I received an email saying "Seller will pay $5000 bonus if sold by 11/30" Folks don't do this. There are 5 factors that sell homes. Realtors aren't one of them. That $5000 would be better spent correcting which Factor is broken. Stop getting ripped off by Realtors!

It’s true. We have permanently closed the books for our Mishawaka Assist-2-Sell office. When we did, we realized something pretty remarkable: we saved local homeowners more than $85,000.  Home sellers who smartly chose to work with our team at Assist-2-Sell BASSC paid a low flat fee or 3.75% maximum commission. That can add up to substantial savings!  Especially when you consider that other, real estate companies in the area are charging six percent or more in commission. 

Every year since 2004, our company grew in popularity and market share. In fact, our leading sources of new business were the visibility of our yard signs from people using our service and referrals from our existing clients. Life was good. However, we were home sick. All of our family is in Louisiana and we were just uncomfortable with our children growing up so far away from family. So we made the tough decision to leave the area and return home. But we walk away feeling really good about the service we provided. Excellent real estate sales led to a great living for us and we left over $85,000 in the pockets of our clients. That was extra special considering the economic times that were especially harsh to Elkhart and South Bend area residents.

That’s GOOD NEWS for Baton Rouge Area residents! We have officially opened our office here in Zachary and we are ready to serve the entire Greater Baton Rouge area. We have hit the ground running already selling homes and saving money for Baton Rouge residents. I think we’re a great option for anyone who needs to sell their home. It’s very important—especially in today’s market—for home sellers to preserve as much of their home’s equity as possible.  We make it easy for them to do that.

Right now, homes in this area are selling for $275,000, on average.  Hire a “traditional” real estate company to sell an average-priced home and you could expect to pay at least $13,750.  At Assist-2-Sell®, you’ll pay a flat fee of just $2995.  That’s more than $10,000 in savings!   

This year, we are going to spend more time telling people about Assist-2-Sell’s “Full Service with $avings!”® program.  I look at how much we save our and I wonder why people are still paying high real estate commissions.  They either don’t know about Assist-2-Sell or they don’t understand how it works.  I want to change that.

A common misperception that we will have to address is the belief that Assist-2-Sell is essentially a for sale by owner (or FSBO) business model.  That’s not true.  Assist-2-Sell is a full-service, discount real estate company.  That means they handle everything and save their customers a lot of money in the process: 

• We work directly with home sellers to price their homes accurately. 
• We market all of their homes aggressively; putting them directly in front of active homebuyers. 
• Customers of Assist-2-Sell never have to wonder what’s going on. We are in constant contact with our customers, letting them know if they’ve received any calls, scheduled any showings or have any other updates.
• Once we find (and pre-qualify) a buyer, we prepare the purchase agreement, arrange all inspections, oversee the appraisal, and manage all of the paperwork, which includes working with the lender and the closing company.   

On many of my listing presentations, people ask me how Assist-2-Sell has had so much success selling homes. Nothing about our approach is "hands off". Here are the keys to a successful home sale that we have learned over the last few months:

Use Price as a People Dam" - Your objective with your pricing should be to regulate the amount of buyers that cross your threshold - similar to the way a water dam regulates the flow of water. A price that is too high will result in a people flow that is too low. A price that is too low will result in a high volume of people coming to see you home. This will include people that are less qualified buyers and those who are not really serious about buying. Your home will probably sell very quickly, but you will leave money on the table. You want a steady flow of buyers of a certain number per week. Your agent should know what a good showing rate is.

Don't make the mistake of pricing your home for "negotiating room". The only real relationship between your asking price and your final selling price is that the asking price usually acts as the ceiling.

Don't price your house trying to recover everything you have spent on it. Listen, it is only a myth that everything you add to a house increases, or even maintains its value. Improvements to a house depreciate in value the same way everything else does. You should not expect to raise your house $20,000 over close comparables because you spent and extra $20,000 in improvements.

Market Aggressively - Sellers need to be involved to really understand how their homes are being marketed. This is the time to talk DETAILS. It really doesn't matter what company you use or what agent you use. Buyers don't shop for homes listed by XYZ realty or listed by Agent 123. But, there are certain marketing techniques that have PROVEN responses from buyers. Sellers need to ensure their homes are capitalizing from that research.

Know the Market - You have to watch the market each day and understand where you are positioned. The value of a home moves similar to the value of a stock. It is heavily influenced by the movement of other homes on the market. You need to have a real-time understanding of how competing houses are moving. You also need to know where your buyers are coming from. You need to know what your feedback is and how it relates to other information about your home.

This is the key to selling homes in this market. We find that when our sellers implement these principles consistently, the sell. When they don't, they sit.

When you sell a home, what are you really selling? Well, you're physically selling carpet, tile, drywall, paint, wood, etc. But, mentally and emotionally - you are selling a FEELING! Your buyers will buy based how the home makes them feel. They want to feel secure. They want to feel comfortable. They want to fell at home. Afterall, even the worst home choice on the market for them still has drywall, a roof, and flooring!

Knowing this, it is very important to make sure the best features of your home are positioned to appeal to your buyers feelings. And the avenue to their heart is through their senses - all 5 of them!

VISUAL - This is the most obvious one. Your home needs to be clean, decluttered, and neutral enough so that the buyers can paint the canvas with their own imagination.

SMELL - Perhaps NOTHING will chase your buyer away quicker than a foul odor. Make sure your home is free of odor left from pets, food, and moisture. Freshen up your home with appealing smells. Avoid strong deodorant spray and potpourri. This may actually trigger allergies in some buyers. Instead try a neutralizing spray like FeBreze and soft smelling candles. We suggest blowing the candles out before you leave.

HEARING - What is the best background sound for a showing. Is it jazz music? Maybe some nice classical? What about the 80s channel to bring them back to their big hair years. The best sound for your buyers to hear while touring your home is...(Drum roll)...Silence! Again, your buyer needs to be able to get intimate with your house. In their short time there, they need to use their imaginations to connect with your home. Don't distract them with memories of when they first met at the Bee Gees concert!

TOUCH - Make sure everything your buyer comes in contact with feels new and healthy. Door knobs should be tight. Countertops should be smooth. Also make sure your temperature settings are comfortable.

TASTE - We don't suggest baking cookies or anything. But some nice candy dishes in each room is a nice touch and may facilitate comfort as the buyers tour.