This week we wanted to share an article from one of our small business partners. We know this is not graphic design related but we thought this was an interesting and useful article. Please feel free to call or email Crista Martin with Atova Real Estate with any questions or concerns you may have about our real estate market.  She is a true professional and is always available. Crista Martin: 208-373-1064 or Crista@IdahoRealEstate.com

Article by Crista Martin with Atova, Inc.:
“Over recent years I’ve taken notes from my buyer clients as to what they perceived as being “seller pitfalls or missteps”.  I’ve combined their thoughts, along with those of professional real estate agents, and made the following list in no particular order, as one’s opinion may be different than another’s.

Thinking your home is the exception. I understand that selling a home is an emotional process, but this is business. Allowing your emotions to obscure the realities of today’s market is a huge mistake. I may agree that your home is great and you’ve taken pride in it. But, is it priced emotion free? Did you up the price here and there for new things you’ve added to the home over the years and did you put a retail price on those items? Is it all show and no go? If you were a buyer, what would make you buy your home over a comparable home in the same area for less? Which brings me to the next item.
Not checking out the competition. If you have not scouted the competition, you are at a serious disadvantage. A buyer is looking at every home that meets a certain criteria. In doing so, they are looking for a reason to disqualify a property and make their list shorter. To stay competitive you need to know what you are up against. You should go to open houses for comparable homes and observe how long the property has been on the market. If you see a comparable home that is fantastic, but it has been on the market for 7 months, do you wonder why? On the contrary, if you see a home that is honestly not as desirable as yours, but it sells in 30 days, can you make sense of it? In either case, is pricing, location, marketing or home presentation the issue? If you choose to hire an agent, they will do their research from a business point of view, you should as well. It will make for a more honest approach to listing the property and a shorter, smoother process.
Not prepping your home. Now is not the time to renovate, but little fixes can go a long ways. A lot of buyers are still judging a book by its cover and it may be hard to get them out of the car. Agents have likely previewed the property already and found it to be a match for their client, but all of that can go out the window if a buyer doesn’t like what they see when we pull in the driveway. Agents need your help. If we make it to the door, there is about 30 seconds of time that passes while an agent accesses the lockbox. It is amazing what a buyer can observe in that short time.

A quick coat of paint on the front door, placing a brand new welcome mat, making sure all light bulbs are in working condition and oiling the door hardware and hinges goes a long way.  A fresh coat of neutral (not white) paint inside, fresh trim outside, perfectly manicured landscaping and updated light fixtures will help you put your best foot forward.

The home needs to be cleaned from top (air returns, light fixtures, plant shelves) to bottom (baseboards, carpets and under appliances) and everything in between (doors, cabinets and appliances) with special attention to the bathrooms and kitchen.

A buyer needs to be able to picture themselves in the home and wants to feel like they are getting a lot of space and adequate storage for the money. It is truly hard to do with the sellers’ pictures, drawings and taste-specific items throughout the home. Couple that with overstuffed cabinets and closets and you will likely be at a disadvantage.  A typical rule of thumb is to remove 30%-50% of your belongings before the home goes on the market. Your home will be a more neutral palate, appear bigger and will be organized. It seems like a lot, but it will be less to pack during escrow!

Now here’s a sensitive issue. The nose knows. Many a deal have not had the opportunity to come together because of a smell or scent in the home. Often times we cannot smell our own home, but others can. When in doubt (pets, children or smoke), rent an ozone machine to deodorize. Do not perfume your home with candles, plug-ins, fresh baked goods etc. for three reasons. Some have allergies, some will think you are trying to hide something and others may simply not like the scent you’ve chosen.

Devise a marketing plan. Can you sell your home objectively or should you hire an agent? Do you have the time to properly market your home?  Are you prepared to assume liability for the transaction? Are you willing to pay for all marketing materials?  Although nobody knows more about your home than you do, nobody knows more about the market and process than a qualified agent.  When choosing an agent, be sure to make note of their qualifications, negotiating skills, drive and list to sold ratios.  A true professional can devote the time, money and effort needed to get your home from listed to sold.

Following these tips will directly impact your ability to move on to the next phase in your life. I hope it helps and I’m happy to respond to any inquiries.  Good Luck!”

Crista Martin: 208-373-1064 or Crista@IdahoRealEstate.com

Business cards is one of the cheapest price per piece unit a business creates to advertise their business and yet most business cards you see are not memorable at all. But worst yet they have no way of converting a potential client into a solid lead. We wanted to offer a few tips for creating an effective business card that will make you memorable and help you convert those possible leads:

-Know you market. You may say- “Well duh!” but too many times there are businesses who total skip this part just to have a “hip” looking card. For example if your business targets seniors you may want to adjust your text size so it is easier for those clients to read. Will you really get a referral if your lead cannot even read your card?

-Maximize space without clutter. Your business may have a lot of things to say but filling up your entire card with text and color may have a negative effect on you business. Nowadays printing things on the back side of business cards is a matter of pennies- SO USE THE SPACE. Don’t fill it up but use it as an opportunity to share something more about your business. For example if you are motivational speaker a list of topics you often discuss on the back might intrigue and convert a lead who is on the fence.

-A picture of yourself could make a difference. So you leave a networking event with 50 business cards and are now wondering to yourself “how am I ever going to remember all these people?” Well if there is a picture on the card you are going to have an easier time remembering that contact. If you are in a business where you are selling your service NOT having your picture on your card is NOT an option. Your picture will keep you memorable- period.

-CALL TO ACTION. Every other piece of advertising you have has a call to action- why not your business card?! At JDae Designs we think this is the most important part of your card. We all know that there needs to be contact information on the card but having a call to action is just as important. You told them who you are, who you work for, how to contact you but did you give them a reason to? Tell them what you offer, what you stand for or what you can do for them that is unique. Are you a Realtor? Do you offer a free market analysis of homes? Or do you specialize in foreclosures or shorts sale? Do you work by referral? Are you a Mortgage Lender? Everyone offers low rates to those who qualify but what loan programs do you offer that other companies don’t? Are you a non-profit business? Do you stand specially for something like providing resources to and medical care of children overseas? Are you looking for donations or people to support the cause? PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW- and you should tell them. Call them to action!

-Testing and Updating. Considering the small price per until you might try a few different calls to actions to see which things are well responded to and which things are not. Then go with what works best. Also keep your cards current with not only your contact information but with the call to action. The market changes and your cards should too.

These are only a few of many tips out there for effective business cards, but JDae Designs feels like these are some of the most important. For a free evaluation on your current business cards contact us directly 208-861-9841 or Valerie@JDaeDesigns.com. We will have your FREE evaluation back to you within 24hrs!

And if you know you need help creating effective business cards we are here for that too. We have competitive pricing on design and incredible printing quality. This month we are offering 500 full color, double sided cards with a double sided card design for ONLY $60. This could be be just the opportunity your business has been looking for- contact us TODAY!

Looking for more tips to get your website up to the top of local searches on search engines like Google? Here is a great article from Duct Tape Marketing, with simple tasks to help bump up your ranking. All of these are not only easy to execute but FREE.
If you need help with implementing any of these tasks let us know, we would be happy to help: Valerie@JDaeDesigns.com or 208-861-9841

CLICK HERE FOR: 5 Ways to Get More From Local Search, John Jantsch, Duct Tape Marketing