| WARNING: Do not (and do not let anyone you know or care about) list, sell, buy, exchange, or lease out any home, townhome, condominium, or land anywhere in Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Westlake Village, or Agoura until you’ve invested a few minutes carefully reviewing the following “hush-hush” privileged information . . . Realty
Truth they don’t want you to know…
“Who Else Wants to Quietly & Privately Receive Unmatched
National Award-Winning Service and
Results When They Sell, Buy, Exchange, or Lease Their Conejo Valley Real Estate?” What Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Prudental, ReMax, Troop,
and the other big real estate companies don’t want you to know and hope
you never find out . . . the “Facts, not Fiction”
20 Question Comparison Chart they hope you never see, or worse, actually use
. . . Discover the surprising secrets of how a little-known Broker
working alone from a small 3rd story office out-performs real estate
giants with 10’s to 1,000’s of agents…and why his clients would
gladly walk across broken glass and hot coals barefoot to work with him again…
What Coca-Cola, Verizon, American Savings, Empire Relocation,
Frito-Lay, Capitol Records, Crossland Mortgage, ExxonMobil, Tranex Relocation,
The Janss Corporation, and other top local, national, and international companies
plus 100’s of Conejo Valley individuals and families already know that you
probably don’t but should…hopefully, before it’s too late…
(The Conejo Valley, CA) Are you ready? Ready to get the
absolute best price and terms possible for your home? And the quickest,
easiest sale and escrow? Are you
ready for the smoothest and most trouble-free purchase at the lowest price and
best terms available anywhere on the home of your choice? Is that what you’d
like? If so, welcome. You’ve come to the right
place. Because, in the next few moments, you’re going to find out why
it can actually be dangerous to your wealth to do what most of us do—spend
more time shopping for clothes or a new couch then we do in choosing a professional
to represent us in the sale or purchase of what is likely to be the most important
and valuable asset we will ever own—our homes. You’ll discover how the little-known yet critical
and measurable differences between agents and the companies they work for can
have a major impact on the outcome and results you receive. At the same time,
you’ll be introduced (or re-introduced if you already know Steve) to the
owner of a small real estate company who has for more than 20 years been quietly
and confidentially out-performing his much bigger competitors…bringing his
clients some pretty impressive, nationally-recognized services and results. Including
doing so for some of the most prestigious national and international companies
in America . . . companies like Verizon, Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil, and American Savings
. . . Capitol Records, Frito-Lay, and The Janss Corporation (one of the Conejo
Valley’s founding families and companies) . . . . . . companies
that insist on working only with the very best trained, most knowledgeable, most
experienced, most dedicated real estate professionals available . . . But be warned. What follows is information and facts
that the big, well-known real estate companies here in the Conejo Valley—and
their brethren around the nation--would rather you not know or have access to.
Why? Because it directly challenges and exposes how they market and “sell”
themselves to the public. By shining the bright light of truth on the real estate
industry, this information virtually destroys the claims they’ve made and
the myths they’ve encouraged, spread, and supported for at least the last
30 years about why people should use their services instead of the services
of small real estate companies. They’re hoping you stop right here and don’t
read a single word of what follows . . . As you’ll soon discover if you
do decide to keep reading, though the great majority of agents and
company owners in our area—many of whom Steve knows personally and has
in the past and still today successfully and gladly works with on a regular, professional-to-professional
basis—are good, honorable, hard-working people; believing that
all agents and the companies they work for are all about the same is a risky assumption
you may no longer want to make . . . The Company Size Myth “The
size or whether an office has a famous franchised name is immaterial and has no
effect on the sale of a home. What is important is the ability and success record
of the individual agent with whom the property is listed with. Size makes no difference.”
Robert J. Bruss Nationally syndicated and long-time real estate author, lecturer,
attorney, and realty investor, who’s Real Estate Questions advice
column appears weekly in newspapers and other publications across the country,
including every Sunday in the Los Angeles Times. Big
real estate companies like to shout out things like, “We’ve got 5,000
offices with 60,000 agents around the world all working for you!” Or, “Ours
is the biggest and best company in town!” And things like, “We sell
more homes than anyone else!” and “We’re number one!”
They almost trip over themselves trying to convince anyone willing to listen that
they’re each the most wonderful company around. All while fighting, arguing
(and even suing each other) over who sells the most houses and who’s the
“biggest” one of all. All
this might actually mean something if it wasn’t for the real estate industry’s
most important home-selling tool of all--the area Multiple Listing Service (MLS).
