How to hire the right Realtor

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When looking for a realtor in the Greater Baton Rouge area, it is important to find someone who is knowledgeable about the local market and has a proven track record of success. Here are a few tips to help you find the right realtor for you:

  1. Look for a realtor with experience: Choose a realtor who has been in the business for a while and has a proven track record of helping buyers and sellers successfully navigate the Greater Baton Rouge real estate market. Look for a realtor who has experience in the neighborhoods and price ranges that are relevant to your search.
  2. Check for credentials: Make sure the realtor you choose is licensed and has the necessary credentials to work in the Greater Baton Rouge area. They should be a member of the National Association of Realtors and the Baton Rouge Board of Realtors. These organizations have strict standards for membership and require that realtors adhere to a code of ethics.
  3. Look for good communication skills: A good realtor will be able to communicate effectively with you throughout the buying or selling process. They should be responsive to your needs and be able to provide clear and timely information. The buying or selling process can be stressful, so it is important to work with a realtor who can provide clear and timely communication, and understand your needs.
  4. Check online reviews: Look at online reviews from past clients to get an idea of what their experience was like working with the realtor. Pay attention to both positive and negative reviews, and see if the realtor was able to resolve any issues that came up. This will give you an idea of how the realtor operates, and if their past clients have had a positive experience working with them.
  5. Ask for referrals: Ask friends, family, or colleagues for recommendations of realtors they have worked with in the past. Personal referrals can be a great way to find a realtor you can trust. Ask if they would recommend the realtor to someone else and why.
  6. Know their Market Knowledge: A good realtor should have a deep understanding of the Greater Baton Rouge area, including the different neighborhoods, schools, and amenities. They should also be able to provide you with valuable insights into the current market trends, and give you an accurate estimate of your property’s value.
  7. Understand their negotiation skills: A good realtor should have strong negotiation skills to help you get the best deal possible. They should be able to represent your interests and help you navigate the buying or selling process.

By following these tips, you can find a good realtor in the Greater Baton Rouge area who has the experience, credentials, communication skills, market knowledge and positive reputation you need to help you buy or sell your home successfully. It is important to do your research and find someone who is knowledgeable about the local market and has a track record of success to ensure that your buying or selling experience is a positive one.

 

How to Save Thousands When Buying a New Home

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When buying a new home, it’s easy to focus on the costs and forget about the ways you can save money. But with a little bit of planning and preparation, you can potentially save thousands of dollars on your home purchase. Here are four things you can do to help you save money when buying a new home:

  1. Hire a team of professionals: Hiring a team of professionals, such as a real estate agent, lender, and home inspector, can cost money up front, but it can save you a lot of money in the long run. These professionals can help you avoid red flags, know what’s standard for the local market, and negotiate the best deal for you.
  2. Do the prep work: Meeting with your lender early on in the process and assessing whether or not you need to do a few things to raise your credit score or pay off debt to get a better rate can save you a lot of money. Being a meticulous planner when buying a home can pay off in the long run.
  3. Home inspection: Paying for a home inspection can save you thousands of dollars. Home inspections can uncover major defects that either the seller can repair (on their dime) or you can make negotiations in your best interest. Ask your agent for reputable home inspectors and show up to the appointment to ask questions.
  4. File your homestead exemption: Filing your homestead exemption can save you thousands come tax time. Some title companies do this for you and others require you to do it, but either way, after you purchase a home, always call to be sure the homestead exemption was filed before the clock strikes 12 at the New Year.

By following these tips, you can save money on your home purchase and avoid buyer’s remorse and financial distress as a homeowner. Remember to save this post for future reference and don’t hesitate to reach out to a professional for guidance.

How To Hire The Right Realtor For You

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3 questions to ask when interviewing a REALTOR to determine if they’re a good match:

1. Do they offer a complimentary consultation before starting the process? Agents who require you to meet prior to diving into the process are doing so for a good reason. They want to learn everything they need to know about you and your real estate goals while also educating you on the information that you are going to need to successfully buy or sell a home. This is a sign of professionalism and also an easy way to know whether or not they are a good fit before actually getting started.

2. Do they use social media to market their business? Why should you care if an agent uses social media? While Facebook isn’t an app that is designed to sell homes, it is a platform with over 2 billion active monthly users. Along with a variety of other social media platforms, it is crucial for agents to be utilizing social media when it comes to marketing your house or helping you find your house. Ask them how they use these tools to stay ahead of the curve and how that can in turn help you with your real estate needs.

