Help Make Your Client’s Moving Day a Breeze

The house is sold and moving day approaches. Your job is almost finished. It might be easy at this point to just watch the magic happen and let your client tackle moving day all on their own, but in an industry as competitive as real estate, why not take every opportunity available to beef up your reputation and increase your customer satisfaction. Giving that little bit of extra attention on moving day can make a big impression.

Here are some tips to help make your client’s moving day a breeze:

Start at the open house stage (yes, you read that right). When a client is staging their home, they are probably going to be packing away a lot of stuff, so help by getting it done right, the very first time. Give them some tips on how to pack boxes properly, and remind them to clearly label the contents.

Build a moving day checklist, one that you can email to your client to help get them ready for moving day. Start at the one month marker, then 2 weeks, 1 week, day before, morning of. Remind them about the things that they may forget about in this often incredibly hectic process. Include things like calling the utility company, visiting the post office, making childcare arrangements, and unplugging the deepfreeze!

Know a reputable moving company? Help strengthen your connections by suggesting this company to your clients. It has become difficult to differentiate between those companies looking to make a quick buck (or worse, take your clients to the cleaners with one of the many moving day scams) and those that actually take pride in what they do. Help your client out by giving them the number to one you know actually does the job they are hired to do.

Once your client has moved in, and is settled, consider sending a card or small “welcome to your new home” gift. This, along with everything mentioned previously, helps cement you in their mind as a trustworthy and helpful real estate professional, one they know they can count on. And, if they can count on you, they are likely to tell others about the experience!

The entire house buying process can be stressful - as real estate professionals we all know this - so don’t just end the process when the papers have been signed. Give that little bit of extra by helping to make your client’s moving day a breeze and the results will only be positive.

For more tips on making moving day a breeze, or the entire home buying process easier on both parties, call ViMO today. We have the tools that make it simple: 1 855 999 8466 (VIMO).

Home Staging Tips to Knock Your Open House Out of the Park

A client calls you, they want you to come and see their home about a possible listing. When you arrive at the home it is a terrible mess. Excessive furniture, cluttered, dated décor, perhaps even a musty odor… What do you do? The only thing you can do: tell your client the truth and get staging.

Staging involves cleaning areas, removing furniture, rearranging furniture and maybe even adding some art work. In some cases, this might also involve painting and making small cosmetic changes. A little bit of staging goes a long way and the networks are catching on. Shows and magazines like HGTV http://www.hgtv.com/decorating-basics/15-secrets-to-selling-your-home/pictures/index.html and Canadian Living http://www.canadianliving.com/life/money/top_15_home_staging_tips.php  have all released content on home staging!

Here are some small things that your client can do to prepare their house to sell so that you can knock your open house out of the park:

·        Clear the Clutter – Less is more. Excess furniture and clutter will have to go. If your client is not prepared to purge, consider a portable storage unit like the PackEdge portable storage containers that can sit in the client’s driveway. This can go a really long way.

·        Clean – and we mean really clean! If walls and trims are dirty, they will need a fresh coat of paint. Grout between tiling needs to be cleaned. If painting, focus on neutral colors. Particular emphasis should be placed on the cleanliness of kitchens and bathrooms and if possible you should have fresh bedding in your bedrooms.

·        Furniture Grouping – a unique idea discussed in the HGTV article providing home staging tips is to group furniture along the walls to give the perception that the room is larger.

·        Depersonalizing – the Canadian Living article highlighted the importance of depersonalizing and making the space generic/neutral so that a potential buyer can picture themselves living in your client’s home.

·        Smell Matters - recommend that your client air out their home, use air fresheners and natural elements to make the home smell fresh when prospective buyers come through. You too can do this when showing a home for an open house.

·        Outside – make sure the grass is cut, the driveway and walkway swept and washed, shrubs and plants trimmed. Ensure that there is no garbage or clutter whatsoever outside the house. 

If your client decides to take your advice it may greatly improve the probability that their house will sell sooner and for more money. Properties in poor condition receive the highest volume of low ball offers and can be on the market longer which can negatively impact the home’s salability for a long span of time.

For more about making your open house a smashing success, call ViMO today at 1 855 999 8466 (VIMO).