Selling In The Luxury Market

If there is one thing I know, it's that no one can go it alone. Today marks the morning after I sold my listing at 60 Casuarina Concourse in prestigious Gables Estates. I did so in just 35 days. Sure, I am proud of this accomplishment and will take some of the credit, but there were many people involved with this sale.

As a buyer or seller, you should know that the real estate professional you use not only has to be a personality match for you, they must also have a good relationship with other Realtors . Like everything in life, people tend to do business with people they like. As a buyer or seller, can you afford to work with a Realtor who is either a "loner" or not respected in the area they do business?

In the case of this property, I knew going in that I was going to need the help and attention of my fellow real estate professionals, both at my brokerage and at competing firms. Even before the listing was officially in the MLS, I sent out an email to nearly 100 targeted agents and brokers who had a track record of selling inside Gables Estates and/or at this price point.

The response I got back was remarkable. Nearly every agent was quite happy to tell me how to work within the Homeowners' Association and whether or not they had a buyer in mind. A few even gave me their "insider tips" on some aspect of the sale. Within the first 48 hours of my listing agreement (and 24 hours after the MLS listing went live), I had a short list of 8 potential buyers.

The next two weeks were very interesting. I kept in regular communication with all the agents, and they with me. They used my knowledge to help them price or bid on other Gables Estates homes and vice versa. The community of Realtors were all working together to put buyer and seller together...exactly as it's supposed to work.

Of course, there were a few bad eggs too. These agents spoke badly about their sellers and buyers, spoke as if they were the only expert in the area, and this behavior cast a negative light on the properties they represented. It was a self imposed tailspin. The other agents knew it and avoided them.

As a buyer or seller in the luxury market, you need to do your homework and steer yourself to one of the good agents. Make sure they know how to "play nice" with others. Loners agents sit on properties for a year at a time and watch listings go expired. Buyer agents that don't interact with listing agents can't see the needle in the haystack. Real estate is much more than scanning the MLS for criteria matches.

I appreciate the opportunity to represent buyers and sellers at every price point. Every day I dedicate myself to learn something new and become a stronger advocate. If you want to discuss your property sale or purchase, I welcome your call.