.

With historic rising interest rates and more hikes likely coming, I’ll tell & show you how we’re able to help you purchase, keep your rate down and your payment affordable. It’s what were doing now and it’s working out as a win-win for all parties. Call me today at (602) 400-0008 and I’ll explain exactly how we’re doing it.

 Reasons to hire Laura Boyajian, REALTOR® to sell your Historic Central Phoenix or Metro Phoenix home

Selling Historic Phoenix Homes AgentHiring Laura B. Real Estate to sell your historic Phoenix home means getting the best legal protection & Fiduciary Duty in a real estate transaction. This is absolutely critical for you.

In the State of Arizona, Licensed REALTORS® must abide and are bound by this duty. It is very similar to Attorney-Client privilege. Yes, I’m a law geek. I study law extensively and use that education for every single client.

Selling Historic Phoenix Homes is an art. No two properties are alike and it’s important to have a REALTOR® who specializes in these neighborhoods who’s a strong negotiator with impeccable, photography, marketing and legal protection. Plus, staying engaged from the very beginning through closing escrow is critical.

What are the Most Important Factors in Choosing a Licensed Real Estate Agent to Sell your Historic Phoenix or Downtown Phoenix, AZ home?

Working with Phoenix, AZ Home Sellers

Selling Historic Phoenix homes, or any home, is all about getting the highest net with the best terms in the shortest amount of time, and, the least amount of stress.

Proper Pricing

This is accomplished with proper pricing and marketing for the property and superior customer service to the client. In my early professional years, I held positions within the media industry which brings marketing and media savvy to each and every listing.

Also, check out: Why Hire a Licensed REALTOR® to Sell Your Home In Phoenix, AZ or Surrounding Neighborhoods?

HomeSmart Elite Group Selling Agent Phoenix Real Estate1. Legal Protection (Fiduciary)

2. Professional Photography (a biggie), Drone/Photography, Pictures & Drone Videos

3. Pre-Marketing, Marketing, Marketing and More Marketing

4. Hiring a RESPONSIVE Agent

5. Negotiation and Communication Skills

How I Provide Fiduciary Protection For My Sellers, What I’ll Do For You and Helping You Prepare To Sell

Get a Human Being Generated No Obligation Home Valuation Comparative Market Analysis (CMA)

1. Fiduciary Duty Protection (Legal)

Legalities in Home Selling Is CrucialReal estate is serious business and there are severe consequences for fraud or mistakes. You don’t want your REALTOR® pretending to know how to do things and get you in trouble.

Marketing Your Home For Sale & Real Estate Law

Here, I explain some of the marketing I’ll do for your home and what we’ll do together to prepare your home to sell, but first, and what I believe to be EXTREMELY important is law. I’m a HUGE stickler for protecting my Sellers legally, and of course, I hold the same standard of practice for my buyers.

Obligation to Real Estate Law

I study law as a hobby as I love it, but I also believe (and know) there is an obligation to understand real estate law when practicing real estate and handling such important documentation.

Selling a home is usually one of the most important transactions you will be making in your lifetime. Even if you have sold homes before, it’s not an everyday task for you. I understand that and make sure there will be nothing that can come back and bite you in the you-know-what.

Arizona Real Estate Agents Are Privileged to Help You

What always baffles and frustrates me about so many REALTORS® in the State of Arizona is that they don’t understand the privilege us agents are given to practice real estate and real estate law, to a very large extent, along with the counsel we’re allowed to give.

Combined with the responsibility that goes into writing our Purchase Contracts, Addendum’s and other forms that go with our transactions is greater than most states. There is a heavier burden of responsibility on Arizona licensed agents as we have many legal rights.

Attorney’s Not Needed In Arizona Real Estate Transactions

So many states REQUIRE attorney’s to be involved with real estate transactions. Arizona does not. They rely on the expertise of the licensed REALTOR® and most agents do not understand this, respect this or appreciated this, let alone take it seriously. I do. In a BIG way. However, it’s never a bad idea to consult with a real estate attorney.

The Importance of Impeccable Contractual Paperwork When Selling

ALL paperwork, whether it’s initially executed by me or the other agent, is scoured by me with a fine toothed comb. Again, the legal rights Arizona REALTORS® are privileged to is often not taken seriously by a high number of agents who, as a result, are constantly putting their clients at risk. This is as irresponsible as it gets so I’m constantly making sure their paperwork is also up to par.

