In today's challenging real estate environment, the marketing effort provided in a home sale will make a big difference in the ultimate goal.....Getting the house SOLD! Selling your home in Metrowest MA is no longer a task that can be accomplished by throwing a sign out in the yard and putting it in MLS. Buyers are no longer lurking at every street corner waiting for the next house to come on the market. It takes a concentrated effort by the Realtor to get maximum exposure for your home.
The supply of homes in Metrowest MA has been growing along with the average days on the market. To see the statistics on some of the various Metrowest towns including Hopkinton, Ashland, Holliston, Milford, Upton, Southboro, Mendon and Hopedale click to look at the Metrowest MA market report.
There are a number of necessary things to do when selling a home in Metrowest MA. Selecting a good Realtor should be of the utmost importance. Here are some excellent questions you can ask that I outlined for someone selling their home in Hopkinton MA. Of course these questions would apply just about anywhere you are selling your home. These questions should go along way in at least helping you determine if you are hiring a pro or not.
One of the most important things to look for in the interview process is to see where the Realtor will be marketing your home on-line. You can no longer just rely on MLS, Realtor.com, and an agents website to be all that it necessary in the marketing effort to get your home sold.
I recently wrote an article called Metrowest MA Homes ~ How to effectively Market to the masses On-line. This article details a multitude of websites I am using when selling a home in Metrowest MA. This is the type of effort that will increase your chances of getting your home sold in a timely manner for top dollar.
The above information was provided by Bill Gassett, the team leader for the #2 RE/MAX Team in Massachusetts in 2006. Bill can be reached via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-435-5356.
Bill has helped people move in and out of many Metrowest towns for the last 21+ Years. Bill's office is conveniently located in the center of Hopkinton MA at 77 Main Street. RE/MAX Executive Realty also has an offices in Upton MA, Holliston MA, Grafton MA, Medfield MA, Franklin MA, and Natick MA.
For Massachusetts homes for sale and other Real Estate information see myhousepartners website or Sell my Home in Metrowest MA. Want to have MLS access to beat other buyers to your dream home? Sign up with no obligation at my MLS Property Finder Site. I have a passion for Real Estate and would love to help YOU accomplish your goals.
I service the following towns in Metrowest MA: Hopkinton, Milford, Upton, Southboro, Westboro, Ashland, Holliston, Mendon, Hopedale, Medway, Grafton, Northbridge, Uxbridge, and Framingham MA.
Click here to view Bill Gassett's Real Estate profile.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
The Boston Marathon and Hopkinton MA....It all starts here!
Hopkinton MA is a terrific place to live. I should know I have lived here for the last forty years. I have also been selling Real Estate in Hopkinton for the last twenty one years. What originally put Hopkinton on the map, so to speak is the fact that the Boston Marathon starts here in little ole Hopkinton MA.
The Boston Marathon is one of the most recognizable events. It has grown so large it is by and large the most covered marathon in the world. Last year there were over 20,000 runners! This day is very exciting here in Hopkinton MA. It is truly an experience with a circus like atmosphere. Helicopters, news trucks, reporters, vendors, and just tons of people, runners and spectators alike.Hopkinton, however, is more than just the starting point for the Boston Marathon. Hopkinton MA is a great place to raise a family. Hopkinton is located about 26 miles West of Boston which makes it an ideal location for people commuting to work everyday. Access to highways is great as the "Cross roads of New England", Route 495 and the MA Pike are right here.
Hopkinton has experienced tremendous growth over the last decade. Real Estate values in the town of Hopkinton have sky rocketed. It has become a "destination" town for people looking to settle down into a nice home.
There are many factors that contribute to Hopkinton being a great place to live besides the excellent commuting location. The schools in Hopkinton are very highly regarded. A new state of the art high school was just built a few years ago.
The athletic center know as the "Field House" in the new high school is close to what you would find at a small college. It is really impressive!
Hopkinton has many great neighborhoods. In fact, in relation to other neighboring towns there is much more variety and number of "subdivision" type neighborhoods. There is a variety of Real Estate choices in Hopkinton MA. Homes for sale in Hopkinton are priced from the mid 200's for a small starter home which most likely needs work to beautiful Multi Million dollar homes.
