Lakefront property is unique, your home is unique… and it takes a focused marketing approach to attract & educate the best buyers from a nation-wide audience.
If you needed brain surgery, would you go to your general practitioner? Of course not. You want someone whose single most important function in life is to think, eat, sleep and breathe brain surgery. After all, you’re trusting them with the most important piece of your body.
So why would you trust your most important investment to a generalist? Most Real Estate agents sell every type of property they can get their hands on…and there’s nothing wrong with that. But lakefront homes are unique. The buyers that buy them are unique. So it just makes sense to have an agent that walks the walk.
Here’s some things to look for when searching for a lakefront specialty agent to sell your property:
- Most sellers will ask “How many lakefront homes have you sold over the last 12 months?” And although that’s a good question (and be sure to get an answer), what you really should be asking is: “How many lakefront buyers are you working with RIGHT NOW that qualify for my home?” Because if their entire marketing plan is to put it on MLS and hope that another agency sells it, that’s not a marketing plan.
- Do they know that it takes to prepare your lakefront home for sale? Buyers have very specific needs…they are buying a lifestyle, not just a home. So be sure they know how to stage your home to highlight the lifestyle the buyer will be living.
- Ask them how they will be setting the sales price. Two things happen when you get a market analysis from a “generalist” agent. They either price it like it’s not on the water (because that’s all they know); or they price it way too high because they don’t understand the value the waterfront brings. Be sure they understand the #1 way to correctly value your lakefront property.
- Do they accompany all the showings? (Hint…none of them do!). So how can they fully describe your lake and sell the lifestyle if they are not there? Remember, the lake is the most important feature to the buyer. So questions about recreation, water quality, aquatic weeds, restrictions, fishing, boating, Associations, etc.; all need to be answered by the listing agent.
- I always tell sellers to ask the following question as soon as the agent walks in the door: “Sell me on my lake right now”. If they don’t completely blow you away with their lakefront knowledge, you’ve got the wrong agent in your house. You’ll save an hour of your time! It’s worth repeating…Buyers are buying the lake, not the house!
You only get one chance at this…never leave money on the table. Give yourself the best chance at maximum value, hire a lakefront specialist! Watch our video to learn more…
Good luck!
Posted by Scott Freerksen “The Lake Guy”