Therefore, I repeat this because we’re talking about legal and binding documents which are obviously extremely important to have done thoroughly and correctly in real estate transactions.

I understand, respect, take seriously and abide by the fiduciary responsibilities given to us licensed agents. I cannot express this enough. Add on the complexities that can sometimes come with historic homes, and there are a lot of details that need attention.

2. Professional Photography For Selling Your Historic Phoenix Home

Selling Phoenix District Metro HomesWhy is this important?

More than 90% of actual foot traffic to your home for sale will come from buyers who have first seen your home online.

I can’t tell you how frustrated I get when I see that the bulk of listings on the market have terrible photos, often taken with the agent’s cell phone! This is just not doing you any justice and that’s not just my opinion!

Studies Show Statistics

According to a study done by the National Association of REALTORS® and Redfin, professionally photographed homes tend to sell for more money and sell faster than homes listed with point-and-shoot cameras.

The study also found that homes priced between $200,000 and $1 million sold for an average of $3,400 to $11,200 more than their list prices when professionally photographed than homes with amateur photos. For homes priced between $400,000 and $499,999, the study found that homes professionally photographed sold for $11,200 more! That’s HUGE! 

Further Research

Additionally, researchers tracking the eye movements of subjects who looked at online home listings found that more than 95% of users viewed the first photo, the one that shows the exterior of the home, for a total of 20 seconds. 

The study also found that homes that were professionally photographed also tended to sell faster by 21 days. This isn’t small potatoes and what I want for you! Like I always say, I don’t like leaving money on the table, and I won’t for you!

Hiring Professional Photographers for ALL of my Listings, Including Drone PhotographySelling Historic Arcadia Homes in Phoenix

On every single home that I represent for sale, my photographers take professional photographs throughout the entire home, property grounds and street shots.

Using tripods, they use different lenses and lighting and then process the photos with high technology software. We take shots at various times of day and night in order to capture “twilight” shots in addition to natural light for daytime and evening shots.

The More Photos, The Merrier

Posting TONS of super high quality pictures is imperative because it drives more traffic to your home for sale. Additionally, Buyers love it, other agents love it and I guarantee you will love it!

Plus, real estate related websites like Realtor.com (for one example) have a higher indexing rate when more pictures are posted. As The Wall Street Journal reports, “… Listings with better photos command higher asking prices…” The only exception is if you’re selling a “fixer-upper.” But even then I provide a lot of pictures to give a true representation of the property for sale.

Twilight Photos and Daytime Photos

I have my photographers shoot both daytime photos and twilight photos. The twilight photos are just stunning. They capture views like sunsets and skylines, accent landscaping and architectural features.

Having twilight photos taken for selling a historic Phoenix home is absolutely terrific! Twilight photography adds a touch of enchantment and allure to the property, showcasing its unique architectural features and creating a captivating ambiance.

The soft, warm glow of the setting sun beautifully highlights the intricate details of the home, making it stand out from the competition.

These stunning twilight images enhance the overall online presence of the listing, attracting more potential buyers and increasing the chances of a successful sale. It’s a win-win situation that ensures your historic Phoenix home receives the attention it deserves.

Drone Photography

When warranted, drone photography is the art of taking high-quality photos and video using unmanned air vehicles, or as they’re more popularly known, drones.

Drones allow professional real estate photographers and videographers to capture certain angles and views that are otherwise limited by standard cameras. This is the technology I’ll use when selling your home.

This new medium creates a better sense of location and culture which buyers love. After all, more than 70% of homebuyers watch video tours according to a joint real estate consumer report from Google and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). Read more about my drone photography here.

3. Marketing & Pre-Marketing when Selling Historic Phoenix Homes

HELPING YOU PREPARE TO SELL

Before we list your home for sale, I’ll strongly encourage you to make your home into tip-top shape in order to sell it for the highest price. If time is needed to accomplish this, that’s OK because I begin my pre-marketing.

First, knowing how to professionally spruce up your home is part of the preparation which I will help guide you step-by-step by while walking through your home with you. Yes, I give you a lot to do in order to help you get your home ready to sell, but the outcome is wonderful!

Days on Market

The longer a seller’s home is on the market, the less attractive the home becomes to buyers. The best home selling tricks are to prepare it for sale, price it right, hire the best listing agent and attract that excited home buyer(s) who will offer top dollar in record time.

There are just a few things I’m going to strongly suggest and encourage you to do in order to prepare. Do you HAVE to? No, but it’s a great idea so you can yield the highest profit.