Some of the top high end subdivisions in Hopkinton include Highpark, Springwood, Forestside Estates, Ravenwood, The Highlands, and Circa 1700 Country Village. Homes is these Hopkinton neighborhoods start in the 600's and go up to a million plus.
The town does not have a big commercial base. Hopkinton has a very rural feel to it. You will not find establishments such as McDonald's and Burger King in Hopkinton. The residents of Hopkinton have wanted it this way, in keeping with the master plan. The town center has a very quaint feel to it. Large scale shopping for groceries and clothing is done in the neighboring towns of Milford and Westboro. There is a large scale mall located about 20 minutes away in Natick MA. There is a small super market in town center called Collela's Market for things needed in a pinch. For a better understanding of the demographics in Hopkinton MA Citi-data is an excellent resource.
One of the most visible companies that employs a number of people living in Hopkinton as well as other surrounding Metrowest towns is EMC Corporation. Emc is a computer data storage company with its main offices located on South Street in Hopkinton.
Hopkinton is going to under go some substantial future growth as one of the largest Nurseries in the united States known as Weston Nurseries, has sold off a large chunk of their land for future development. There will be an additional 940 units built at the Weston Nurseries site. You can read about the future development of Weston Nurseries here. It will be a mix of residential homes, condos, affordable housing, as well as commercial and retail space. The subdivision and the homes there will be be part of what's called Legacy Farms.
As a Realtor that has grown up here and gone through the Hopkinton schools myself, I can be an invaluable resource to my clients and customers. If you are thinking of moving to Hopkinton, MA, I would love to work with you and share my pride in this fantastic town.
If you do decide to move to Hopkinton MA or other Metrowest town, please feel free to visit my Metrowest MA MLS Property Finder website. You can also sign up to get MLS Access here.
Hopkinton MA Real Estate.....something I am passionate about.
The Boston Marathon is one of the most recognizable events. It has grown so large it is by and large the most covered marathon in the world. Last year there were over 20,000 runners! This day is very exciting here in Hopkinton MA. It is truly an experience with a circus like atmosphere. Helicopters, news trucks, reporters, vendors, and just tons of people, runners and spectators alike.Hopkinton, however, is more than just the starting point for the Boston Marathon. Hopkinton MA is a great place to raise a family. Hopkinton is located about 26 miles West of Boston which makes it an ideal location for people commuting to work everyday. Access to highways is great as the "Cross roads of New England", Route 495 and the MA Pike are right here.
Hopkinton has experienced tremendous growth over the last decade. Real Estate values in the town of Hopkinton have sky rocketed. It has become a "destination" town for people looking to settle down into a nice home.
There are many factors that contribute to Hopkinton being a great place to live besides the excellent commuting location. The schools in Hopkinton are very highly regarded. A new state of the art high school was just built a few years ago.
The athletic center know as the "Field House" in the new high school is close to what you would find at a small college. It is really impressive!
Hopkinton has many great neighborhoods. In fact, in relation to other neighboring towns there is much more variety and number of "subdivision" type neighborhoods. There is a variety of Real Estate choices in Hopkinton MA. Homes for sale in Hopkinton are priced from the mid 200's for a small starter home which most likely needs work to beautiful Multi Million dollar homes.
Some of the top high end subdivisions in Hopkinton include Highpark, Springwood, Forestside Estates, Ravenwood, The Highlands, and Circa 1700 Country Village. Homes is these Hopkinton neighborhoods start in the 600's and go up to a million plus.
The town does not have a big commercial base. Hopkinton has a very rural feel to it. You will not find establishments such as McDonald's and Burger King in Hopkinton. The residents of Hopkinton have wanted it this way, in keeping with the master plan. The town center has a very quaint feel to it. Large scale shopping for groceries and clothing is done in the neighboring towns of Milford and Westboro. There is a large scale mall located about 20 minutes away in Natick MA. There is a small super market in town center called Collela's Market for things needed in a pinch. For a better understanding of the demographics in Hopkinton MA Citi-data is an excellent resource.
One of the most visible companies that employs a number of people living in Hopkinton as well as other surrounding Metrowest towns is EMC Corporation. Emc is a computer data storage company with its main offices located on South Street in Hopkinton.
