$236,892
ONLINE APPRAISAL
Third Time's the Charm
Success After 2 Failed Attempts to Sell
225 W. Seminole Blvd #608 Sanford, FL 32771
$252,000
SALES PRICE
24
DAYS ON MARKET
Conventional Financing
What would you do after 6 months of failed efforts to sell your home? After enduring dozens of showing appointments where you've scrambled to clean the dishes, put away the laundry, and make sure that everything is just so, how would you feel about the process of selling and starting over from scratch? Would you try again with a new Realtor making big promises about a better way to sell the home and raise the price? That's EXACTLY what our client did, and this is the story of how and why it worked.
The Marketing Approach
The property we were selling was located on the top floor of a 6 story condominium and offered magnificent views of the water. It was considerably larger than most of the other condos in the area and would be considered a luxury unit to most. The condo was tastefully upgraded with granite countertops in the kitchen and baths and solid wood and upgraded ceramic tile flooring. The building itself includes a fitness center and community center within the building and has a great coffee shop on the first floor with outdoor seating.
The condo is located in a hip up and coming part of historic Sanford, within walking distance of great shopping, award winning restaurants, and a vibrant night life. Across the street is Lake Monroe and the Monroe Harbour Marina. The building is also immediately adjacent to the Seminole County Courthouse and Sanford City Hall and just down the road from Central Florida Regional Hospital.
In order to make sure that we were putting our advertising in front of the right audience, we payed particular attention to who would be the likely buyer for this home. After much discussion, we concluded that the most likely buyer for a luxury condo in this part of town would be a younger person that either already lives in the immediate area or that worked either in the legal profession or at the hospital down the road.
So we know what we're selling, and we know who we're selling it to. But how do we reach them and get them engaged?
Custom Listing Site
At the heart of our marketing strategy is technology. With our custom property pages, there's no inaccurate "Guesstimate". No list of competitor's homes along the side. No advertising for half a dozen other Realtors desperate to sell you ANY home. Just a showcase for our client's home directing interested buyers to our team, whose only priority was selling HIS home. Over 90% of home shoppers start their search online, and there is no 2nd chance at a 1st impression, so it had to look fantastic. You can view an example of one of our listing pages by clicking here.
Facebook Advertising
We reached out to our likely buyer profile through advanced demographic targeting and paid advertising on Facebook. That Facebook advertising reached 13,412 targeted Facebook users in just 4 days. It also resulted in 116 interested buyers submitting their contact information and an enormous amount of traffic to our open house.
.jpg?w=851)
Professional Print Advertising
Professional print materials were prepared featuring the most impactfull photos of the property and drove the recipient to our custom property website.
The phone number used on the materials provided a recorded description of the property and followed up with a text message with the link to the mobile version of the custom property page. Those callers were also placed onto an active marketing campaign where our team made every effort to coordinate private showing appointments for the caller.
As part of that print advertising, a post card was delivered to a targeted group of 500 area residents to announce the open house. We also advertised the property to neighboring communities using door hangers and in area restaurants and business using glossy double sided flyers.
All buyers that saw the home received hand written "Thank You" cards on custom made property specific cards. Custom business cards were used when showing the property and when meeting with other agents about the property.
Targeted Email Blasts
The "Coming Soon" advertising and open house announcement were emailed to our existing database of over 2,000 active Orlando Area home shoppers. These are not cold emails, these are potential home buyers that know our name and receive our updates and contacts on a regular basis.
Professional Videography
Nothing can capture the true experience of a home like video. According to Zillow.com, homes advertised with video get 3 times more clicks on average than homes without. One of the biggest selling points of this property was the location, so we incorporated drone video that highlighted the waterfront area and a professionally shot walk-through video. Take a look at that YouTube video below.
Professional Photography
Every one of our listings gets professional photography. A professional can provide higher resolution photos with fewer shadows and an artist's appreciation for lighting, photogenic angles, and visual appeal. There is simply no room for cell phone photography or amateur snapshots in the marketing of one of your largest financial assets. Compare our photography for this listing to the photography from the previous failed attempts to sell the home and see if you don't agree!
Who Wore It Better?
Same property, same photos, massively different impacts on potential buyers. Which would you prefer for the marketing of your home?
Our Living Room Photo
Light and bright with an emphasis on the amazing view of the water.
Their Living Room Photo
Dark interior with exterior light completely washing out the view from the balcony. What view of the water?
Our Master Bedroom Photo
Emphasis on the size of the room, and that view, WOW!
Their Master Bedroom Photo
Room looks small, and where did the view go?
Our Area Photo
Peaceful and serene in a beautiful setting that you would love to stroll along in the evening.
Their Area Photo
This setting is not going to attract buyers to the area.
3D Floor Plan Model with Dollhouse View
Have you ever looked at photos of a home and wondered "which bedroom is this?" or "where is that bathroom at?" The technology we use takes thousands of photos and "stitches" them together into a 3D "dollhouse" style floor plan model and virtual reality enabled virtual tour.
We have more people relocating to Central Florida than almost anywhere else in the country. With this technology we've been able to sell homes site unseen to buyers that couldn't fly in to see them in person because they've already seen every corner of the home online. Take a look for yourself!
