REGION — You’ve heard the expression, “It’s the little things in life that count.” The same is true when it comes to selling your home, according to Realtors Paul and Emily Hervieux of Keller Williams.
The husband and wife duo has an innovative take on home selling. Their methodology is built on a three-step process combining “intelligent fix-ups,” staging and a local and global marketing campaign.
The first step is intelligent fix-ups, which are small — but smart — changes a seller can make to a home prior to listing that can have a great impact on the home’s value. “We define intelligent fix-ups as things a seller can do to get a 3:1 return,” Emily Hervieux said. “Every $1 spent will yield a $3 higher sales price.”
“We do a room-by-room review of the client’s home,” Emily Hervieux said. “We find that sellers have an amazing opportunity to build equity in their home in every room of the house.”
“It is very home-specific,” Paul Hervieux said.
While some homes may benefit from several intelligent fix-ups, others might only need one or two.
“It’s all about the return for the client,” Emily Hervieux added. “We don’t recommend any changes that they don’t need.”
The second step is staging, which the Hervieuxs provide free of charge to their clients. According to the National Association of Realtors, staging typically costs from 1 to 3 percent of the list price and increases the value of a home by 8 to 10 percent. “This is a great return, but most agents don’t stage because it is very costly,” Emily Hervieux said.
The Hervieuxs believe in staging so much that they have their own inventory of pieces ranging from furniture to accessories. “We have a warehouse with basically everything we need right there,” Paul Hervieux said. “Staging helps distract from any imperfections and helps the home with both in-person showings and advertising.”
Once a home is ready to be seen, the Hervieuxs set to work on the third step in their process — finding prospective buyers.
And they set their sights on both local and global markets — a smart
move considering last year 10 percent of homes sold in San Diego were to international buyers. “Through Keller Williams we have a program called Buyers Without Borders,” Emily Hervieux said. “Our listings are advertised through 84 MLS systems outside of the U.S., reaching 500,000 international agents in 100 countries.”
When it comes to marketing, the Hervieuxs cover all of the bases. “We have professional photos, a virtual tour, an aerial tour and a unique property website,” Emily Hervieux said.
“We’ve been doing aerial videos in the last year,” she said. “We use state-of-the-art equipment and we’re able to video the house from the air. It allows you to gain perspective. And it’s one thing to say there are beautiful canyon views, but it’s another thing to actually see it.”
Each property is given its own website, which is listed above the sign. “The website offers a virtual tour, the aerial videos, a calendar of open houses and you can even schedule a showing,” Paul Hervieux said.
The Hervieuxs also hold home selling events, free to anyone who wants to become more educated about maximizing their sales price. The meetings cover topics such as intelligent fix-ups, staging, marketing and negotiating.
The next two workshops will be held at noon and 6:30 p.m. July 15 at the Lomas Santa Fe Country Club, at 1505 Lomas Santa Fe Drive. To contact Paul and Emily Hervieux, visit HervieuxReal Estate.com or call (858) 210-5241.