DE-CLUTTER AND DE-PERSONALIZE. Think of this process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do anyway.

  • Remove most books from bookcases
  • Pack up those knickknacks
  • Clean off everything on kitchen and bathroom counters
  • Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Most buyers can’t see past personal artifacts so you don’t want them to be distracted. You want buyers to imagine their own photos on the walls.

REARRANGE BEDROOM CLOSETS AND KITCHEN CABINETS WHEN PREPARING TO SELL YOUR HOME

Buyers who love to snoop will open closet and cabinet doors, plus, they’re looking at space size. When buyers see everything organized, they tend to believe that you probably take good care of the rest of the house as well. So, I suggest:

  • Neatly stack dishes and cups
  • Turn coffee cup handles facing the same way
  •  Hang shirts together, buttoned and facing the same direction
  •  Line up shoes

MAKE MINOR REPAIRS BEFORE SELLING YOUR HISTORIC PHOENIX HOME

  • If you’ve considered replacing a worn bedspread, now would be a great time.
  • Replace burned-out light bulbs.
  • Consider painting your walls neutral colors, especially if you have grown accustomed to purple or pink walls.
  • Fix doors that don’t close properly and kitchen drawers that jam.
  • Fix leaky faucets.
  • Patch holes in walls.
  • Replace cracked floor or counter tiles.

MAKE YOUR PHOENIX HOME SPARKLE BEFORE SELLING

  • Wash windows inside and out
  • Rent a pressure washer and spray down sidewalks and exterior
  • Clean out cobwebs
  • Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks
  • Polish chrome faucets and mirrors
  • Clean out the refrigerator
  • Vacuum daily
  • Wax floors
  • Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures
  • Bleach dingy grout
  • Replace or throw out worn rugs
  • Hang up fresh towels
  • Bathroom towels look great fastened with ribbon and bows
  • Deep clean and air out any musty smelling areas. Odors are one of the quickest ways to get someone to leave.

SPRUCE UP CURB APPEAL ON YOUR WONDERFUL HOME BEFORE SELLING

If a buyer won’t get out of their agent’s car because they don’t like the exterior of your home, you may not get them inside. Read this article below from the Arizona Republic, where I was interviewed, about the importance of curb appeal and inexpensive ways to spruce it up. It’s definitely worth the read:

Laura Boyajian interviewed by the Arizona Republic and AZ Central on the Importance of Curb Appeal titled: Curb appeal: A home’s first impression.
Click above link to read interview directly on azcentral.com and see one of her listings used as the featured home in this article.

  • Keep the sidewalks cleared
  • Mow the lawn
  • Paint faded window trim
  • Plant colorful flowers or group flower pots together
  • Trim your bushes

Home Staging Advice for Selling Historic Phoenix Homes

Staging is what you do after you’ve cleaned, de-cluttered, painted and made minor repairs. It’s all about dressing the house for sale and adding the small details. It’s a proven fact that staging a home properly helps it fetch top dollar more quickly! There are many approaches to this which I will discuss with you.

Pre-Listing Marketing Used for Selling Historic Phoenix Homes

HomeSmart Listing Agent Phoenix, AZEven before agents see the live listing in Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service (MLS), I do heavy marketing upfront. Letting your neighbors know (if you want me to) combined with getting the word out to buyers who are actively looking in your neighborhood is a good start.

Signage, Social Media Agent-to-Agent Networking

Then, with signage and a TON of social media, combined with agent to agent marketing, people will know that your home is about to go on the market. I’ll create a “buzz” of excitement. Several “coming soon” announcements will go out on all social media like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest and much more.

“Coming Soon” – A Newer Feature In MLS

Recently, the Arizona MLS created a new listing status simply called, “Coming Soon.” It is good for up to 30 days and doesn’t accumulate “days on market.” It’s a wonderful tool to pre-market your home for sale.

Preparing to go Live on Arizona MLS to Sell Your Historic Phoenix Home

After your house is in the best showing condition as possible and I have a bunch of professional pictures, I put together a wonderful listing on Arizona MLS. I am a Journalist by trade, so my written descriptions of my listings a very unique, sassy, fun, upbeat and detailed featuring any & all selling points of the home.

BUT STICKING A SIGN IN YOUR FRONT YARD AND GOING LIVE ON MLS IS NOT ENOUGH! I DON’T JUST LIST AND WALK AWAY!