The Property Description
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the words still matter. It's our opinion that the property description should both describe the details of the home as well as paint a picture of what owning and living in this home would be like. We want the potential buyer to envision themselves sitting on this private penthouse balcony with family and friends on the 4th of July and watching the fireworks over the water. We want them to picture the convenience of a fitness center in the building. We're selling more than walls and floors. We're selling the experience of living here! Here's how we did it:
Room With A View
The master bedroom has a spectacular view of the water and separate access to the balcony. It also features a private en-suite bath with garden tub and tiled shower stall and dual sink granite-topped vanity and a spacious walk-in closet.
Gourmet Kitchen
The kitchen is open to the living room for easy entertaining and keeping the conversation going with guests. It includes granite countertops with a breakfast bar, stainless steel appliances, upgraded 18-inch ceramic tile floors, and a spacious pantry with shelving.
Cozy Living Room
Featuring hand scraped wood flooring, soaring 11 foot ceilings, an open concept, and spectacular views of Lake Monroe, Veterans Memorial Park, and Monroe Harbour Marina, the living room is sure to be your favorite room for relaxing and entertaining.
Private Balcony
Just imagine enjoying your morning coffee on your private balcony, overlooking the marina as boats sail in and out over the weekend, listing to the birds... Or better yet, ending the night with a nightcap outside in the spring breeze on that penthouse balcony as you take in the nightlife.
Outdoor Living
Whether you're taking in your morning coffee at the cafe downstairs, walking or biking to work at Central Florida Regional Hospital, Sanford City Hall, or the Seminole County Courthouse, taking in award winning dining on the brick-lined streets of Historic Downtown Sanford, or enjoying the Star Spangled Sanford July 4th Celebration with friends, you'll love the outdoor living this community has to offer.
More Details
This spectacular penthouse 6th floor condo features pristine and panoramic views of Lake Monroe, Veterans Memorial Park, and Monroe Harbour Marina. Just imagine enjoying the annual Star Spangled Sanford July 4th fireworks celebration from your private balcony with perfect unobstructed views of all of the festivities! Gateway is conveniently located next door to City Hall, within 1/4 mile of Seminole County Courthouse, and less than 1/2 mile from Historic Downtown Sanford's shopping and award winning dining and even has its own attached café downstairs. This 3 bedroom 3 bath top floor unit features soaring 11 foot ceilings, granite countertops in the kitchen and all baths, upgraded 18 inch ceramic tile flooring paired beautifully with hand-scraped wood and Berber carpet, and has been meticulously cared for. With a dual-master suite setup, 2 of the 3 bedrooms have walk-in closets and their own full en-suite baths with the larger of the 2 including a separate garden tub and spacious tiled shower stall. The 3rd bedroom can also be used as a home-office or formal living room. There is a separate laundry room, complete with full cabinetry for added storage and convenience. The community also offers tremendous convenience and security, with tenant only access at all doors, security staff on site, elevators, community fitness equipment, and a furnished community center with full kitchen, pool table, and theater seating with flat-screen TV in addition to water/sewer and trash collection provided for in the dues.
Repetition Through Retargeting
Have you ever looked at something like a pair of shoes on Amazon.com? You don't buy the shoes, but you go to another site and there they are, following you around reminding you of just how much you want them. Why should such a successful marketing tactic be ignored in real estate?
Visitors to our custom property page were "tagged" for future advertising on non-real estate related websites. Each view of the ad builds recognition and increases the interest of the prospective buyer. Targeted visitors return to the custom property page, maximizing the opportunity for an offer.
.png?w=851)
The End Result
Our listing of the property had substantially more online exposure than our competition in the building and much greater showing activity than the property had in the previous attempts to sell it with other agents. The buyer that closed on the home came to us specifically because of the advertising and marketing methods employed. The buyer closed on the home with a conventional mortgage and couldn't be happier. The seller was so pleased with our efforts that he has asked us to help with the sale of another property in the area!
What the seller had to say:
A big thank you to Jennifer and the Gangawer real estate team . I had my condo listed with two other realtor's and had no results . Jennifer and her team aggressively went on a marketing campaign to sell my condo and in less than 30 days we had an offer and closed almost immediately .... Jennifer also has aggressive lenders who can handle difficult financing situation's . I give a 110 percent credit to Jennifer and her team for selling my condo and without a doubt she will be my only realtor from now on .
What the buyer had to say:
"Jessica Gregware is the real deal when it comes to working with a listing agent directly. I saw a property that I wanted and approached Jessica at the open house. I mentioned how difficult it would be to buy the property having tried three times prior. Jessica worked with me and in the end found a mortgage solution I would have never considered and closed on time. VERY WELL DONE Jessica, A+++++. Jessica was very attentive throughout the whole process and there were some late night conversations. Jessica was always on point from the beginning to the end."
How Can We Help You Sell Your Home?
Our Marketing Package
Our marketing strategy is far more comprehensive and impactful than what other Realtors have to offer. Take a look and see for yourself.
Free Home Value Report
Get your free, completely customized home value report. We conduct a comparative market analysis reviewing sales data near your home and the features of your home.