A.D. Cantelmo Property Management
Our Business is Property Management in Orange County California
Having an occasional reality check is a good thing
A few years ago, I listed a property that was over 50 years
old and it was not upgraded at all. Before I put together my marketing, I always
ask the owners of the propertys to give me a list of things that they feel should
be pointed out in the home. I do this, because the owner should know more about
the property than anyone and it gives me the opportunity to get a better understanding
of the property. When I asked the owner of this particular property to give me a
list, one of the items that they pointed out was the nearly new kitchen
cabinets. I looked at the list and was confused. I thought they must have been Talking
about another home, because the cabinets in this home were at least 25 years
old and they looked like it and more. When I questioned the owner, he was insistent
that I go along with this description. Of course I did not.
This owner needed a reality check and every once in a while
it is good for all of us to give ourselves a checkup. As Real Estate Broker
that specializes in Property Management, a huge part of my job is marketing and
in this business, we always want to point out the good and gloss over the flaws
of a property.
It takes me back to one of my first real jobs. I worked at a very
large delicatessen and one of my jobs was to make party trays with cold cuts. The
owner was a great business man and when he showed me how to make the trays it
was very interesting. He would take the slices of meat that were less than
perfect and put them on the bottom and the good looking slices on the top. He
explained it to me this way. “The people who see the meat trays first will see
the beautiful slices and be impressed with the quality of the product, the last
people to eat will be the drunks and they could care less about what the meat looks
like”. His quote to me and I will never forget it was, “Make shit look like
Roses”. As funny as this sounds, it is good marketing, cover the bad with the
good.
The important thing about this story and about marketing a property
is that accentuating the good is perfectly normal, but unlike the deli tray, you
don’t want to cover up the bad when it comes to a property, you just don’t make
the bad, a priority and when I say bad, I am not talking dangerous. Obviously,
as Realtors and Brokers we would never cover up anything dangerous. The
important thing though and getting back to the kitchen cabinets, you can’t
pretend that bad is good. That is just stupid! If your home is old, then market
the home as authentic and embrace the nostalgic feeling of the home. Trying to
make the home something that it is not will not work. Unlike the drunks at the
party, people will care about what they see when buying or renting a home. The
key to marketing is to make what you have desirable, not make what you have
into something else.
Often when dealing with homeowners, their home is an
emotional subject and reality may not matter. People see what they want to see
sometimes and as professionals in the business, it is our job to force the
reality check, even if it is painful and it could cost you the listing or the
management agreement. A reality check can be painful, but reality often is.
A.D. Cantelmo Property
Management Specializes in Property Management in Orange County
Ca.