Sellers Archives

Is Your Midtown Atlanta Condo Listed Correctly?

March 20, 2012 by Thom Abbott

Congratulations! You’ve decided it’s time to sell your Midtown Atlanta Condo! The agent interviews are over, the paperwork is done, the lockbox is installed and you are ready for the showings! But they don’t happen!! Did you pick the wrong agent? (Honey, I TOLD you we should of listed with Thom Abbott!) Is the price to high? Maybe you should ask your agent if Your Midtown Atlanta Condo is Listed Properly?

Is Your Midtown Atlanta Condo Listed Correctly?

How do you know? You would hope that your agent knows what they are doing, right? But there are numerous little mistakes that can happen during the listing process that can quickly send your Midtown Atlanta Condo to Forsyth County and Cumming, some 20 miles away! Let’s take a look at some common mistakes and how you might find them.

Your Condo Listed in the the Wrong “Area”

In Metro Atlanta, our two listing services (FMLS and GaMLS) have the city divided into areas but numbers. (For this discussion we will use FMLS numbrs) Midtown Atlanta is in Area 23. Some agents like myself are responsible for putting your listing into the listing service. Others may have a coordinator, assistant or office manager that does this. So, the Area may have been written down wrong, or the agent/office manager could of made a wrong key stroke. By adding an extra “2” to the Area Number, you have just listed your Midtown Atlanta Condo in Forsyth County, about 20 miles NORTH of Midtown! Whoops!

How do YOU, the Seller know if this happened? Well, you do not have any websites that search real estate by FMLS Area’s. So, once your condo is listed, ask your agent to give you a Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) of the neighborhood, or building where you have your home For Sale. If it’s not appearing in that CMA, Bingo!

Your Condominium Name is Spelled Wrong!

NO! Not really? Ah, YES….REALLY! As an agent that specializes in Midtown Atlanta Condominiums, I have specific searches built for all the major condo buildings in Midtown Atlanta. For example, let’s say you live in Plaza Midtown Condominiums and have your condo listed For Sale. I have heard some Buyers and even Owners refer to the building as Midtown Plaza. Well, search for a listing in “Midtown Plaza”, and get nothing. (Midtown Plaza is actually an OFFICE BUILDING located on West Peachtree Street. A search with just the word “Plaza” will also bring up ANY listing with the word “Plaza” and there is another condo community with that word.

So, I as an agent that knows the building names could MISS your listing if the building name is not listed correctly (or SPELLED correctly) on your listing. How do You, The Seller know if this happened? Once your listing is Active, again ask for a CMA of all the condos listed in Plaza Midtown. On the right is an example of a search using just the word “Plaza.” (Note: I do an area search as well to look for EVERYTHING, but does every agent?)

Your Condominium Building Is in the Wrong Zip Code?

Midtown Atlanta is split between TWO Zip Codes….30308 and 30309. And the dividing line does not follow ANY logic! If you live in Spire Midtown Atlanta, you are 30308. Go just two blocks North on Peachtree Street to Metropolis Midtown Atlanta and you are now in 30309! These are the main Zip Codes for Midtown, but if you were searching for Midtown West, it’s in 30318.

One overall way to make sure your Midtown Atlanta Condo is listed correctly is to have your agent provide you a copy of the FMLS AGENT report. We can print reports in a variety of ways, but the AGENT report gives detailed information not visible to the Public. (A portion of one is below.)

THIS is the report you should review in great detail to make sure Your Midtown Atlanta Condo Is Listed Correctly!

Dear Wells Fargo… Congratulations! You Bought a House for $8,000 less than offered!

January 11, 2012 by Thom Abbott

Via Scoop.it – Midtown Atlanta Condos

Dear Wells Fargo, Congratulations! You’ve bought a house! I know you are going to be very happy there. The schools in the area have a great reputation.
Via activerain.com

Note: I share this story with you not to “scare you” from attempting a short sale on your home, but so that you, the Seller and the Buyer know that we know the frustrations everyone faces in these kinds of situations. Perhaps these kinds of things should be brought to the attention of lawmakers. It almost seems like a crime…..

What Does YOUR Listing Say?