For by being the vehicle through which all member companies, of all sizes and
affiliations, share each others listings with every other member company
and their agents, each property put into our shared “system” is
able to receive the same identical exposure to all the potential buyers for each
property. Since
the 1963 startup of own local Conejo Valley MLS, size of company hasn’t
meant anything as to how quickly and for what price any individual home has sold
for in our area. In fact, even on a nationwide basis, the largest real
estate companies only sell a surprisingly small 2-9% each of the residential
housing. Which means that, on a company-by-company basis, a large majority of
91%-98% of all sellers are today using someone else to sell their
homes. So even the so-called “big” companies are really not so big
after all. No matter what they may say or you may hear otherwise. If
company size was what really sold homes, why would all the larger companies and
their agents spend the many $1,000’s of dollars per year it costs them to
belong to the MLS service? Would they really pay out all this money for nothing?
No, they know that if they didn’t belong they’d soon be out
of business, because no other agents could show—or sell—their client’s
homes. Would you list a property with a company that didn’t cooperate
with the other area agents through the MLS? (Hopefully not.) That’s how
important—and effective—the Multiple Listing Service is. When
choosing a real estate professional to work with, factors like company size, number
of agents or offices, or company sales counts are unimportant compared to the
knowledge, experience, qualifications, credentials, marketing ability, and commitment
of the one single agent who will be handling your home and transaction
on a day-to-day basis. Thanks
to the home-selling power and effectiveness of the Multiple Listing Service. And Consider This . . . .
. . on a country-wide basis, each of the national companies named above has at
this very moment over 10,000 homes for sale. Which might at first sound like a
good thing . . . until you realize that means that your one home would
be one of the 10,000+ that any of these companies would be trying to sell
if they had your listing. Who do you think is most likely to care about
whether or not your one home sells . . . how much it sells for .
. . and how smoothly the sale and escrow goes . . . a huge company trying to sell
10,000 competing listings all over the country . . . or a smaller company
like Steve Morsa Realty? Is
it better to be one of 10,000 homes . . . or one of just a few? You decide. Why
settle for having your home--and you--getting lost in a deep, dark ocean
of so many other competing listings and clients if you don’t have to? (Some of) What Steve Knows What
Steve knows: After over a quarter-century of full-time experience in real
estate--double-to-triple the experience of the average big company agent--it
is of course impossible to list everything Steve knows about the industry (it
would take a thick book to hold it all!). Yet, the following partial list--and
including all the other important information about him and his company as detailed
here at RealtyTruth.com--of just the major categories will give you some
idea of the extensive and comprehensive knowledge, experience, and skill-set base
he’s able to draw from and put to work for the benefit of each of
his clients. As
you’ll see, Steve’s
not practicing on you: Financing.
Promissory notes. Finance Instruments. Fixed rate loans. Adjustable rate loans.
Biweekly loans. Convertible loans. Growing equity and graduated payment loans.
Reverse loans/mortgages. The secondary mortgage market. FNMA/FDMC. Loan underwriting
(guidelines). Qualifying ratios. Credit history. Net worth. Property appraisal.
Conventional financing. Maximum loan amounts. Down payments. Escrow accounts.
Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). Secondary financing. Refinancing. FHA/VA loans.
Loan costs. Closing costs. Discount points. Interest rates. Monthly payments.
Prepayment (penalties). Assumptions. Buy-downs. Seller concessions. Buyer concessions.
Amortization. Wraparound/All-Inclusive loans/financing (AITDs). Lease-options/lease-purchases.
Short-pays. Listings (agreements). Competitive/Comparative Market Analysis (CMA).
Environmental hazards. Due-on-sale/alienation (clauses). Agency: Sub, Buyer, Dual.
Swing/Bridge loans. Buyer-Broker (agreements). Cash flow. Return On Investment
(ROI). Fair housing. Antitrust. Contracts. Negotiation. Escrow. Inspections. Contingencies.
Earnest money (deposits). Encumbrances. Advertising. Negative amortization. Offers/Counter-offers.
Closing costs. Property disclosure statements. Home Protection Plans. Title Insurance.
Appraisals. Credit/credit reports. Notary/Notarization. Closings. Equity. Foreclosures.
Fixers. Liens. The Internet. Tax service. (Deed) recording. Partial reassessments.
Pest control/inspections. Hazard/fire insurance. Impound accounts. Prorated taxes.
Property tax valuation. (Loan) interest. Marketing. Seller financing. Prorated
interest. Funding. The Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Exchanges. Tax considerations.