Hopkinton is going to under go some substantial future growth as one of the largest Nurseries in the united States known as Weston Nurseries, has sold off a large chunk of their land for future development. There will be an additional 940 units built at the Weston Nurseries site. You can read about the future development of Weston Nurseries here. It will be a mix of residential homes, condos, affordable housing, as well as commercial and retail space. The subdivision and the homes there will be be part of what's called Legacy Farms.
As a Realtor that has grown up here and gone through the Hopkinton schools myself, I can be an invaluable resource to my clients and customers. If you are thinking of moving to Hopkinton, MA, I would love to work with you and share my pride in this fantastic town.
If you do decide to move to Hopkinton MA or other Metrowest town, please feel free to visit my Metrowest MA MLS Property Finder website. You can also sign up to get MLS Access here.
Hopkinton MA Real Estate.....something I am passionate about.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Selling your home in Metrowest MA? It Pays to interview a Top Realtor!
There are thousands of Real Estate agents that service the Metrowest Boston area. There are, however, vast differences in the skill level, services offered, and marketing efforts of the Realtors that cover towns in Metrowest MA.
Lets start by analyzing the many things a Metrowest MA Realtor can do for you to market your home besides putting it in MLS. The local newspaper used to be a good source for marketing homes. The Metrowest Daily News and Boston Globe were the dominant sources for for marketing homes in Metrowest MA over the last decade. Buyers however, don't frequent these sources like they used to when looking for a home in Metrowest MA. All the newspaper resources that used to be so successful in the past for advertising and marketing your Metrowest MA home, just don't work anymore. The volume of calls received from these sources has dwindled severely. The Boston Globe has seen the trend progress and because of this has started to put a lot of their resources into making the real estate section of Boston.com a better place for Metrowest MA Realtors to market their homes. The Boston.com website is owned by the Boston Globe.
It is clear that the Internet is where any good Realtor marketing homes in Metrowest MA should be putting their efforts. A year ago 70% of all buyers were beginning their search on the Internet. Now more than 85% are looking and finding their homes on the Internet. Hiring a Metrowest MA Realtor who is Internet savvy, has the technology in place, and can provide you with an abundance of Internet exposure has become an absolute necessity in todays market. Internet marketing has become one of the most effective means to sell your Metrowest MA home.
Some of the the sites to market a home on the Internet include Realtor.com. Realtor.com is a consumer friendly website that allows buyers to see homes that are on MLS throughout the country. Realtor.com has the largest volume of traffic for real estate related websites. While viewing homes in Realtor.com, you will notice big differences in how Realtors market their homes there. A good Realtor will take the time to "enhance" the listing. As a Realtor, you are allowed to add up to twenty photos of the property you are marketing. Survey after survey says that the photos are the most important tool to market a home. The phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words" is never more evident than in Real Estate. Realtors are also able to write their own custom text to help buyers understand what the best features are about the property. Many of the Realtors in Metrowest MA do nothing to "enhance" their properties. This is a big mistake!
The most heavily traveled real estate company website happens to be the company I work for RE/MAX.com RE/MAX.com is similar to Realtor.com in that you are able to see all the properties on the market from one website. When going to competing companies websites such as Coldwellbanker.com and C-21.com you are only able to view their respective company listings.
One of the latest sites to effectively market a Metrowest MA home is Zillow.com. Zillow initially was more of a site to get a quick evaluation of your homes value but is now being used as a site to market homes. As a Realtor, you are able to enhance listings with multiple photos and descriptions. A valuable tool in marketing your Metrowest MA home, as this is a heavily traveled site. Another site that is also starting to make some headway is Trulia.com. and yet another good site is listingvue.com.
Along with these sites you would think that all Metrowest MA Realtors would have search engine optimized, lead generating websites. Many Metrowest MA agents do not and rely on company websites. My personal website, myhousepartners.com allows buyers to sign up to receive MLS access as well as to get emailed daily when a new property comes on the market that matches their search criteria.
One of the newest and most important ways to market a home in Metrowest MA is through blogging. Blogs are an excellent means to get noticed by the search engines. Some of the best agents from around the country have figured this out and are now blogging like crazy. One of the best Real Estate platforms to blog on is Active Rain and Localism.com Both of these sites are very well recognized by the search engines such as Google and draw traffic to the Realtors who use them. Blogs are personal. Blogs provide buyers and sellers with great information, tips, advice, news, market reports, and promotion of properties. Here are examples of some of my recent blog posts:
Preparing your Massachusetts home for the Spring selling season
Attention Home Sellers - don't get sued because of bedroom misrepresentation.