3. How do they communicate? How often can you expect to hear from them and in what form? Will you mainly be talking to them or their admin? Are easy to get ahold of? Make sure they let you know how and when they will be communicating with you so you’re never left in the dark wondering why they haven’t returned your call or gotten back to you. Sounds pretty simple but the real estate industry doesn’t sleep so having someone that is going to stay on top of things is so important.

What are your thoughts? Did you know to be asking these questions before reading this post?

Coffee Q & A – The Cost of Selling Your House

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COFFEE Q&A:
How much money do I need to have saved for the home SELLING process?⁣
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A: Some of the expenses you’ll want to prepare for when selling your home go beyond just commissions and closing costs (sometimes)! Here are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when budgeting for the home selling process.⁣
⁣Not all of these are a have to, but something to consider!⁣
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🎨 Fresh Coat of Paint and/or touch up⁣
🧼 Professional Cleaning and HVAC Cleaned and Serviced⁣
🛋 Staging (ask me for more info 😉)⁣
✏️ Flood Elevation Certification (if you’re in a high risk flood zone)
💰 Realtor fee
🧾 Mortgage and Liens Payoff⁣
💵 Closing Costs (Seller’s have their own closing costs. That includes title policy [negotiation point], recording and title fees. Sometimes the buyer may ask you to pay for theirs [negotiation point])⁣
🔨 Repairs – negotiated or appraisal required⁣
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If you want to learn more about these expenses and the details on what you can expect to spend for each of them, let’s book a Seller Consult and discuss your pricing and marketing strategy! 225-505-7583

You Can Work With Any Realtor You Want But None Of Them Will Be Me

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REAL TALK: There are a LOT of Real Estate Agents you can choose from to to help you sell or buy a home or investment property.
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Everywhere you go, you’ll probably talk to someone who’s cousin, brother, spouse, uncle, or friend is in real estate.
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Here’s the truth though, every single one of them will provide a totally unique experience.
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Whether it’s in how they communicate, how they negotiate, how they navigate a transaction or how they educate you on the market. How they strategically market their listings, how they help make your home look it’s best through staging, professional photography, or maybe not… there are so many moving parts that make up the experience you’ll have throughout the buying or selling process that you don’t always think about.
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What I can tell you for sure is that none of them will give the exact experience I provide. Maybe that’s not for you and that’s totally okay. I strive to use this platform to show up as my authentic self so that you can get a peek behind the curtain and see what it’s like to work with me. So you can decide (well before you need a REALTOR) if I’m the right fit or not.
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I want you to learn how I communicate with my clients, what the buying process looks like with me, how I educate my clients about the market, what I offer in terms of my listing marketing plan… I want to share it all here so that you can make the best decision possible when it comes time to hire a REALTOR!
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Stay tuned because in 2021, I’ll be sharing a lot more details about “The CW Home Method” which will include a lot of behind the scenes content of how I run my business 🥂

A For Sale Sign Is Not A Marketing Strategy

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I know what you’re thinking…

I’m going to save what I’d spend on commission, put a sign in the front yard, let the neighbors know and try to get my house on Zillow 😳

The market is hot, your neighbor sold his house on their own and you’re ready to make a move.

Before you put the sign up, just know: a for sale sign is not a marketing strategy. Neither is putting your home on Zillow.

Your home is likely your largest asset and selling it involves a lot more steps than you might think. I know we as agents make it look easy – but that’s because this is what we do for a living every single day.

We’ve gone through this process over and over and over. We know the red flags, the timelines, and all the ins and outs of the contracts.

Here are a few things to consider before putting up the For Sale by Owner sign:

1. Do you truly know the value of your home and how much money you can net from selling it?

2. Without the online marketing strategies used by an agent, your home isn’t going to have the built up demand that many homes are experiencing. The demand is what drives up the sale price.

3. Statistics show that you net more money when using an agent 💰

4. It’s not just about the offer price – there are several pieces between accepted offer and closing that can cost you money. Do you know how to navigate these turning points?

My goal is for homeowners to make smart real estate decisions and net the most money possible from their home sale. If you want to learn more about how I help my sellers prepare their home for the market, let me know!

Christen Ward

225-505-7583|Contact Christen