Government & Citizens Work on Sammamish Water Level–Together

Government & Citizens Work on Sammamish Water Level–Together

How to create an effective real estate flyer

By Averie Garman


Anytime you market yourself you want to be sure you're creating a product that is a clear representation of you. Branding yourself is your first goal as a real estate agent and one way to do that is to create an effective real estate flyer for your sellers. I've found that buyers want to see lot's of photos of the property and don't care about frilly designs. E-how suggests that you have at least one spectacular photo of the exterior, followed by other photos that clearly and accurately represent the home. I agree, make sure the exterior photo is edited properly as well. Make sure that more grass and landscape is showing in the photo rather than concrete and garage. I use the program “Irfanview” to edit photos (you can download it for free Irfanview download). Have someone else spell-check your work. Make sure the grammar is correct and makes sense. Avoid writing a lengthy paragraph, keep is short and to the point. I like to use bullet points but other formats work well too. Write the description as if it was a restaurant menu and you’re describing the dishes. Give the buyer just enough information so that they can see if the home fits their personal tastes. I like to use different fonts depending on the style of the home; my favorites are Times New Roman, Arial, Cambria and Garamond. Make sure it’s still easy to read and clear. The size of the font is important as well. Most buyers who pick up flyers are walking by or driving up, they may not have their reading glasses close by. I recommend font size 12 and larger. Depending on your brand and its market share your going to want to up sell (or maybe down sell) the company logo. Your company should have their brand guidelines posted. Make sure your obeying the size and layout guidelines. Just like a business card, you want the quality of paper and ink the flyer is printed on to be nice. If your spending a lot of money on flyers you might want to propose a cap on how many colored flyers your going to deliver to your sellers. For example after the first 200 colored flyers, the sellers have to cover the cost of printing.

Check out this article: 7 fixes to boost your home's value

7 fixes to boost your home's value
http://realestate.msn.com/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=24745153


By Investopedia

It's time to tackle home-improvement tasks you put off during the cold winter weather. There are lots of relatively simple and affordable things you can do to give your home a face lift. Your house will look better and your family will feel happier in it. As a bonus, you will also boost your home's value.

1. Add the perfect touch with paint

"A fresh coat of light paint on the interior walls can work wonders," says Kelly O'Ryan of Coldwell Banker in Lexington, Mass. "Paint will always clean up dirty walls and give a room a better image."

Although dark colors can be stylish, O'Ryan advises going for lighter shades to brighten things up in warmer seasons. Karol Nickell, editor-in-chief of Fresh Home magazine, offers this advice: "Smart color selections can make a small or cramped room appear dramatically larger. In the foyer, make a good first impression with similar tones mixed at different strengths. In the living room, a bold color paired with a white ceiling makes the room seem taller than it really is."

2. Focus on the flooring

Good, well-maintained flooring can set a positive tone for the entire interior of your home.

"Like paint, flooring can help create an impression of spaciousness and airiness," Nickell says. "Whether it's a floating laminate floor, tile or a natural 'green' alternative, lighter-tone flooring can make formerly drab areas appear modern and streamlined."

3. Lighten up the accents
 
 

"Spring (or summer) is a great time to change your window treatments and area rugs," O'Ryan says. "Once again, dark colors are associated with winter months; a lighter, airy curtain will give any room a brighter and more pleasant appearance. If your floors are in great shape, you may want to remove the area rugs and leave the floors bare. Eliminating the rugs will open up the room and make it appear larger."

4. Update the windows
 
 

Old windows aren't just ugly — they can also let your heat and air conditioning escape, costing you big bucks.

"While window treatments are typically a focus in many home makeovers, the actual windows themselves are often overlooked," says Victor Gonzales Maertens, an energy efficiency expert with Lennox Industries. "However, upgrading old single-pane windows with new Energy Star-qualified windows can save an average of between $126 and $465 per year on energy bills, and some new windows qualify for the federal tax credit."


5. Weed out bad landscaping

Neglected bushes and overgrown lawns can kill a home's curb appeal. Don't worry – you don't need a green thumb to spruce up your yard.

"Clean up the site by removing any dead or dying plants, branches and flowers," suggests Jennifer Hoxsie, landscape designer with Greenhaven Landscapes in Lake Bluff, Ill. "Prune overgrown shrubs along the home's foundation so they are below the windowsills and off walkways and driveways. Fill empty holes with site-appropriate plants. Have all the planting beds weeded, edged and mulched for a clean, crisp look. Finally, weed and fertilize the lawn and provide supplemental watering if necessary to maintain a lush green carpet."

6. Add decorative touches to the yard

We're not talking about plastic pink flamingos or creepy garden gnomes. Taylor Graves of CertainTeed building products says, "Adding benches, steppingstones, fountains or other garden accents could go a long way in making your outdoors a visually appealing and welcoming environment."

7. A few final exterior touches

While you're outside, a few other quick moves can make a big difference.
"Add color with paint to outdoor features such as window frames, decorative beams and porches," says Kurt Gleeson, national vice president of sales for RealEstate.com. Stick with calm colors that complement the home's exterior color scheme, avoiding shocking shades and drastic contrasts.
"Clean external brickwork or concrete slabs with a liquid masonry cleaner to make them look new and neat. Power washing can give external stonework, walkways and front stoops a quick makeover."
Spruce things up

By investing a few bucks and some elbow grease, you can boost your home's image – and value – quickly this year.