Get your Title V done early
Metrowest MA Real Estate - why most companies don't offer Sub-agency
Top ten mistakes to avoid when selling your Massachusetts home
Why Your Massachusetts Home Expired
Selling your Massachusetts home is a buyers market
Social networking sites are also raising the bar on how a property can be marketed. For example see my Metrowest MA Real Estate site on Squidoo.com. This is an example of a site I created to draw additional traffic to my listings as well as myself. Some other important social networking sites are stumbleupon, digg, and del.icio.us These sites allows users to post their favorite Internet sites for others to see under different topics. Real Estate is always a popular topic. These sites allow your website to become more visible. As a top Metrowest MA Realtor, I like to take advantage of these sites. It does not pay to be a "secret agent" in Real Estate. Flickr is also a site where you can post photos. I use this site to market homes I am selling in and around Metrowest MA.
Thinking of selling your home in Metrowest MA? Want a top RE/MAX agent that knows how to market homes - Contact Bill Gassett, RE/MAX Executive Realty via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-435-5356.
I am the team leader of the #2 RE/MAX Team in Massachusetts. I service the following towns in Metrowest MA: Hopkinton, Milford, Upton, Southboro, Westboro, Ashland, Holliston, Mendon, Hopedale, Medway, Grafton, Northbridge, Uxbridge, and Framingham MA.
Want to sign up to access MLS and beat other buyers to new listings? Use my MLS property finder site with no obligation.
Lets start by analyzing the many things a Metrowest MA Realtor can do for you to market your home besides putting it in MLS. The local newspaper used to be a good source for marketing homes. The Metrowest Daily News and Boston Globe were the dominant sources for for marketing homes in Metrowest MA over the last decade. Buyers however, don't frequent these sources like they used to when looking for a home in Metrowest MA. All the newspaper resources that used to be so successful in the past for advertising and marketing your Metrowest MA home, just don't work anymore. The volume of calls received from these sources has dwindled severely. The Boston Globe has seen the trend progress and because of this has started to put a lot of their resources into making the real estate section of Boston.com a better place for Metrowest MA Realtors to market their homes. The Boston.com website is owned by the Boston Globe.
It is clear that the Internet is where any good Realtor marketing homes in Metrowest MA should be putting their efforts. A year ago 70% of all buyers were beginning their search on the Internet. Now more than 85% are looking and finding their homes on the Internet. Hiring a Metrowest MA Realtor who is Internet savvy, has the technology in place, and can provide you with an abundance of Internet exposure has become an absolute necessity in todays market. Internet marketing has become one of the most effective means to sell your Metrowest MA home.
Some of the the sites to market a home on the Internet include Realtor.com. Realtor.com is a consumer friendly website that allows buyers to see homes that are on MLS throughout the country. Realtor.com has the largest volume of traffic for real estate related websites. While viewing homes in Realtor.com, you will notice big differences in how Realtors market their homes there. A good Realtor will take the time to "enhance" the listing. As a Realtor, you are allowed to add up to twenty photos of the property you are marketing. Survey after survey says that the photos are the most important tool to market a home. The phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words" is never more evident than in Real Estate. Realtors are also able to write their own custom text to help buyers understand what the best features are about the property. Many of the Realtors in Metrowest MA do nothing to "enhance" their properties. This is a big mistake!
The most heavily traveled real estate company website happens to be the company I work for RE/MAX.com RE/MAX.com is similar to Realtor.com in that you are able to see all the properties on the market from one website. When going to competing companies websites such as Coldwellbanker.com and C-21.com you are only able to view their respective company listings.
One of the latest sites to effectively market a Metrowest MA home is Zillow.com. Zillow initially was more of a site to get a quick evaluation of your homes value but is now being used as a site to market homes. As a Realtor, you are able to enhance listings with multiple photos and descriptions. A valuable tool in marketing your Metrowest MA home, as this is a heavily traveled site. Another site that is also starting to make some headway is Trulia.com. and yet another good site is listingvue.com.
