Simple Ways to Improve Your Property

Does your property need a little refreshing? If you are trying to sell your home and get a higher price, it is beneficial to do some simple improvements. Here are a few ways to improve your property.

Curb appeal
The outside of your home is the first thing potential buyers will see. Curb appeal is their first impression, and sometimes the most memorable impression of your home. Flower beds, baskets of greenery, or a well maintained and clean parking area can really improve that first impression.

Painting
Getting the entire exterior of your property painted can be far more than you’re willing to do on your own or pay for. But you can add some accent paint maybe for the window trimmings or even the front door. This option is substantially less expensive and provides a great impact.

A Clean Carpet

Flooring is very important to a lot of potential buyers.  If your carpet has seen better days, and replacing is too costly, consider having the carpet steam cleaned before you place your home on the market.  It is a less expensive option, and it will help present your home in a better light.

Interior common spaces
Areas like the bathrooms or kitchens are seen by all so make sure they reflect the way you want your potential buyers to feel about your home. If the walls are dirty and the floor isn’t clean, then chances are people won’t see as much value in your home because of poor presentation.  Consider hiring a cleaning crew to help you get your home clean and organized before selling your home.

For more information and tips about selling your home in Pennsylvania, call us at (484) 498-4000  or visit our Facebook Page.

Do your past clients remember you?

Do you get frustrated when you find out that a past client has listed their house that you sold them and/or bought a new house with a different agent? Understandably so! I surely have lost past clients and it is not a good feeling. What you have to do though, instead of getting angry at them, is question to yourself, why they made that decision.

What is it that causes past clients to use a different agent in the future? Did they find you to be incompetent? Do they feel like you do not care about them as people and all you really care about is getting your commission check? You may not ever know the true answer to these questions, but you can do your best going forward to make sure that nobody feels either way.

What do you do after a settlement to stay in touch with your past clients? If the answer is nothing, chances are not very good that they will come back to you in the future. You need to keep in their minds. This does not mean calling them or emailing them once a week asking for referrals or their business.

Do you connect with prior clients on Facebook and show an interest in their lives? Not interested in Facebook?..that’s fine, there are other ways to stay in touch, such as email, phone calls, personal notes. Do not always make it about asking for business. You need to be genuine in caring about them and what is going on in their lives.

I will dig into more ideas in a future blog. Thanks for reading!

Have you ever thought of becoming a Real Estate Agent in PA part II

My last blog talked about what are some characteristics someone should have to become a real estate agent.  This blog will talk about what is actually required to become a real estate agent in Pennsylvania.  Every states requirements are different, so this only applies to PA.

In Pennsylvania, to sit for the real estate licensing exam, you must be at least 18 years old and have completed 30 hours of class by an accredited provider in Real Estate Practice and 30 hours of class in Real Estate Fundamentals.  If you have college education in Real Estate or are an attorney, the requirement can be different.  So, first thing is to take the two courses.  Classes can be done either online or in person.  Many Realtor associations offer the classes and there are other education providers around, such as Polley Associates that offer the classes.  There are many online providers as well.  One that I recommend is Career Web School.  They are very reasonably priced and I like the flow of their online classes.  At the end of each course, you must take a proctored exam and score at least a 70%.  Once the two courses are complete, you are eligible to sit for the Pennsylvania real estate licensing exam.  Once you sit for and pass the licensing exam, you are ready to decide what Real Estate Brokerage you are going to affiliate with.  After a brokerage is ready to sponsor you, the license application, course transcripts, other required paperwork and fees are sent to the state to obtain your license.

So, what about costs to get started in a real estate career in Pennsylvania?  Here is an overview of different costs involved in obtaining your real estate license in PA.  The first cost you have is your coursework for Real Estate Fundamentals and Real Estate Practice.  For these two courses, plan on spending $300-$500 depending on the school you choose.  Next, you have a fee to pay to sit for the exam of $56.  Next you have the cost for your initial license application of between $83-$131 depending on what time of the year it is.  After you have your license, some other costs you will run into are: Joining your local MLS (this is where the real estate listings are entered), which can run $250+ per year depending on the MLS, joining your local Realtor Association, which can run $350+ depending on the location, real estate signs, business cards and other office supplies and promotional items.

Bottom line is that you should plan to spend $1,500-$3,000 ballpark to get into the real estate business. These numbers could be higher or lower depending on where in the state you live and what supplies you need to get your business going.  In reality, this is a low cost of entry to have your own rewarding business.

For more detailed requirements, you can also visit the Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission website at: www.dos.state.pa.us/estate.

Springer Realty Group is a Real Estate Brokerage in Pennsylvania doing business in the counties of: Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery and Philadelphia.

Have you ever thought of becoming a real estate agent in Pennsylvania?

There are a lot of reasons that people end up getting their real estate licenses.  Some people are fresh out of college or high school and always had a fascination with real estate,  others were just laid off from a job or retired and looking for a change.

Real estate is a great career, but there are requirements in my opinion that you should think about prior to jumping in.  The first is hopefully obvious; you should love real estate.  I have always had an interest in real estate as far back as I can remember.  Another major one is  that you like to work with people and like to help them.  This job is not just about selling houses.  You need to be able to educate people about the whole home buying and selling experience.  You need to educate yourself about everything that affects housing including mortgages and the economy as a whole.  The mortgage market changes very fast and agents need to keep on top of the changes.   You need to be entrepreneurial.  One thing that I love about the real estate business, is that it really is your own business.  There will be a company that you hang your license with, but this business is really about you as an agent and what you bring to the table to your buyers and sellers.  There are not many businesses that you can get into out there with the fairly low starting costs that real estate has.

The business is not for everyone though.  You do need to be thick skinned.  You will at times get yelled at by other real estate agents, by your buyers, by your sellers and by family and friends that think you’re crazy to be getting into this business in the first place, especially in this market.  You can prove your family and friends wrong.  It is always a good time to get into the real estate business.  If you can make it through the rough times, you’ll do great in the good times.

In my next blog I will go through what is involved in getting a real estate license in Pennsylvania and costs involved.

Springer Realty Group is a Real Estate Brokerage in Pennsylvania doing business in the counties of: Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery and Philadelphia.

If you are looking to buy a first time home or looking to upgrade your home, now is the time to start the process and take advantage of the tax credit, as the deadline to have an agreement of sale in place is April 30, 2010. Springer Realty Group can service all your real estate needs in the counties of Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery, Philadelphia and Lehigh in Pennsylvania.  See the link below for details and restrictions on the credit.
http://www.realtor.org/home_buye…rs_and_sellers/2009_first_time_home_buyer_tax_credit

This is my first post for Springer Realty Group. We are a real estate office based out of Elverson, Pennsylvania. We do business throughout the state of Pennsylvania. Please visit us at: www.Springer RealtyGroup.com.

Thanks for visiting.

Phone 484-498-4000

Fax 484-498-4001