Relocation. Property conditions(s)/desirability factors. Local, regional, national,
international micro and macro-economic factors. Local, State, Federal rules, regulations,
requirements, and considerations. Interest rates. And much, much more . . . (Some of) What Steve Does What
Steve does: As with trying to list and detail all of Steve’s 25+ year
industry experience and knowledge in this limited space, it’s also virtually
impossible to list all of the up to100 or more important aspects, steps, processes,
procedures, and details that Steve personally takes care of and/or oversees
in delivering his services and unbeatable results for each of his
selling and buying clients. And of course, those details differ somewhat from
client to client and property to property, since no two homes or clients’
needs are ever exactly the same. That said, here’s just some of the
most important things Steve does, as needed and if desired by his clients; depending
on whether selling and/or buying and/or leasing out real estate. No real estate professional or company
of any size does more for their clients: Work
with seller(s) to determine the highest possible listing and selling price based
on current market values and conditions. Determine and work within client time
frame. Discuss and review selling points and possible quick, easy, and affordable
improvements to enhance property value and salability. Explain MLS, showing, sign,
and lockbox options. Estimate your selling/buying costs. Paperwork drawn, reviewed,
approved. Submit listing to MLS. Help you arrange financing. Launch the 24x7 Maximum-Exposure
Sales & Marketing System (see below). Screen for qualified buyers. Show your
home effectively. Regular marketing and sales/escrow progress and status reports.
Prepare, present and explain all written offers/Counter offers. Confirm buyer(s)
is/has been lender pre-qualified/pre-approved. Negotiate the transaction. Insure
all applicable State/Federal/Local statutory disclosure requirements are met.
Finalize all terms and conditions of the sales agreement and escrow instructions.
Place you in personal contact with a superior-qualified Broker in whatever new
city you’re moving to, if desired. Provide a detailed listing sheet to prospective
buyers and agents. Place a distinctive Steve Morsa Realty sign on your property,
if desired. Open escrow. Deposit/verify buyer’s check/funds. Order/confirm/verify
any and all contracted inspections. Follow up on and continuously track buyer/lender
financing progress. Encourage and facilitate timely removal of all contingencies;
financing, inspection(s), etc. Ensure all documents are ordered, properly drawn,
and signed by the appropriate parties. Review preliminary title report for possible
problems/ solutions. Meet and work with appraiser, home inspector(s), termite
company, insurance company, city/ county agencies, etc. Review and approve all
documents prior to client’s signing. Buyer’s final walk thru. Confirm
the successful recordation and closing. Review closing statement with client.
Answer and address any client questions. Coordinate delivery of proceeds. Sign/Lockbox
removal. Physical possession. Whatever else is needed to get the job done for
each of Steve’s clients . . . Life of an Escrow . . . Then he does even more. Every state has it’s own method
of bringing the buyer, seller, lender, title and other participants together to
facilitate and close the sale/complete the transfer of real estate. While some
states use attorneys and/or title companies, California uses escrow companies.
In addition to all that Steve does directly for his clients, he also draws upon
his extensive 25+ year knowledge/experience/skill-set base to closely monitor
the escrow process and escrow company to insure that all the following steps,
processes, and procedures are done correctly and on a timely basis: Prepare
escrow instructions and pertinent documents. Obtain signatures. Order title search.
Receive and review preliminary report. Request, obtain, approval of homeowner
association (HOA) documents. Receive loan demands/payoffs. Request clarification
of other liens (if any) and review taxes on report. Receive demands and enter
into file. Process financing. Request beneficiary statement(s) and enter into
file. Review terms of transfer and current payment status. Request or prepare
new loan application. Obtain loan approval and ascertain whether terms and conditions
are correct. Request loan documents. Review file to determine that all conditions
of sale have been met and that all documents are correct and available for signatures
(termite inspection/report, contingencies released, fire insurance policy ordered,
loan and other documents have been prepared). Figure file and request signatures
on all remaining documents. Forward documents to title company. Return loan documents.
Obtain funds from buyer. Request loan funds. Funds obtained. Order recording.
Complete closing. Forward final documents and closing statements; and disburse
funds to the various parties: Seller, Buyer, Lender. And anything else escrow
needs and/or needs to do to get the job done right for Steve’s clients.
Clearly . . . .
. . Steve knows who to talk to, what to say, what to do,
how to do it, and when it needs to be done. “Steve initially found us the Thousand
Oaks lot on which we build our dream house some years ago, and recently sold our
home when we decided to move to northern California. He kept in regular contact
with us throughout the escrow, and was always available to answer our questions.
Also, he was able to work with the county to fix a lot line problem we had across
our rear yard. He’s easy to work with, and feel he would do the same for
anyone else considering using his services.”
Bruce and Debbie Lackenbauer, Thousand Oaks, CA Local Company. Local Decisions. Better Results. “Each
office independently owned and operated.” Sounds great, doesn’t it (you know--big name, but still
a local company)? You’ll see this little “notice” in a lot of
the advertising and marketing materials of the nationally franchised real estate
companies. It’s purpose? Actually, there are two: The first is to
try to convince the public that big real estate companies headquartered in far
away cities are also local independent companies, doing things for their clients
that only an independent local company can . . . Yet, how “local and independent”
can a company be if they’re bogged down as these companies are with thick
manuals full of operational rules, regulations, restrictions, requirements, limitations,
and other “red tape”. . . dictated to them from “headquarter”
offices located in far away places like Parsippany, New Jersey (Coldwell
Banker), Denver, Colorado (Re/Max), Parsippany, NJ
(Century 21), and Irvine (Prudential)? How
local is this!? The
other reason for using “Each . . . operated” is to let the
public know that the “parent” company/franchisor is not
responsible for the actions and decisions of its franchisee. Now isn’t that
reassuring? The franchisor is only too proud to shout out that their franchisee
is “one of their own!” and “part of our big national organization!”
