Ken Tracy Naperville Illinois Real Estate

Yesterday was great. It was my first day of door knocking in five years. It felt great to be prospecting...

I am excited go out again. It is 2 PM, and the skies are fairly dark with gusty winds today in Naperville. It is a warm day for early March...

I have just found a babysitter to watch my girls, and my schedule is now clear...

I will be going door knocking...

Cup of iced coffee in hand, I head out the door, actually kind of excited. That is the nice thing about caffeine...

I was dressed in cords and a KW golf shirt, with the same light coat and badge as the night before. I believe in branding, and how I look is a part of that brand. If I am out and about in the neighborhood, I want to be recognizable...

As I pulled into Carrolwood, Naperville, I looked at the clock. It was 5:07. Slightly late, but sometimes, that happens...

Walking up to the first door, I no longer felt very nervous. I knew what I had to do...

The first person I met was a wonderful lady named Ann. She was an original owner...

"Been here 14 years!" she proclaimed proudly...

Almost happy to open the door and meet me, she had recognized me from my marketing material...

She made me feel great to be door knocking...

Although I didn't meet any sure leads tonight, there also wasn't any bad experiences...

I now have met 20 new people at the door in Carrolwood, Naperville. I have introduced myself as a friendly and professional REALTOR, and offered my services. Almost everyone was very nice, and most gave me their names...

I got back to my car at 5:31.

It was easy tonight.

Ken

Read yesterday's post, Day 1 of Door Knocking...

Read my post, "DOOR KNOCKING FOR REAL ESTATE" for the script I use as well as a few other door knocking strategies...

-a dark and very windy day at Carrolwood, Naperville

-Door #1. I was ready to go. Anticipation had replaced last nights nerves...

Are you looking to kick start your real estate business?

I know I would like to sell more homes, so I am getting back to the most productive lead generating activity there is...

Door knocking.

It has been 5 years since I was last out, and I am excited to get started.

Here is how I do it:

DOOR KNOCKING FOR REAL ESTATE

1. Location, location, location
   All neighborhoods are not created equally, so choose your neighborhood carefully. I like door knocking in townhome communities, ideally ones with one car garages. These neighborhoods generally will have a higher turnover rate, making the time I spend more effective.
   
   
2. Timing
   I have found the two most productive times for door knocking to be 5 PM on weeknights, and 10 AM on weekends. People are usually home at these times, and remember the goal is to talk to people.
   
   
3. Hand them something
   I print out the comps of the neighborhood, and staple my card to it. As they open the door, I hand them the comps and start my script. Since most people want to know what is happening in their neighborhood, this usually prevents them from shutting the door in my face.
   
   
4. Use a Script
   Keep your script simple and short. Here is mine: "Hi, my name is Ken Tracy. I am a REALTOR with Keller Williams here in Naperville. I market this neighborhood very effectively. I am out looking for people who are moving in two years or less so that I can go to work for them..."
   
   
5. Make your goal action oriented, not results oriented
   To avoid burnout, my goal every night out is to talk to 10 people at the door. This usually takes only 30 to 40 minutes. Even "Not interested" counts.
   
   
6. Get contact info
   If someone tells me they plan on moving, I get their phone number and email address. I then set them up with an automated email search of their neighborhood, so they know what we will be competing against when they do put their home on the market.
   
   
7. Follow up
   The day after door knocking, I send everyone I met a hand written note thanking them for their time along with my business card. I even send them to the door slammers. Who knows? Maybe they were having a bad day...

Again, if you are looking to increase your sales, there is no more effective way than door knocking. So if you want to boost your sales, please join me.

I will be posting my results, and would love to hear any successes from others...

Ken

-townhome communities like Carrolwood in Naperville are great for door knocking...

Why do foreclosures use such LOUSY pictures?

A client contacted me the other day, wanting to see some homes in Plainfield, Illinois. Given her price range, many of the homes she selected were foreclosures...

As I flipped through the pictures of the homes she picked, I was disappointed at what I saw...

-What is this? The cameraman couldn't even pick up the blinds?

-Tempting...

?

Wall paper. Peeling wall paper. Seat up...

Are you kidding me?

Although these pictures are a bit extreme, they are not out of the norm. Bad angles and horrible lighting are so common with foreclosures, I wonder...

Why aren't these agents even trying?

Ken

I was called by a new customer the other day. He had found my name on Google, and was excited to begin his home search...

He was preapproved, highly motivated, and wanted to look at homes as soon as possible.

After asking for specifics on the type of home he was looking for, I asked him "Would you like to see short sale listings as well?"

"Can you tell me why and why not?" he answered.

"No problem," I said.

"Why?" buy a Naperville Short Sale?

Price. Bottom line, you can get more home for the money when looking at short sales. In order to entice buyers for a short sale listing, the homes generally will be priced about 10% below the rest of the market.
With median home prices in Naperville around $370,000, that $37,000 difference offers plenty of incentive for the proper buyer.

"Why not?" buy a Naperville Short Sale

1. Condition
   In my experience, sellers of short sale listings are generally not as motivated as sellers of regular listings. It is the end to a painful experience for them. A relief because it is over, but usually not a happy time. They also have no $ motivation, since they won't be leaving the closing table with a check.
   Homes in short sale are generally not in perfect "showing condition". They often have missing appliances, dirty carpet, and often need painting. It can be difficult to schedule showings, as well.
   The homes are usually sold "as is" and the bank will generally not provide a survey.
   
   
2. Uncertainty
   When you agree to terms with a seller, it isn't time for celebration. Lots of hurdles remain between you and the closing table. Depending on various issues (most notably the experience of the listing team handling short sales), your odds of actually owning the home are never certain.
   
   
3. Time
   Short sale purchases take time. If you have an absolute deadline when you need to move, then a short sale isn't for you. The process is speeding up, but you can never be certain how long the purchase of a short sale will take.
   
   

So, if you are looking for a home with a little hidden equity, and if you aren't on a tight moving schedule, then a Naperville short sale purchase might be for you....

Ken

Lehigh Station 2011 Market Report - Aurora Illinois Real Estate

-Lehigh Station, Aurora on a sunny spring day day...

Lehigh Station, a large subdivision of townhomes located just west of Rte. 59, is located conveniently on Aurora's border with Naperville...

The homes at Lehigh Station have plenty of space, large decks, basements, and two car attached garages. They are also close to the Route 59 train station and very reasonably priced...

Lehigh Station is located in Indian Praire School District 204...

-a front stoop at Lehigh Station, Aurora on a fall afternoon...

-large back decks and two car garages are features of the homes at Lehigh Station, Aurora...

Activity in 2011

Homes Sold: 16

Average Sales Price: $188,925

Homes Currently for Sale: 2

Average Asking Price: $197,000

Lehigh Station, Aurora is on Facebook.

Lehigh Station Third Quarter 2011 Market Report
Lehigh Station Second Quarter 2011 Market Report
Lehigh Station First Quarter 2011 Market Report
Lehigh Station 2010 Market Report
Lehigh Station 2009 Market Report

Are you interested in Aurora real estate? Call me anytime at 630-697-0536 or send me an email to Ken@KensFeaturedHomes.com.