Along with these sites you would think that all Metrowest MA Realtors would have search engine optimized, lead generating websites. Many Metrowest MA agents do not and rely on company websites. My personal website, myhousepartners.com allows buyers to sign up to receive MLS access as well as to get emailed daily when a new property comes on the market that matches their search criteria.
One of the newest and most important ways to market a home in Metrowest MA is through blogging. Blogs are an excellent means to get noticed by the search engines. Some of the best agents from around the country have figured this out and are now blogging like crazy. One of the best Real Estate platforms to blog on is Active Rain and Localism.com Both of these sites are very well recognized by the search engines such as Google and draw traffic to the Realtors who use them. Blogs are personal. Blogs provide buyers and sellers with great information, tips, advice, news, market reports, and promotion of properties. Here are examples of some of my recent blog posts:
Preparing your Massachusetts home for the Spring selling season
Attention Home Sellers - don't get sued because of bedroom misrepresentation.
Get your Title V done early
Metrowest MA Real Estate - why most companies don't offer Sub-agency
Top ten mistakes to avoid when selling your Massachusetts home
Why Your Massachusetts Home Expired
Selling your Massachusetts home is a buyers market
Social networking sites are also raising the bar on how a property can be marketed. For example see my Metrowest MA Real Estate site on Squidoo.com. This is an example of a site I created to draw additional traffic to my listings as well as myself. Some other important social networking sites are stumbleupon, digg, and del.icio.us These sites allows users to post their favorite Internet sites for others to see under different topics. Real Estate is always a popular topic. These sites allow your website to become more visible. As a top Metrowest MA Realtor, I like to take advantage of these sites. It does not pay to be a "secret agent" in Real Estate. Flickr is also a site where you can post photos. I use this site to market homes I am selling in and around Metrowest MA.
Thinking of selling your home in Metrowest MA? Want a top RE/MAX agent that knows how to market homes - Contact Bill Gassett, RE/MAX Executive Realty via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-435-5356.
I am the team leader of the #2 RE/MAX Team in Massachusetts. I service the following towns in Metrowest MA: Hopkinton, Milford, Upton, Southboro, Westboro, Ashland, Holliston, Mendon, Hopedale, Medway, Grafton, Northbridge, Uxbridge, and Framingham MA.
Want to sign up to access MLS and beat other buyers to new listings? Use my MLS property finder site with no obligation.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
RE/MAX Executive Realty continues to dominate Hopkinton MA Market share!
Market share for Hopkinton MA from July of 2006 - July of 2007.
Below are the top ten offices ranked by position in Hopkinton. RE/MAX Executive Realty continues to hold the #1 position by a substantial margin. The statistic that jumps out above everything else is that RE/MAX Executive has 23 in-house sales....meaning they were the listing and selling agent for the property. The next closest company has 7 and that is combining both the century 21 companies together. This is extremely impressive information.
The other stat that immediately jumps out is the fact that RE/MAX Executive has a substantial lead in the amount of transaction sides which totals 119! The nearest competitor has 49 and that again is combining both C-21 offices. Coldwell Banker is next with 25. Clearly RE/MAX Executive Realty dominates in Hopkinton Real Estate Sales.
RE/MAX lists and sells more property than any other agency in the world!
