[Orvil]

So ask a person who is looking to potentially buy in TV. Let me be upfront in saying that I am a real property appraiser. I've lived all over the country. I've bought and sold in at least six states. I know what I am doing when I buy and sell homes. I'm about two years from retiring and moving.

I doubt that I would even look at a resale at TV or use one of their salespersons. First, a buyer has to know that they need to look at their website to find resale listings. It's more clicks than I want to go through to get to the TV website when I'm surfing for homes in over 55 communities. Most people are going to assume that the listings at the TV website are new construction. Most people aren't going to know that TV uses their own in-house marketing and sales department or understand what that means. Second, the TV website sucks. While they show a few pretty pictures, there is no way to really sort or get detailed particulars on a specific property. It's very generic. I know how to do it, but I've got a lot more experience than the average buyer.

Today, most people start to look for real estate online. Very few people use anything that is printed. The few that do are aging out and selling rather than buying. Don't waste your time with it. Use the internet to your advantage.

You want the most robust online listing engine available. That's realtor.com. The only way to list on realtor.com is to use a real realtor. TV's salespeople are not real realtors. Their listings won't be there. Lost opportunity.

If you want to sell it yourself, Zillow.com along with letting everyone TOTV know that you have an active Zillow.com listing will accomplish FSBO. If you go that route, hire someone to take real, professional pictures with good lighting. It's really all about the pictures.

Bottom line: As a buyer, I'll be using a realtor and not one of those nice folks at TV.

[hisgirl]

Originally Posted by Don&Judy

We are selling our home, and wish to do so as quickly and profitably as possible. What are the pros and cons of listing with Properties of The Villages vs. listing with a proper realty company (ReMax, Foxfire, etc)? In your replies, please recommend an agent or firm you believe to be excellent. Thanks!

With trepidation I listed last time with The Villages Properties. I had always heard they would show your house and then take clients to the new area to sell. Not so. Listed with Chrystie Painter-Smith and had 2 cash offers within about 3 weeks. At her expense she hired a stager, had her assistant present as well at open houses, advertised widely, had professional photography, and even had her own kids help with packing. I cannot say enough good things about her; also they charge less than other realtors.

[hisgirl]

Originally Posted by Don&Judy

We are selling our home, and wish to do so as quickly and profitably as possible. What are the pros and cons of listing with Properties of The Villages vs. listing with a proper realty company (ReMax, Foxfire, etc)? In your replies, please recommend an agent or firm you believe to be excellent. Thanks!

Forgot to mention: They let me set my own price, which was much higher than MLS had said I would get.
My first post so maybe messed up.

[aallbrand]

Originally Posted by Don&Judy

We are selling our home, and wish to do so as quickly and profitably as possible. What are the pros and cons of listing with Properties of The Villages vs. listing with a proper realty company (ReMax, Foxfire, etc)? In your replies, please recommend an agent or firm you believe to be excellent. Thanks!

If you want the best price be patient . Realtors are in out to make money . Never go exclusive with a realtor. Find a flat fee realtor and offer 2 % commission to any realtor who brings you a buyer . If you are patient things will work out.

[big guy]

We sold very quickly and for much more than I thought we would ever get with Kerry Hanson of Sally Love Realty. Why would you ever want to sell with an agent who doesn't have MLS listings?!

[frose]

it really does not matter which way you go, MLS or TV, they all only have their bottom line as a priority. In this market you can sell your home in 1 day if it's priced right and you're honest with the buyers. It is not difficult and you really do not need the realitor. you can find everyone you need to process the sale and close within 30 days.. read up on it it's worth 6%..

[Riversong]

Originally Posted by vintageogauge

Example. A neighbor within the last 8 weeks or so listed with Re-Max, had open houses at least twice a week, several weeks later lowered the price and again lots of open houses, finally listed it with TV and it was sold I believe in two days before having the first open house that was cancelled because of being sold at a price not much lower than their last adjustment with Re-max. If I were selling our home it would be via TV and the agent I would use is Beth Pope, one of the highest rated agents within the TV system. Good luck no matter who you choose.

Unfortunately, Beth Pope is currently undergoing surgery, I can say that both Todd Pope and their daughter, Kelley Pope, are excellent to wok with. I recommend them highly!

Good luck with your house sale?

[RUOK2?]

Originally Posted by Don&Judy

We are selling our home, and wish to do so as quickly and profitably as possible. What are the pros and cons of listing with Properties of The Villages vs. listing with a proper realty company (ReMax, Foxfire, etc)? In your replies, please recommend an agent or firm you believe to be excellent. Thanks!

