It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times in the Seattle Real Estate market. It was the best of times for selling your house, as the current market was moving very quickly. But it was the worst of time for homeowners who had their condo listed on the market for over 2 months with zero offers and only two showings.  They had even been advised by their previous real estate agent (just like most) to reduce the price.  However, this ‘strategy’ of continual price decrease was no help, as there were still no showings and no offers.  Does this story sound familiar?

Luckily the homeowners realized that the problem was not their home, but actually their Real Estate Broker. He refused to hold an open house and the photos of their home looked terrible given they were not taken professionally. The homeowners were very frustrated that their broker did not put the work in needed to sell their home. So, one Sunday, they decided to go out and visit three open houses, and pick a new real estate broker from one of these open houses.

Sure enough, the Pelham Group NW was holding an open house at a condo that same day. It was extremely busy, with a steady stream of people coming through. We noticed a couple who were just sitting in the living room watching the proceedings. Finally, when Kim was able to break free, she walked over and introduced herself and asked them if they were neighbors or if they were looking to buy a house. They replied that they were neither–they were looking for her!

Surprised, Kim said, “Well, it looks like you found me! What can I do to help you?” They told Kim the story about their condo being for sale for two months, their plan to find a new Real Estate Broker, and that they had picked her to sell their home after witnessing the busy open house and the team at work guiding guests on a tour of the home for sale.

Afterward, we pulled up their listing online and could immediately see the problem. The condo looked terrible… to be kind! The pictures were dark and the home looked very unappealing. Also, it was overpriced by about $10,000. After a FREE consultation, Kim talked to them about the importance of staging and how it was critical to have the house look beautiful online to ensure max value on the sale. We made a plan, Kim staged the property, had professional photos taken, and implemented our proven system to maximize the sales price.  Low and behold… the property sold within five days, while receiving multiple offers for $10,000 above value!!