What Happens Once Your Listing Is Live on Arizona MLS (Multiple Listing Service)?

Syndication of Listings PLUS Additional Heavy Online Presence

Within about 24 hours, your listing is automatically syndicated to dozens of websites such as Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, Trulia, Yahoo! Real Estate, Google and so many more!

This is so common and needed that there’s even an section on the Listing Agreement that allows a Seller to opt in or out of syndication. There’s no syndicate button to hit, per se, but it is optional. In the nearly 20 years I’ve been a real estate agent, I’ve never had one seller opt out of this! But, if you’d like to, I’ll certainly accommodate.

I’m going to guess that even you have searched at least one of these sites?

It absolutely DOES give you widespread, on-line exposure with literally millions of viewers, and that is 24 hours a day, seven days a week and when I get an inquiry, I RESPOND IMMEDIATELY!

Take JUST Zillow, for example (1):

  • In 2022, Zillow had 48.11% of all real estate website traffic with 93.2 MILLION unique monthly visitors.
  • 2 million real estate professionals have listings on Zillow.
  • Zillow users view 420 million homes per month on mobile devices alone.
  • 93.49% of Zillow’s search engine referrals are organic referrals (as opposed to paid advertisements).
  • Real estate websites collectively record over 721 million monthly visits.
  • 234 million unique users accessed Zillow last year.

Anyone who says syndication does not work is flat out missing the boat on Internet advertising. Here’s just a tiny glimpse of some of the websites that your home for sale will be syndicated. These sites get millions of monthly views!

Selling Historic Phoenix homes with Laura B Real Estate Agent

BUT, Syndication alone is not nearly enough for selling your home!

Featuring Your Home’s Listing on my Websites, all Social Media and doing Open Houses, if you’d like

Each listing gets its own dedicated pages under my featured listings section of my website and cross-linked to many, many other pages within my site. I also send out blog posts and consistently send out all of my listings and their pictures on Twitter, Linked In, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. I even run good, old fashioned manual Craigslist ads which are more powerful than many people think.

Open Houses For Selling Historic Phoenix Homes

Some sellers want open houses, and some do not. If you are a seller who wants
open houses done then I’ll do them for you with heavy promotion before AND during the open house event where I lay down food & drinks for all. Here’s a sample of a video I’ve done at an open house which immediately gets spread far & wide along social media.

4. Hiring a Responsive Agent When Selling Historic Phoenix Homes

This is SO important! Once your house is all spruced up and I’ve put a classy sign and post in your yard with custom riders, we go live on MLS. The calls from people driving by, and, from other agents begin coming in and the scheduling of showings begins. The first sign of how good an agent is, is whether they answer their phone and return calls quickly.

Returning Phone Calls

The phone call from a potential client is one of the best leads for an agent, yet many agents ignore calls or take days to return calls even to fellow agents. This is so wrong and pathetic I cannot even begin to describe. I answer my phone at all hours of the day and night, 7-days a week, and if I’m on another call and someone leaves a message, I call back immediately. Period.

I then set up the showing(s) and continue working, never, ever leave one phone call behind. Quite often, I end up bringing the buyer to the table as well through my communication and marketing skills combined.

When We’re Live on MLS

Once the showings begin, I keep track of each one and immediately follow up with the agent who showed your home. I email them requests with your listing (as agents often see many house daily) asking for detailed feedback from both parties and share that feedback with you, the seller.

If they don’t email me back, I call them. Unfortunately, not all showing agents will provide feedback. I am successful in connecting with about 80-85%% of them. Sometimes this is through email and automated forms I have sent out, and sometimes through direct dialog.

Seeing Your Historic Phoenix Home Sale Through

Until your home sells, I follow up with all agents who showed your home to see if there is any renewed interest from their buyer(s) and give them any and all updated information in your home, if any. Following through with other agents is very important and not all agents do so. 

5. Negotiations and Communication Skills While Selling Your Historic Phoenix Home

I LOVE negotiating! It’s one of my favorite parts of a real estate transaction. In real estate deals, most negotiations are based on two factors: Price and Terms. I learn as much about the Buyer’s party as possible, and in particular their motivation for entering into the proposed transaction.

It’s important to note upfront that market conditions can play a huge factor in negotiating. If it’s a Buyer’s market where inventory is high, often the Seller’s have to give a little bit more. If it’s a Seller’s market, the Buyer may have to give a little bit more.