'Quickest Sale' doesn't mean the fastest sale. It's ridiculous to boast "Home sold in 2 days!"
To me, that's like having an auction, and selling to the first bidder!
Allow a couple of weeks for the listing to upload to all the major websites (Zillow, Realtors etc).
You're looking for the last, highest bid, not the first, lowest!
No listing salesperson is 'best'. They do little more than an appraiser -
Inspect the house, shoot some photos, fill out an input form and wait for a check!
Multi-List/websites, do the same job for all of them.
A 6% commission on a $300,000 sale is $18,000.
Go with 4% - to be split at closing - 1% to the listing broker, 3% to the selling Broker.
If the listing Broker makes the sale, they get only the 3%.
That's $9000 - still over-payment for the service provided.
Does anyone on this thread believe that these Real Estate Broker Commissions are justified?
After over 30 years 'in business - I don't. . . . .

[Northerner52]

See attachment

Originally Posted by Don&Judy

We are selling our home, and wish to do so as quickly and profitably as possible. What are the pros and cons of listing with Properties of The Villages vs. listing with a proper realty company (ReMax, Foxfire, etc)? In your replies, please recommend an agent or firm you believe to be excellent. Thanks!

[Normal]

Originally Posted by Don&Judy

We are selling our home, and wish to do so as quickly and profitably as possible. What are the pros and cons of listing with Properties of The Villages vs. listing with a proper realty company (ReMax, Foxfire, etc)? In your replies, please recommend an agent or firm you believe to be excellent. Thanks!

If you can use an iPad, you can sell your home. Houses are flying off the shelves here. Log onto Zillow, add photos and list for no cost. Then go to Walmart buy a sign and place it in the front yard.

Once you have your buyer, go to a title lawyer/company in the area and they will do the rest (costs between 1500 and 2 k).
Best 30 Title Companies in The Villages, FL with Reviews - YP.com

Then go out to eat at your favorite restaurants for the next 5 years with the money you saved on commissions.

[Robnlaura]

If the market is so hot why not just list it yourself on Zillow save the commissions even the brain dead can figure out a florida sales contract. Clauses are easy to find title company does all the legal you can even use a mls entry company that offers contract review for $500 odd if you need it ps that listing gets sent to the mls Zillow Redfin the lot .. not hard hell you can pay a realtor to do a open house if that scares you plenty will do it for a couple $100

[Robnlaura]

Originally Posted by rsmurano

Why not sell it on your own. In this market, put it on the web in a couple of places and it will be gone. I just sold our old home on the web in a couple of days and that market isn’t as hot as this market. PM me and I will suggest which websites to use. It’s easy to sell on your own, you use the same closing papers, disclosure forms because they come from a lawyer and it’s the buyers responsibility to get the forms.

Don’t use this advise look for a “mls entry only” company for $259 bucks they offer the same service as a realtor basically photos forms lock boxes listed to all the major websites. Never heard of the buyer being responsible for forms but anyway ..

[Robnlaura]

Originally Posted by kathydowd

I've been a Realtor in Florida since 2009. The MLS links to homes for sale to many website where 95% of buyers start their home search. I would be happy to meet with you to discuss selling your home in today's market. Kathy 239-220-4133

So does every mls entry only company and for peanuts not 3% not many realtors actually sell that home themselves so why offer a listing commission.. you only want to offer a selling

[kkingston57]

Suggest you interriew both. Have not had any experience selling a home hear. We bought our home from The Villages. THey only could show homes that they had listed. Make sure your agent will be listing through MLS and other similar firms to get most exposure.

[kkingston57]

[QUOTE=CoachKandSportsguy;1999274]First, quickly and profitably are two ideals which everyone wants, but seldom occurs.

Second, the appeal of the TV pre-owned sales process is the speed of the sale, which is why all the conditions in the agreement. We looked at the TV rental program, and too many of their requirements hindered our profitability business goals, which is a high occupancy rate. .

Third, the TV preowned sales motivation for speed is a hidden agenda, as they want minimal competition for their new construction. ah, your lightbulb might have just gone on . The fewer re-sales on the market, the more the new construction sales are the monopoly. The TV concept is an entire monopoly and monopsony lifestyle development. . .

Fourth, if you have to sell quickly, you will never sell for profitability, as you are looking for the ideal person who falls in love with your house as you are, and willing to pay the premium to which you attach your fondness. Seldom will that person show up in the first week of opportunity.

So pick your poison, speed or profitability, but assume you can't get both. Profitability, go with MLS and wait, Speed, go with TV preowned sales.

But that should be the basis for your decision, and remember that MLS wants a quick sale as well, which may be counter to your goals, but they also want the contract. So when an MLS agent says, "I can sell it for X$", and you don't know what a quality valuation is, the $X is appealing to your profitability motivation, whether the realtor can perform will only be determined in the future, so it is a confirmation bias statement you want to hear with a prediction which they know you want to hear so will sign the contract.

so the above is the psychology of real estate sales and marketing in TV.

financial analysis guy

Noted above thoughts. Most of them do apply when the demand is down.

At this time it is a sellers market and any decent home will sell ASAP and can sell for more than a reasonable listing price with good terms such as a quick closing, cash buyer etc. We sold home 10 months ago and sold it for more than the listing price and 30K more than the lowest we would have accepted. Do not know how long this sellers market will last.