Market Share - All Offices
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Report Run: 7/18/2007 2:36:30 PM Property Type(s): SF, CC, MF, LD, CI Start Date: 7/18/2006 End Date: 7/18/2007 Towns: Hopkinton, MA
Office
Listed & SoldUnits $ Vol
Listed/Not SoldUnits $ Vol
Sold/Not ListedUnits $ Vol
TotalUnits $ Vol
Sides%/$ Vol
1
RE/MAX Executive Realty Hopkinton, MA 01748
23 20,687,084
44 23,857,910
29 19,013,293
96 63,558,287
119 23.64
2
Century 21 Commonwealth Hopkinton, MA 01748
4 6,075,400
14 9,774,450
8 5,636,500
26 21,486,350
30 7.99
3
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Framingham Framingham, MA 01701
3 4,365,850
10 6,775,600
9 5,810,341
22 16,951,791
25 6.31
4
Century 21 Westward Homes Hopkinton, MA 01748
3 4,058,000
13 11,395,484
--
16 15,453,484
19 5.75
5
STAR REALTY Hopkinton Hopkinton, MA 01748
2 2,102,000
8 5,016,500
4 3,045,935
14 10,164,435
16 3.78
6
Berkshire Realty Group Southborough, MA 01772
7 8,111,600
3 1,901,340
--
10 10,012,940
17 3.72
7
Hallmark Realty Hopkinton, MA 01748
2 3,976,600
5 3,133,500
--
7 7,110,100
9 2.64
8
RE/MAX First Choice R. E. Northborough, MA 01532
2 1,606,000
6 2,966,900
5 2,293,000
13 6,865,900
15 2.55
9
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Northborough Regional Office Northborough, MA 01532
--
4 2,532,405
4 3,692,000
8 6,224,405
8 2.32
10
Non Member Office Shrewsbury, MA 01545
--
--
6 3,336,275
6 3,336,275
6 1.24
Total Listings Selected: 232 Unit Dollar Volume: $268,858,878.00 * Unit Dollar Volume calculated using double count method
©2007 MLS Property Information Network, Inc.
Interested in working with a top RE/MAX agent.....Sign up to have MLS Access through my personal property search site.
Bill Gassett is the top agent at RE/MAX Executive Realty, a seven office company with locations in Hopkinton, Holliston, Franklin, Medfield, Natick, Grafton, and Upton.
Bill Gassett specializes in marketing homes in the following towns: Hopkinton, Southboro, Milford, Upton, Ashland, Holliston, Upton, Westboro, Mendon, Hopedale, Medway, Northbridge, Grafton, and Framingham.
Below are the top ten offices ranked by position in Hopkinton. RE/MAX Executive Realty continues to hold the #1 position by a substantial margin. The statistic that jumps out above everything else is that RE/MAX Executive has 23 in-house sales....meaning they were the listing and selling agent for the property. The next closest company has 7 and that is combining both the century 21 companies together. This is extremely impressive information.
The other stat that immediately jumps out is the fact that RE/MAX Executive has a substantial lead in the amount of transaction sides which totals 119! The nearest competitor has 49 and that again is combining both C-21 offices. Coldwell Banker is next with 25. Clearly RE/MAX Executive Realty dominates in Hopkinton Real Estate Sales.
RE/MAX lists and sells more property than any other agency in the world!
Market Share - All Offices
Print this page / E-mail this page / PDF this page
Report Run: 7/18/2007 2:36:30 PM Property Type(s): SF, CC, MF, LD, CI Start Date: 7/18/2006 End Date: 7/18/2007 Towns: Hopkinton, MA
Office
Listed & SoldUnits $ Vol
Listed/Not SoldUnits $ Vol
Sold/Not ListedUnits $ Vol
TotalUnits $ Vol
Sides%/$ Vol
1
RE/MAX Executive Realty Hopkinton, MA 01748
23 20,687,084
44 23,857,910
29 19,013,293
96 63,558,287
119 23.64
2
Century 21 Commonwealth Hopkinton, MA 01748
4 6,075,400
14 9,774,450
8 5,636,500
26 21,486,350
30 7.99
3
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Framingham Framingham, MA 01701
3 4,365,850
10 6,775,600
9 5,810,341
22 16,951,791
25 6.31
4
Century 21 Westward Homes Hopkinton, MA 01748
3 4,058,000
13 11,395,484
--
16 15,453,484
19 5.75
5
STAR REALTY Hopkinton Hopkinton, MA 01748
2 2,102,000
8 5,016,500
4 3,045,935
14 10,164,435
16 3.78
6
Berkshire Realty Group Southborough, MA 01772
7 8,111,600
3 1,901,340
--
10 10,012,940
17 3.72
7
Hallmark Realty Hopkinton, MA 01748
2 3,976,600
5 3,133,500
--
7 7,110,100
9 2.64
8
RE/MAX First Choice R. E. Northborough, MA 01532
2 1,606,000
6 2,966,900
5 2,293,000
13 6,865,900
15 2.55
9
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Northborough Regional Office Northborough, MA 01532
--
4 2,532,405
4 3,692,000
8 6,224,405
8 2.32
10
Non Member Office Shrewsbury, MA 01545
--
--
6 3,336,275
6 3,336,275
6 1.24
Total Listings Selected: 232 Unit Dollar Volume: $268,858,878.00 * Unit Dollar Volume calculated using double count method
©2007 MLS Property Information Network, Inc.
