My Real Estate Business

I have been selling residential real estate in the Madison area since 1991. With over 100 sold listings and over 150 sold homes, my real estate experience is extensive. Over the years, each of my listings and clients have received my best efforts and thoroughness because my goal is not real estate volume, but excellence. I'm a hands-on sort of person and manage every real estate transaction with the care and attention you deserve.
 

My Real Estate Business

Career choice books discuss how you should look for an “avocation,” not just a “vocation.” The idea is that your job shouldn’t be just a job, but truly something you like to do, something that fits you.

That’s how real estate is for me. I truly enjoy the challenges of selling real estate. It’s something I want to do. It’s not a nine-to-five job, but one that gets done when the need arises. It’s fine for buyers or sellers to call me at home at night -- they need to address their concerns when they have time away from work. As I generally work out of my home office, calling me at home is what I prefer. Of course, email works any time and I check it frequently, including nights.

The relationships I have with buyers and sellers tend to be adviser/friend/project manager versus salesperson. With sellers, I’m not going to fast-talk you into listing and then you’ll find me hard to reach. We’re in this together, from my advice and “know-how” on preparing your home for sale, to seeking the informational details to help to market your home, to agreeing on a negotiation strategy and through to the closing table. With buyers, my role is to listen to your needs and wants and help locate homes that work for you and that you like. I will help you weigh the advantages/disadvantages and point out a variety of aspects you may not have considered. When we’re ready, I’ll look into comparable homes for you, carefully explain and draft an offer, and proceed through negotiation, acceptance, inspection issues and finally closing.

I’m a details person from the touch-up paint matching to the volumes of paperwork. Since we’re dealing with contracts here, we want them carefully drafted and time frames on contingencies monitored. I do that.

A veteran Realtor emailed me back recently when I asked for a document I felt we needed before writing an offer. “You are the most thorough person I know [and] you can use that quote in your marketing. I confirmed he meant it as a compliment!

Working with Sellers

As the Realtor listing your home, I have two goals:

• To develop and implement a marketing plan to sell your home quickly and for the best price.
• To effectively manage your transaction from first showing to closing.

Marketing Plan

Evaluation and Analysis. If we have the time, I generally like to make two visits to list your home. During the first, I perform a property evaluation that includes discussing your home with you, noting your home’s features, highlights, and detractions. I’ll also show you some home and neighborhood books and flyers to give you an idea of my marketing materials.

On my return visit to your home, I’ll discuss my analysis of your home, including things you might like to do to get your home ready for sale. For example, moving furniture, decluttering, cleaning, and touching up a wall can make a tremendous difference in the marketability of a home. I know which things are important to do and know personally what products and procedures work. Not only will buyers pay more for a home that’s “move-in ready,” homes sell faster when they have been prepared properly. Finally, I’ll compare your home as it is (or will be) to other homes in the neighborhood that have sold or are currently on the market. Jointly, we’ll decide on a price and when your home will be ready to have on the market. At this point, we’ll sign the listing contract that details the terms of the agreement.

Promotional Strategy. Although pricing a home right and having it show its best are critical elements to marketing a home, getting the word out is also essential. My marketing program for your home generally includes the following:

• Digital photos of your property. Because how your home is presented in photos is essential in today’s marketing of real estate, I take the photos myself. I have the patience to move things as needed and get just the right angles to show your home in its best light. I use a reasonably wide angle lens that gives a feel for the space, but does not produce the predominant “fisheye” in real estate photos. I also have editing capabilities (within reason.) Because I think photos are so important, my listings do not go online until the photos can go up at the same time.
• On-line virtual property tour. We can also consider taking three 360 degree panoramas (or “virtual tours”) of your home for the multiple listings sites and www.RestainoHomes.com . We have a contract with the Virtual Properties company to take stills and panoramas. These tours are great for larger homes or homes that are very open. I generally do not recommend them for smaller homes with individual rooms, but we can see how they look and decide if we want to use them.
• Inclusion of your property on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for access by Realtors and access by the general public through realty company sites and www.wisconsinhomes.com        
• Restaino & Associates sign with information box (if desired.)
• Highlights cards and flyers. I produce highlights cards placed around the property to point out features and provide information to buyers as they are viewing the property. Buyers at open houses and Realtors often note how unusual and helpful these cards are. If there are enough highlights for a handout, the highlights flyer details these items for after-showing perusal.
• Home and neighborhood book for use in home by Realtors unfamiliar with neighborhood and for open houses. Depending on the property, the book may include: gas and electric bills, area and neighborhood maps, plat map, neighborhood association information, bus information.
• Open houses. Although many “top” agents are saying open houses are obsolete because we have the internet 24/7, any buyer will tell you the actual home may be very different than how it looks on the internet. Open houses provide buyers a low-risk way to see homes. 3 of my listings last year sold to buyers who came through my open house. Open houses information is currently available through many websites.
• Wisconsin State Journal Sunday advertising – Restaino & Associates currently has the back cover of the Homes section and offers an ad, rather than just address, price and MLS number like most of the competition. I will on occasion advertise my open houses there. At open houses, however, very few people now give the newspaper as their source for open house information. The web has supplanted the newspaper. Signs, of course, still work!
• Consumer internet sites -- your home’s photos and information are downloaded automatically to 25+ internet sites. Trulia is particularly popular right now.
• Restaino & Associate’s site (www.restainohomes.com) features all photos and very complete property information.
• MLS site (www.wisconsinhomes.com) has up to 25 photos and limited information.
• Realtor.com Our Restaino contract allows up to 25 photos.
• www.PamCulviner.com has complete information. 
• Yes, there’s an app for that. Restaino has two versions for smart phones.

Transaction Management

Although getting your home ready and on the market is a formidable task, the job is not done until your home is sold and we’re leaving the closing table. A frequently heard comment about Realtors who have someone’s home listed is “and then we never heard from him/her.” You’ll not have this comment during your listing with me.

Your home is my project to get sold. You’ll probably see me often before we get the home on the market to weigh in on details and hear from me afterwards maybe more often than you’d like! (Let me know if you want to be left out of the loop, and I’ll just call if there are problems.)

You’ll hear from me as soon as I know how a showing went. We’ll discuss comments I hear and revise our marketing strategy or make improvements as needed. When we do get an offer, I’ll carefully present it to you pointing out benefits, concerns, and your options. I’ll carefully draft counter offers to reflect our concerns. Once an offer is accepted, the management of the transaction has just begun. I’ll handle the details such as earnest money verification and receipt of documents required by the contract. I’ll be present if possible for the inspection to hear what the inspector has to say as well as to answer questions and offer balance. I’ll draft amendments as needed and verify the closing statement when it’s ready. With your cooperation, my expertise, and a willing buyer, we’ll soon have a “SOLD” sign on the signpost!