Why Work with Neil?

There are over 1,500 Realtors in Boulder County. There are part time agents, team members, team leaders, new agents, experienced agents, there are a few agents who do many transactions and many who do very few. So how do you choose among them? Most of the people I work with come to me through referrals or are past clients, but in any given year 5 – 15% of my clients come to me through my website. If you are looking for a good Realtor who will represent you well here are five key points to consider before choosing.

  • Experience – You want your advocate, the one who is going to lead you through a sale or a purchase to know what they are doing. There is no substitute for completing many transactions and showings tons of houses.  I have been a Realtor in Boulder Colorado since 1991. I’m a Boulder native and have helped hundreds of families buy and sell homes within the Boulder Valley. Both my parents were Realtors and they mentored me on the right way to conduct my business for many years. I grew up in Boulder and have been a homeowner since 1992 and a real estate investor since 1994. Put my experience to work for you.
  • Trustworthiness – Time and again national surveys show that the most important attribute of a real estate agent to buyers and sellers is their degree of trustworthiness.  To me integrity is the basis of my business. Earning my clients trust and treating all parties in the transaction honestly is my cornerstone. The Grievance Committee in the Realtor world is where ethical issues among real estate agents and between real estate agents and the public are heard. I have been nominated by my peers for many years to serve on this committee and for the last three years I have been asked by the President of the local Realtor Association to be the chairman of this committee.
  • Knowledge – The best way to be successful in the real estate market is to get good advice. The list of things you need to know is long and includes market conditions, neighborhoods, schools, housing defects, needed inspections, how to handle multiple offers, timing of listings, financing, etc. You need someone who can speak with first hand knowledge about each of these topics. As you browse my website you will see that my focus is providing information to my clients so that they can make an informed decision. My buyer clients are pleasantly surprised with the education they receive while looking at different homes.  I know what is typical and what isn’t.
  • Easy to work with – Selling or buying a home is an important and serious transaction but that doesn’t mean that it should be difficult. Navigating the market and sorting through the options is difficult enough without having an agent who makes everything difficult. My clients are surprised when I talk them out of buying a house, but they soon realize that I have their best interests in mind. It’s not about the sale it’s about being of service and making sure they are happy. This no pressure attitude allows a client to make decisions on their time table. Transactions are sometimes stressful and you deserve a Realtor who will calmly sort through the solutions not frantically look for who to blame. Space in the process makes everyone smile. Having a responsive agent ensures that the process is moving forward.
  • Enthusiasm – Look for an agent who loves what they do and brings energy and enthusiasm to each day. Make sure that there is innovation and creativity happening and you will find an advocate who is looking for new ways to serve, rather than using old ways to sell.  You may want to read “Why I Love My Career…” to see my thoughts on this topic.

I work with both buyers and sellers. When working with buyers I am responsive, share my knowledge and am totally engaged in the process. When I’m working with Sellers I work very hard to make sure that the entire process goes smoothly. From our initial meeting you will find that I’m prepared, prompt and ready to work for you.  The process on how I prepare and market a listing is outlined below.

According to The National Associations latest consumer survey 89 percent of recent home buyers relied heavily on the internet to find their new home.  Currently there are 3.5 million homes listed for sale in the United States.  In today’s ultra-competitive real estate landscape your home has to be more than listed.  In order to be successful your home has to be marketed in such a way as to stand out from the competition. Buyers have a short attention span.  As they click through listings it doesn’t take much to lose their attention.  A bad photo or an un-interesting description can quickly move a potential buyer into a just another person who will not buy your home. In 1999 I graduated with a masters degree in business with an emphasis in finance and entrepreneurship from the University of Colorado.  At that point I had already been selling real estate for seven years.  My original plan was to climb the corporate ladder after graduation.  But then I had an epiphany, I loved Boulder and I loved what I was doing.  Right then I decided to take my real estate practice to a higher level.  I made a commitment to serve my clients with proactive professionalism.  To go the extra mile with an attitude of humble service. Over the past sixteen years the real estate industry has evolved and my practice of real estate has been on the leading crest. I pride myself in using multiple channels of distribution to ensure that your home is exposed to the greatest number of potential buyers.   In 2006 I was awarded the prestigious Realtor of the Year by the Boulder Area Realtor Association.  I have held many leadership positions in my industry over the past decade including board president.  I served on the Board of Managers of the Northern Colorado MLS (IRES) for eleven years, served as the Chairman of the Ethics Committee at the Boulder Area Realtor Association for a half a decade and am now on the Professional Standards Committee at the state level working on ethics hearings.  Doing business the right way is important to me.  I am the broker/owner of an independent office with 4 agents.

