Transcript:

Today, I'm going to talk to you about something that's near and dear to my heart, and that's Coming Soon Homes®. And would like to discuss the benefits of Coming Soon Homes for a home seller that's thinking about selling their house. You know, much is going on in real estate right now. You see real estate all in the headlines. And there is a power struggle in real estate and it's real.

Most people don't even know that it's affecting them and it's affecting one of their largest assets, which, of course, is the American home. So really what I want to tell you is that all businesses change with the times, and of course, real estate is absolutely no exception. The realities have changed drastically in the 30 years that I've been in this business.

One of the most powerful principles in business as a whole is the power of being first. Think about it - first to market, first to the consumer, first to be top of mind, and first to be seen online. As you know, people pay a lot for that placement. The first real estate topic that I want to talk to you about is big tech and big money.

Let's talk about big tech. They own mountains of data and are actually changing the opportunities for the American homeowner. When you think big tech, the first one you think of is Zillow. Folks, let's face it, they own Trulia, they own ShowingTime and so many more. They own such a huge chunk of data.

But don't leave out big money because when you think big money, I want you to think investors. I want you to think of local investors, U.S. investors, and foreign investors. We live in a pre-code COVID world but before COVID happened, a large home investor that owned a great deal of real estate was considered to be somebody that owned 1,000 homes.

Now we have investors across the United States that own 20,000 homes and 40,000 homes. This is a very different market than we've ever had before. So during the past few years, big tech and big money have actually positioned themselves in all 50 states to be the power players that have joined local boards throughout every city in the United States.

And now they're making decisions that actually affect the home buying and the home selling process. So that's a little bit of a behind-the-scenes that most people don't think about. But all the time, laws are changing, When I think about a law that has changed, I think back to 2017 when the ability for homeowners to take the interest off their taxes was taken away. And now I think that deduction doesn't even count anymore unless you've got $25,000 or more. That's for a very, very expensive home.

I'm for the homeowner. And I think every homeowner ought to have the asset of taking the interest that they pay on their home off of their taxes. So there are all kinds of things that are happening, market activities that prohibit the market activities of agents, homeowners, and home buyers to help them buy, sell, and market real estate.

So when you think about this, I want you to think about how the market's changed in the last 3 years. When a homeowner hires an agent and decides to sell their home as a Coming Soon Homes listing, you know, there are massive financial benefits for the homeowner. You might ask yourself are Coming Soon Homes a good idea?

The answer is yes. Pre-market real estate listings have massive appeal in any market, a buyer's market and a seller's market. Our current market is a market that is hungry for inventory. Since COVID, Coming Soon Homes remains a stellar benefit to homeowners when they decide to sell. Here are some of the reasons why that's a fact.

First of all, it takes time to circulate and build the pool of interested buyers for your home. There are plenty of agents that will put your home on the market. Call them on Thursday. They'll have your house on the market on Friday, and you might even have an offer on it by Sunday or by Monday morning at the latest.

But that's not your best offer. I know this to be true because I've done this so many, many times, and I've had so many people call me back who missed an opportunity to make an offer. So I think holding that listing back, giving all the buyers a chance to see it, drive by it, and decide if they want it, is really the strongest play that you can make during the time that your home is listed.

During the Coming Soon Homes period, you get time to meet with stagers, and inspectors and put the finishing touches on your home before you open the doors to showings. Another reason that the Coming Soon Homes status is so important is that it gives you that all-important power of being first to market. You know, that first impression is something you can never take back.

It's the first impression of the picture. That's why we send a stager out to our listings before we take professional photos because we want every room to be shown at the highest level in its very best light. So the first days on the market are so crucial because that's when the excitement is at the height for that listing.

So I want you to understand that when you list your home for sale, I want you to play to the full audience of buyers that are available, not just the first that happened to stagger in when the home was published online. You have to give yourself the benefit of the Coming Soon period to bring the very best.

And to give you an example of how big tech and big money have banded together to stop consumers from finding Coming Soon Homes. Many local boards are now infiltrated by these large companies, and they have discontinued Coming Soon Homes in some states.

We are fortunate that here in the Triangle, our local MLS allows coming soon listings. So we do have a new rule that states that the day the house comes on the market as a coming soon listing days on the market starts to accrue. So even as a coming soon listing where the home will not be shown to any buyer, the days on the market starts to accumulate. And we don't appreciate that new rule, to be honest with you.

It gives the buyer a negative perception of the home that's not true. But don't worry, we've got a workaround around that because for every single listing that we list, we also give the actual days on the market. Our prior rule stated that a homeowner had up to 30 days to advertise their home as a coming soon home, so we will continue to do what is best for the seller.

This gives an incorrect perception to home buyers that are actually searching for coming soon houses for sale. Never fear, we have a workaround that states the actual days our pre-market homes have been actively shown to buyers in each of the Martie Hampton coming soon home listings.

So since the early 2000s, the Marti Hampton team has pioneered Coming Soon Homes coming on the market in both seller's market and in buyer's market. And we've developed an aggressive coming soon marketing plan that will attract more home buyers than any simple entry to a multiple listing service and any other website. So that is why there's a high-level resistance from those who would profit when a free practice is prohibited.

So the best thing any buyer or any home seller can know about real estate is what is coming next. Think about that. If you knew what was going to happen in the next week, would you buy that house that you're thinking about buying now? Many would not. Many would wait for that house that they've coveted in that neighborhood that they've been looking for.

So the value of Coming Soon Homes is huge. Great real estate agents know what's happening in their markets. So we at the Marti Hampton team believe in homeownership and will continue to obsessively work on ways for our homeowner clients to harness the value of houses coming on the market soon before they open the doors for home buyers.

And by taking the time to list a coming soon home in Raleigh, North Carolina, or a coming soon home in Cary, North Carolina, they will protect one of their largest assets. So, folks, we are in business to promote and protect the rights of every homeowner and to secure the highest price, balanced with the best terms when they sell their home.

And I want you to know that during the last 12 months, we continue to rank as the #1 seller of resale homes in the Triangle. A resale home is anything other than a newly constructed home purchased directly from a builder. So during the last 12 months, our agents have sold our homes at 7.8 million over list price by using our exclusive coming soon to the market and other high-level services to benefit our home sellers and buyers. We continue to work obsessively for you.

We value your business and we're here to answer any questions at any time. Take care. Have a great day.