Interested in working with a top RE/MAX agent.....Sign up to have MLS Access through my personal property search site.
Bill Gassett is the top agent at RE/MAX Executive Realty, a seven office company with locations in Hopkinton, Holliston, Franklin, Medfield, Natick, Grafton, and Upton.
Bill Gassett specializes in marketing homes in the following towns: Hopkinton, Southboro, Milford, Upton, Ashland, Holliston, Upton, Westboro, Mendon, Hopedale, Medway, Northbridge, Grafton, and Framingham.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Selling your home in Metrowest MA...don't waste your time with contingent sales and 1st right of refusal
The thought of ever recommending a seller client accept an offer contingent upon the sale of another property is just down right foolish. I don't care what kind of market it is either...seller's, buyer's, or neutral - it makes no difference. It doesn't matter if the offer is full price either. An offer contingent on another property selling means one thing - YOU LOSE CONTROL OF THE PROCESS!! With no guarantees of anything.
How do you know that the contingent home is priced properly? What if it isn't and the seller does not reduce the price? Are you beginning to see the picture clearly here? When you accept a home sale contingency you have taken your home off the market and are at the mercy of the contingent home selling.
What is even more amusing is when an agent presents an offer with a home sale contingency that is rejected and proceeds to ask if my seller client would accept a right of 1st refusal instead?
I find that many agents don't even truly understand what a right of 1st refusal is? When you allow a buyer that can't purchase a home without selling theirs(contingent sale) to have a right of 1st refusal you are doing the seller a tremendous disservice.
If I am marketing a home and a legitimate buyer comes along that wants to purchase this home I don't want to cloud the negotiations by telling them we must wait 24-48 hours(the typical time allowed) to give another buyer their "1st right of refusal". Why on earth would I want to have to call another buyer who doesn't qualify to purchase the house to ask them if they would like to exercise their "right of 1st refusal"? This is pointless waste of time. I have found that there are agents that will allow this because it gives them a small sense of accomplishment.....even though they have accomplished nothing. Giving a buyer who doesn't qualify a "right of 1st refusal" could cause the seller to end up with nothing if the ready, willing, and able buyer walks away out of frustration. To go one step further...what if the buyer exercises the "right of 1st refusal"? Sure you could add language that says they would forfeit their deposit if they did not close as stipulated but is that worth losing the buyer that could have purchased the home without any of this mess?? Is their deposit enough to mitigate a lost buyer? In a buyer's/weak market where prices are falling, it would never be worth the risk.
The only time it would make any sense to accept a right of 1st refusal is if the buyer did not have anything to sell and could step forward to purchase right away if the seller required them to do so.
So If you don't want to lose control of your sale and be stuck with one of these in your front yard.... Stay away from home sale contingencies and right of 1st refusals.
If your home is not selling you can always reduce the price to attract more buyers. I emphasize YOU because the control of the process remains in your hands.
For more opinions, tips, and advice check out Metrowest MA Real Estate . Thinking of buying or selling a home? Sign up to get MLS access to look for homes and track the market. 
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Metrowest Massachusetts Real Estate Website
Do you live in Metrowest MA? Are you thinking about selling your home? Want to work
with a top RE/MAX agent who has been in the business for 22+ years? An agent who
believes that marketing heavily over the internet is crucial in your selling success?
Please check out this terrific site that offers some great information relating to Metrowest
MA Real Estate. I am a dedicated individual that has a passion for my business. I will invest
the time and energy necessary for you to have a great experience selling your home.
At my Metrowest Massachusetts Real Estate website you will see all the tools I am using to market my clients homes in and around Metrowest Massachusetts.
The towns that I cover for home sales include Hopkinton, Westboro, Southboro, Milford, Holliston, Ashland, Upton, Medway, Mendon, Hopedale, Grafton, Northbridge, Douglas, Uxbridge, and Framingham.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
SMART QUESTIONS TO ASK THE REALTORS YOU ARE INTERVIEWING
SMART QUESTIONS TO ASK THE REALTORS YOU ARE INTERVIEWING
These questions will go along way in determining if you are going to hire a PRO or not!