My Approach to Home Marketing

Marketing Wheel 2It used to be that to market a home meant putting a sign in the yard, copying a few brochures and placing the home in the local MLS service. Back in the day of MLS books, buyers and realtors had to wait a week for the book of listings to be updated. Now, the speed of information is almost instantaneous and it takes a diverse mix of marketing methods to attract buyers and maximize seller return. My goal is to maximize the appeal of my listings to prospective buyers through impeccable preparation, high quality deliverables and a beautiful Internet presence that gives each and every listing the custom feel that buyers appreciate. I fulfill this goal through the execution of my highly effective and proven marketing plan that puts the home, not the agency in the forefront.

Preparation The first step in my premier marketing plan is in detailed and early preparation. Your house deserves professional and experience representation and this begins long before the sign is placed in the yard. The first step in the preparation phase is to price the property correctly. Proper pricing results in maximizing the sales price for the Seller while still staying attractive to potential Buyers. Correct pricing takes into account comparable sales, the location, the condition of the property, the current market conditions and the competition. I take great care in analyzing and comparing your property to other homes with specialized spreadsheets I have developed over time that help us decide on the right price. The photo below is an actual spreadsheet for a client.

Real Estate Analysis

Once the price is set and the listing papers are signed, I go to work to maximize the appeal of the home by taking great photos and writing a compelling description. Too many listings describe the property in terms of facts. I strive to describe the home as a lifestyle, a place to make memories, a place they want to live. The goal of the photos and remarks is to make the buyer want to look at the property in person. Almost all potential buyers are viewing listings online. Our first showing is online and the goal of my marketing is to make the buyer want to see the property in person.  

The Hub – Custom Designed Website After the photos are done and the description is written, my hub and spoke marketing plan is implemented. The hub is a custom website that I build from scratch. This is a true custom website developed from scratch and with its own website address. On this website I can tell the full story of your home, display all of the photos, describe the location, the neighborhood, display links to the HOA, show the brochure and the MLS sheet, etc. When a buyer wants more information we want more than 500 characters (the limit on MLS and other online sites) to tell the full story of why this home is different and why they should see it. The custom website is where interested buyers go to get the information they want and it’s where they send their family to share their excitement. This is where we point all of our other marketing. This is where we can give a full and controlled experience to our potential buyers. Here are some examples of recent listings.

The Spokes The spokes of my premier marketing plan includes print, online and Realtor-to-Realtor advertising. The diagram on this page shows how I use a broad spectrum of marketing methods to reach potential buyers. All of my marketing is done with a feel of substance and quality. Print marketing includes a sign, custom brochures, a sign rider with the website address and consistent display advertising in the Daily Camera. Our strategic online marketing includes websites across all sectors. These include national websites such as Realtor.com and Redfin.com. Regional websites such as Coloproperty.com. Local websites such as AtHomeColorado.com. Competitor websites such as Remax.com, COHomefinder.com, and wkre.com. Of course your property will be featured on the KearneyRealty.com and NeilKearney.com websites as well. Here is an example of a printed brochure, front and back.      1900 Dartmouth brochure photo Brochure page 2 The goal of online marketing is to impel the buyer to take the next step. Our marketing to other Realtors includes a thorough MLS listing, which includes the compelling description and beautiful photos and email marketing to our local list of over 800 agents. With the MLS listing, it’s important to have done all of the prep work upfront because you only have one chance to make a good first impression. I have established a reputation among my peers based on impeccable ethics and easy communication. Other agents like working with me and they know when they bring an offer it will be handled promptly and with complete integrity. I have extensive information and market statistics available on my website www.NeilKearney.com and I invite you to do some research on your own. I look forward to the opportunity to serve you!

Neil Kearney 303.818.4055

Neil@KearneyRealty.com
 
Broker/Owner
Kearney Realty Co.

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