Rick Nazzaro As Featured Guest on
Real Estate House Party
On October 11, 2017 Rick Nazzaro was featured on Real Estate House Party. Click now to watch the video above!
Sellers Agent
As a seller’s agent, I will work for YOU!
From pricing to closing, I am there with you every step of the way. Let’s talk about preparing your property for sale, proper pricing, timing, staging, negotiating, and the many steps involved in preparing for closing.
A seller can engage the services of a real estate agent to sell his property (called the listing agent) and the real estate agent is then the agent for the seller who becomes the agent’s client. This means that the real estate agent represents the seller. The agent owes the seller undivided loyalty, reasonable care, disclosure, obedience to lawful instruction, confidentiality and accountability, provided, however, that the agent must disclose known material defects in the real estate. The agent must put the seller’s interests first and negotiate for the best price and terms for their client, the seller. (The seller may authorize sub-agents to represent him/her in marketing its property to buyers, however the seller should be aware that wrongful action by the real estate agent or sub-agents may subject the seller to legal liability for those wrongful actions.)
Preparing a Home for Sale
During a home consultation, I will walk through your home using the eyes of a buyer. I will suggest furniture placement, a “honey do” list, and recommend the appropriate professional to you if deemed necessary. If you are looking to maximize your value, this is a critical first step. I've purchased my own staging inventory...from pillows to pottery, from candles to couches. I can make your home SHINE, with the services of my exclusive professional stager. Robin and I together will make your house standout from the rest. Once completed, I work with the area's BEST professional photographer to photograph your home. Between us, YOUR PROPERTY WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR BUYERS TO RESIST! My experience has lead to an article in the Real Estate section of the Sunday Boston Globe, featuring me, on the importance of staging your home.
SET THE STAGE FOR PROFIT
Real Estate/Boston Sunday Globe April 13, 2003
Teri Borseti, Globe Correspondent
Makeovers mean higher prices, quicker deals, say realtors and decorators
On the second floor, a cozy nursery awaits a newborn. The newest member of the family hasn’t arrived yet, but his toys have. And the bassinet has, too. The tiny cap hanging on the doorknob will tug at the heartstrings, if you let it. But there won’t be a newborn arriving anytime soon at the Cape-style house at 418 Lowell St. in Reading. The room has been carefully prepared, indeed — but for buyers, not for babies.
Think of it as stagecraft, produced and directed by a sales-minded real estate professional. “When I first walked through the house, that small bedroom had a gigantic desk in it,” said Rick Nazzaro, principal of Colonial Manor Realty in Reading. “It took up the entire room, and I knew prospective buyers would see it and simply write off that room in their minds. In order to get the best price in the shortest amount of time, sellers truly have to prepare their home for the sale.”
Nazzaro, who has been selling property since 1986, said that such strategies, designed to maximize a house’s appeal, have become a standard part of his accepting a listing. The house in Reading was in good shape — clean and well-maintained — but just about every house that’s for sale needs a few changes, Nazzaro said, “Sometimes a new set of eyes will see things the owner has learned to overlook. I try to look at the house through the eyes of a prospective buyer.”
In the kitchen, he suggested clearing the counter of clutter, including small appliances. The dining room table was set for a fancy dinner, even though no guests are expected, to create a feeling of warmth. And the desk that had crowded the “nursery” was moved to the finished room in the basement, letting Nazzaro pitch the space as an in-home office that adds value to the house.
Nazzaro is hardly the only realtor who sees a need for a little stagecraft. Three years ago, when Inez Steele put her Colonial in Beverly on the market, she called Lori Scholz, the owner of Your Décor in Marblehead. “Lori comes in and recreates your home to the point where you’re asking yourself if you really want to sell it,” Steele said with a laugh. She is executive vice president of the Realty Guild, a trade group for independent real estate firms. “Whether people are selling their home or just want to improve a look they’ve become familiar with, they often need the advice of a professional,” Scholz said.
After an initial $300 consultation, Scholz and an assistant show up with tools and ladders. The first order of business is to strip the rooms of everything but large pieces of furniture. Wall hangings, throw rugs, knickknacks and accent pieces are removed so Scholz can get a fresh look at the room and its architectural features. The eight-hour service costs about $1,500. “I usually tell people to just go out for the day and let us redesign your home,” she said. “Almost always, their first word upon returning is ‘Wow.’”
Realty Guild members often hear Steel talk about the importance of preparing a home for a sale. After her house had a makeover, she received five offers; it sold for $15,000 more than the asking price. “We learned so much during that process,” she said. “Little inexpensive changes can make a huge difference. Getting rid of clutter and making sure your home is clean and neat are so important. An accent rug here, a hanging plant there, and the house shows so much better. You want people to fall in love with your house,” she added.
Nazzaro agrees. Removing clutter is at the top of his list. “This also applies to the basement, garage and attic,” he said, as well as to the outdoors. At the Reading home, he wanted the yard raked because he saw the leaves as clutter. It’s also important to light stairs and hallways well, he said, and to make the front door look as tidy as possible. “This is a very well-maintained house, so I didn’t have to make many suggestions,” he said of the Reading house. “There are times when I do a walk-through and the house just needs so much that it isn’t worth trying. At that point I just tell the sellers to reduce the price and sell it as is. Sellers need to remember how important that first impression is — and you can only negotiate the sale once,” Nazzaro said.
