Identifying the buyer demographic was key for this home. La Cañada is a very family heavy area, given the good school district, and most families want a yard, which this home lacked. While I didn't want to count out families entirely, I ended up catering all our marketing efforts to lean towards busy professionals seeking solace from the hustle and bustle of their work and recent retirees.

The prep work, staging and even marketing language communicated a home that was peaceful, easy to maintain and ideal for dinner parties instead of family friendly and ideal for children running around. I also wanted to make sure their green energy upgrades that were very cool, but also a little unusual and hard to spot were not only highlighted but explained in a way that put home buyers at ease knowing maintenance was minimal and utility savings were huge!

With the sellers being out of the country for all of the prep work, marketing and escrow period, execution was trickier and required more planning. The budget and list of upgrades was collected and approved by my clients up front, I then managed all the contractors day in and out as they painted, staged, cleaned and photographed the home. We also decided to do inspection reports up front before offers were due to reduce negotiations in escrow and headaches for the sellers as the got accustomed to their new surroundings in New Zealand.

When it came time for the open houses the stage was set. For our Twilight Open we had cupcakes and wine on the patio so people could take in the sunset and soak in the home’s special views. People lingered for 20-30 minutes on the patio just enjoying themselves. In the end, we received multiple offers but the buyer that ended up winning the home with an all cash, non-contingent offer came from my agent network within my Compass Pasadena office. They felt comfortable waiving their inspection contingency because of our extensive inspection reports up front and trust established from personal rapport.

Once in escrow it was time to bring it home, no pun intended. Even though we had no contingencies, it didn’t necessarily mean it was a done deal. From meeting with nervous parents and assuring them of their child’s purchase, to managing the seller’s power of attorney since they were overseas for signing, to staying on top of timelines: I shine in the details. It’s all about seeing around corners, keeping all parties accountable and on task and always advocating for my clients.

When it came time to close the buyer got their keys (a busy young professional, just as I had forecasted) and more importantly the sellers got their money, which was $325,000 more than they were planning on, all from the comfort of their new home in New Zealand.