Tuesday, January 18, 2011

I Want Clients Like These...


Jill and I hosted a very successful Open House this past Sunday at 747 Catalina Street in Burbank, CA and would like to thank everyone who attended. It was great meeting you all! One thing did bother me though - the recurring statement I kept hearing from visitors stating how their REALTOR had sent them to the Open House to preview the place out on their own. It simply amazes me whenever people decide to work with REALTORS who won't even show them properties - especially in this day and age where many are discovering homes themselves with the help of the Internet! That's the best deal any REALTOR can imagine - a client who not only finds his own home, but previews it before deciding to write! Sign me up... I'll take as many as I can get! Unfortunately this is becoming more and more common. It is something Jill and I do not understand. We pride ourselves in not only helping our clients find homes but also preview and taking them ourselves. It is a hands on approach to real estate.

Oh I hear the arguments from REALTORS all the time about how they are focusing on getting more leads - as if that will excuse their laziness. Finding leads is indeed important, but what type of service are you giving to those leads in return if you can't even be bothered to show the home and point out the positive and negative features? Also, I just don't think these potential home owners are thinking far enough ahead to see how this can negatively affect their chance of getting a home. Many deals are timing based - that is, first come is first served. One can realistically lose out on a dream home by simply being a few minutes late to the party! Those who have REALTORS present may choose to quickly write offers after seeing their dream home and even get into escrow that night. Conversely, some people lose out being slowed down trying to track down their REALTOR just to write their offer.

Ultimately it comes down to one's personal comfort level. For my money - I would want to be represented by someone who focuses on me and not the next deal. Jill and I are here if you need... and we show homes when YOU are ready to look. Give us a call and see the difference.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Sunday 01/09/2011 Open Houses in Burbank, CA 1-4 P.M.

We are happy to host two open houses this coming Sunday 01/09/2011 - both in Burbank, CA 1-4pm. These are two homes with different price points. One is a starter 623 Pass Ave. Burbank, CA 91505 and the other is higher end: 3037 Keystone Street Burbank, CA 91504. Click on each picture or address for more information. Hope to see you there!
Best,
Team Keppel

Monday, January 3, 2011

Happy New Year... now what?

So we made it through the holidays and now it is back to work for most of us. For those of you who shut down the home search -  it's time to start back up. But where to begin? Like most things in life - it is best to have a game plan for success. The best way to start is to take a little time to determine what is most important to you and make a list of all your wants and needs - ranking least to most important. Then go over your list with your Realtor to find a home with as many qualities from that list as possible.

 The New Year may also be a good time to evaluate your Realtor and how they are responding to your needs. Are they available for your phone calls, and do they return emails in a timely manner? How available are they to take you out or show your home? Do they plan outings or just direct you to open houses? Remember, the most important aspect of any Realtor is how they respond to you. Many deals are timing based and one does not want to miss out on a sale or miss getting an offer accepted due to the slow actions of her realtor.

Jill and I are always amazed how difficult it can be to get return phone calls from listing Realtors. We recommend people periodically check from time to time how fast their realtor is responding to calls by having a friend test the system. If your realtor is slow or does not return calls - it may be time to find somebody else or refuse to renew your listing. When searching for a new Realtor - don't always believe the hype.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Rainy Weekend in Burbank, CA

Now I know we don't have much to complain about weather wise here in Southern California but it does affect our work plans so here is my bit. Due to the rain (and fact that the home we were supposed to have an open house sold) Jill and I will not be hosting an open house this weekend. We will however but showing homes to a few clients so our weekend is not a total loss. For those interested - we do bring umbrellas and warm drinks so as to make the experience enjoyable. OK - see you out and about! Have a great weekend all!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

HOLIDAYS - A GREAT TIME TO BUY!

So here we are in the thick of the holiday season and Jill and I have one message to prospective home buyers: Holidays are a great time to buy a new home - especially for those out there who have been having problems getting offers accepted due to competition! Decreased holiday competition has been a God send to many of our FHA buyers in the past who had been losing out to the investors so if you have been experiencing this problem... now is the time to act!

Holidays can also benefit  those buyers looking for a great deal since many sellers would still like to sell before the New Year. Many are willing to cut their asking price in order to accomplish this! For our part, Jill and I will be at the ready for anyone out there with the desire. Just let us know. Have a great day folks!