Negotiate, Negotiate, Negotiate

That said, many people think negotiating price is the most important factor. Price, of course, IS very, very important! I’m committed to getting you the highest dollar amount for your home. I live by not leaving money on the table and I won’t for you. I am a tiger when it comes to negotiating price & terms, and do so with finesse, grace and class.

Many people don’t realize how negotiating terms can be used in their favor. Negotiating terms begin the moment you get an offer.

Ongoing Negotiations While Selling Your Historic Phoenix Home

There are many terms to negotiate when selling your home but here are a few examples:

When drafting an offer, a buyer generally includes several contractual terms that protect the buyer at the seller’s expense. For example, there is a financing contingency, so if financing fails the buyer gets back his earnest money.

Inspection Contingencies

There is an inspection contingency, so if the buyer is not satisfied with the condition of the property, the buyer gets his earnest money back. I have an intimate understanding of these potential contractual terms and make sure that they are fair and ethical. Many terms are automatically spelled out in the Purchase Contract but everything is negotiable. Everything!

Yup…More Negotiations While Selling Your Historic Phoenix Home 

Another big and often underestimated set of negotiations are repairs requested after the Buyer performs their home inspections. This phase is called the Buyer’s Inspection Notice and Seller’s Response, or, BINSR for short. Sometimes, Buyer’s are incredibly unreasonable and try to take advantage of the situation by making things seem much worse than they are.

Buyer’s and Home Inspections

Some buyers intentionally use a home inspection as an opportunity to re-negotiate the transaction. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of times when a Buyer is justified in asking a Seller to make repairs for unsatisfactory conditions. This mostly applies to major systems like the electrical, plumbing, sewer, roof or foundation. We do our best to avoid petty.

Being Realistic 

A Buyer, however, that expects a home to be delivered like it’s new construction is not getting good guidance from their agent. You would not believe how often I get a punchlist after a home inspection for some of the most benign things.

However, the Seller must be prepared to make concessions whether it’s financial or, performing repairs if you want to close escrow. But making too many concessions will eat into your take-home profit, and there is an art in making sure that doesn’t happen.  

Purposes of Buyer’s Home Inspections

The purpose of a home inspection is to find major defects that would cause a buyer not to want to move forward with the transaction or at the very least have these items repaired. If major problems are discovered that should be fixed then that is a different story. That is the real purpose of a home inspection.

Call me today at (602) 400-0008 so I can go over even more marketing techniques I use in order to sell your historic Phoenix or Metro Phoenix home for the most money in the shortest amount of time.

What You, the Seller, Could Encounter when Selling

One of many examples, I just renegotiated the purchase price down $9,000 for a Buyer after discovering the sewer line was original and in terrible condition. Sometimes as a seller, it’s important to make things right. There are many approaches to this.

If a Buyer Backs Out

If the buyer backs out because of a major, non-remedied discovered problem, the Seller has to disclose those findings when the house goes back on the market. But, I will help you prepare for such potential negotiations.

Games Some Buyer’s Play

Some Buyer’s are under the false pretense that a home inspection is for the purpose of creating a long punch list that will be remedied by the Seller. They are potentially setting themselves up for a contentious sale. This can be upsetting to the Seller. So, I will make sure that this process is fair and ethical.

Rest assured, I will not let a Buyer’s party take advantage of you during the Buyer’s Inspection Notice and Seller’s Response.

Other Ways I Can Help you in Selling Your Historic Phoenix Home

There is a wide variety of additional ways I help make my clients life easier. For example, if your home is vacant or becomes vacant during the listing and through the sale, I will constantly check on it. Making sure all is well no matter where the home is will give you a peace of mind.

Top Notch Representation From an Experienced Real Estate Listing Agent when Selling Historic Phoenix Homes

Probably most importantly, when Selling Historic Phoenix homes, is the representation you will get from me is top notch.

Relations With Other Agents

The relations I have with other agents is superb. Building positive rapports with other agents and people in general is critical. I’m an excellent, hard core, top-notch negotiator and will guide you through the transaction and strategy from beginning to end. I don’t just list and walk away.

Whether you’re buying or selling in Central or Downtown Phoenix, or just have some questions about anything at all in or about any one of the historic districts in Phoenix, I’d be very happy to help you! Just call or email me anytime and get your no obligation home valuation.

No question is unimportant when it comes to selling your historic Phoenix or metro Phoenix home!

For the utmost, personalized service or to get any & all questions answered about selling your Phoenix home, I’m just a phone call away at (602) 400-0008.