1. How long have you been selling real estate?
2. How many homes did you sell last year as seller's agent?
3. Of the homes you sold last year, again as a seller's agent, what was the average number of days from the original list price to the accepted offer?
4. What was the average ratio between the listing price and the selling price?
5. What kind of market share do you and your company have?
6. Do you have a personal assistant?
7. What is your experience selling homes in my town?
8. Can you provide me with at least 3 recent references?
9. I have read the Internet is an extremely valuable tool. How will you market my home online?
10. Do you have your own personal website for marketing homes and is it on the 1st or 2nd page of Google?
11. Do you have a Real Estate blog that will promote my home online and if so is it optimized in the search engines for local Real Estate?
12. When a buyer calls on my home will you ALWAYS be the one they speak with?
13. How will you communicate with me regarding your efforts?
14. How readily accessible will you be?
15. Once the offer is accepted will you be attending all the inspections?
16. How will you verify that the buyer is qualified to buy my home?
17. What are your fee structures and why?
18. WILL YOU ALLOW ME TO TERMINATE OUR AGREEMENT IF I AM NOT COMPLETELY SATISFIED?
For more great Real Estate information, marketing tips, and advice check out my Real Estate website at Metrowest Massachusetts Homes.
Making Smarter Choices in picking your Real Estate Agent
Choosing your agent for the wrong reasons. Many homeowners are tempted to list with the real estate agent who suggests the highest listing price. Selecting an agent and pricing your home properly should be two mutually exclusive decisions. One of the oldest Realtor tricks in the book, and known in real estate circles as "buying a listing", is a strategy designed to have you sign a contract and then a short time later, ask for reductions until your home is priced properly.
This is not to say that a home should never be reduced, markets do change. Look at the data presented to you carefully through the eyes of a buyer. Market data never lies. * Homeowners should choose an agent with the best marketing plan to sell their home. In the real estate business, an agent with many successful closed transactions usually costs the same as someone who is inexperienced or doesn't do much business. Past success is a great indicator of future success. This point can not be stressed enough...Do you want to be stuck with an unqualified agent who has overpriced your home? A sure recipe for disaster.
Hiring a friend....More often than not when you hear this, you later find out that they are no longer a friend or that their relationship has become strained. Is your friend a Top Producing agent? Helping a friend is great but not at your expense.
Hiring a part time agent....Don't you want an agent that support their family by selling your home? Lets face it; there are a lot of people in real estate who are part time, semi-retired, or have a spouse that supports them. It's not their career.
Shocking statistic....According to the National Association of Realtors 93% of all real estate transactions are done by 7% of the agents that are licensed Realtors. What this statistic says loud and clear is that there are a lot of part time Real Estate agents that don't do much business.The take home message is that selecting a top agent to work with is paramount if you want to increase your chances of being satisfied with the home selling process.
For more great real estate information check out Metro West MA Real Estate
This is not to say that a home should never be reduced, markets do change. Look at the data presented to you carefully through the eyes of a buyer. Market data never lies. * Homeowners should choose an agent with the best marketing plan to sell their home. In the real estate business, an agent with many successful closed transactions usually costs the same as someone who is inexperienced or doesn't do much business. Past success is a great indicator of future success. This point can not be stressed enough...Do you want to be stuck with an unqualified agent who has overpriced your home? A sure recipe for disaster.
Hiring a friend....More often than not when you hear this, you later find out that they are no longer a friend or that their relationship has become strained. Is your friend a Top Producing agent? Helping a friend is great but not at your expense.
Hiring a part time agent....Don't you want an agent that support their family by selling your home? Lets face it; there are a lot of people in real estate who are part time, semi-retired, or have a spouse that supports them. It's not their career.
Shocking statistic....According to the National Association of Realtors 93% of all real estate transactions are done by 7% of the agents that are licensed Realtors. What this statistic says loud and clear is that there are a lot of part time Real Estate agents that don't do much business.The take home message is that selecting a top agent to work with is paramount if you want to increase your chances of being satisfied with the home selling process.
For more great real estate information check out Metro West MA Real Estate
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