December 21, 2010 by Thom Abbott

I’m always quite careful about what I say, and how I say it in the “public” remarks of our listing service. I always tell my Sellers’ that this is what will show up on many of the websites that people look at and find their listing. Of course, I enhance all of my listings via REALTOR.com, but this is also the first impression that other agents get about my listing. What is says, can make an agent decide whether to preview my listing or show it. Or if a BUYER wants to see it.

Man Thinking That said, I just have to laugh when I read the following description in our listing service yesterday:

“The Homeowners/Sellers Obligation to perform on this contract is subject to the approval of the Lien Holders. For Any Inspection Buyers Cost. Buyer Must Turn on Utilities. This is a Short Sale.”

Well doesn’t that just make me want to run right over and show that listing?

It certainly sounds like something that came right out of some lender’s legal department, but I mean really? Could we have not put that in the Private Remarks, and really described the home, a condo on the 15th floor of a great Midtown building and at a great price?

Sure, if I am representing the Buyer, I need to know that they will have to pay for the utilities to be turned on for the inspection. Sure I need to know this is a short sale. But all of that could of been in the Private Remarks, and the Listing Agent could of been selling the features of this condo to the prospective Buyer…and to ME!

When I work with you as your Listing Agent, we work together to make sure we have identified all the best features of your home to get the most exposure possible. Even if it’s a short sale, we want to encourage the Buyer to see your home or condo and what is unique about it.

If you are looking to sell your Midtown Atlanta Condo, let’s work together to make sure we get you the best marketing possible! And if you are Searching for a Midtown Atlanta Condo, you’ve come to the right place.

Desperate Times, Desperate Measures. Or Just Being Creative?

December 15, 2010 by Thom Abbott

Desperate Times, Desperate Measures. Or Just Being Creative?

Midtown Atlanta Real Estate It’s no news flash to anyone. Real estate is a pretty tough gig right now. Be you the Seller, the Buyer or the Broker. (Ok, the Buyers might have it easy in the sense of what they can buy a home or condo for right now, but you need to have some pretty good credit and some money in the bank.)

So, my Seller’s have asked now, and in the past, what can we do to sell our home? Well, let’s get creative. And an article in the Wall Street Journal offers up some great suggestions. Now, sure, these are done in multi-million dollar listings, but who says it can’t be done in your $200,000 home or condo? Of course it can!

And by working together with your Broker, you can accomplish any of these. If your Broker does not have an artist, how about you? Maybe you have a friend that would jump at the chance for a “gallery show” but held in your home. It does not have to break the bank to do a wine and cheese event, or a Sunday afternoon hot apple cider and cookies kind of event.

I loved the idea in the article of a picnic on a vacant piece of land. Hmmmm….(sound of wheels turning)

I’d be happy to get creative with you to sell your home or condo in Midtown Atlanta. Just let me know when we can get together!

9 Reasons to List During the Holidays

December 12, 2010 by Thom Abbott

9 Reasons to List During The Holidays

Well, Christmas and New Years are but 12 and 20 days away, but this topic still bears repeating. If you were thinking, “let’s wait to list the house till after the holidays,” you just might be missing out on a buyer. So here are some reasons to list your home during the holiday season.

January can be a time for new employees to start their new job, and hence need new housing
Some people need to buy before the end of the year for tax reasons
Buyers may have more time to look during the holidays with additional time off from work
Homes DO show better when decorated for the holiday
Serious Buyers have less homes to choose from during the holidays (those other people that choose to wait to list are not yet available)
Buyers viewing homes during this time of year are most likely pretty serious buyers
The supply of homes will most likely jump in January as those that chose NOT to list over the holidays jump into the market
Buyers are more emotional during the holidays…and may be willing to pay closer to your asking price (provided it’s priced right to start with)
If you sell now, you may be able to lease back your home for a period of time. Also, you will not be a buyer shopping with a contingency that you have to sell your home first.

So if you’ve been thinking about listing your Midtown Atlanta Condominium, now is a good time for us to help you make that happen. And yes, when the holidays are over and your home may not have sold yet, we will be back to take new pictures without holiday decorations.

Why not contact Thomas Ramon Realty and let us get to work for you this holiday season!

Is Your Midtown Atlanta Condo Listed Correctly?

Your Condo Listed in the the Wrong “Area”

Your Condominium Name is Spelled Wrong!

Your Condominium Building Is in the Wrong Zip Code?

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