. . . that is, until the going gets tough and problems come up . . . then its
“hey—they’re not us!” . . . “‘cause
like we’ve been telling ya’--they’re ‘independently
owned and operated!’” If
you ever have a problem with one of these big franchised companies, here’s
what you’re likely to hear from “headquarters”: “Got
a problem with them? Sorry, we can’t help you! You’re on your own!” So
what are the big franchise companies, really? National companies, or local independent
companies? Who
can tell? By trying to be both, they end up being neither. Especially
in today’s rapidly and constantly changing and evolving real estate industry,
being tied down to sets of “they-have-to-work-in-all-50-states”
rules and requirements, dictated by a firm’s out of area/out of state headquarters
can be detrimental to the interests of Conejo Valley realty buyers and sellers
. . . Steve
Morsa Realty, on the other hand, is different. It’s a true
local company, with a centrally-located Thousand Oaks office right
here in the heart of the Conejo Valley. And as a completely and totally non-franchise,
independent company, free of the whims, influence and involvement from
others, Steve’s able to tailor what he does and how he does it to best work
with and assist each of his clients--in whatever way is best for them.
Not what’s best for some company in a distant city. The
benefits of working with a truly independent, truly local real estate
company are clear. What’s Really in a Name: The
Truth About Real Estate Titles What
do the terms “Broker,” “Salesperson (licensee),” “Agent,”
“Owner,” “Middlemen,” and “Realtor” mean in
the State of California? . . . what are the differences between them? . . . why
should you care? First
the definitions: A
salesperson licensee (salesperson) is someone who has met the minimum requirements
necessary to legally represent real estate buyer and sellers. There are no experience
or acquired-knowledge requirements beyond passing a few realty courses. Because
of this lack of real estate knowledge and experience, they are strictly prohibited
from taking any actions on their own without having their license “registered”
with an employing/sponsoring Broker. They are continuously monitored and must
remain at all times under the control, direction, and careful, watchful eye of
the employing Broker—no matter how many years they have been in the business.
As all business must be conducted in the name of their employing Broker only,
they are prohibited from taking listings or writing contracts in their own name.
Statewide, salesperson licensees average only a few years in the business. The
large majority of real agents are salesperson licensees. Backed
by superior educational requirements and a tough all-day test to verify their
extensive knowledge base, a person must also have had a number of years in the
business and/or a four-year college degree to become a Broker. Unlike
salesperson licensees, Brokers are able to run their own company and conduct business
in their own name. Because they’ve proven themselves entitled and qualified
of such by the State of California, they don’t have to answer to others
like salesperson licensees do (but see “The Broker Exception,”
following). Brokers average many more years in the business than salespersons
do. Many have over 10 years of experience. A few have 20 or more. Far fewer
agents are Brokers than are salesperson licensees. Many people prefer to work
with Brokers once they are made aware of the important differences in knowledge
and experience between them and salesperson licensees. The Broker’s Broker Exception: In this day
and age of huge, oversized real estate companies, many Brokers have chosen to
work for the Brokers of these large companies instead of having their own companies.
While they still generally maintain their knowledge and experience advantage over
salesperson licensees when they do this, because they now legally work for some
other Broker, the State mandates that they now also must be treated again as salesperson
licensees are . . . no listings or contracts in their own names . . . under
the control and direction of another . . . and continuously monitored and
supervised . . . Their
independence and ability to do whatever is in the best interest of their client
without the approval and acceptance of such
actions and decisions by their Broker is now gone. They
don’t have a choice about it. It’s the law. Agent. The term “agent”
simply refers to anyone licensed by the state to conduct real estate activities
on the behalf of others, and can be either a Broker or a salesperson licensee. The
Owner is—as most would assume—the
person (or persons) who actually own the real estate company. Though Steve feels
it’s bad public policy, there are currently no State requirements to be
the owner of a real estate company. What most people don’t know is
that the company owner may or may not be the Broker for the company. Unfortunately,
sometimes disagreements erupt when these two people don’t agree on something
having to do with the operation or other aspects of the business (as can also
happen when there are more than one owner of a company). This has been known to
cause a painful division of loyalties and other difficulties for the companies
and their agents who are unfortunately involved in these kinds of situations.
Historically (and logically), fewer such problems come up when there is just one
company owner . . . and who is also the company Broker . . . .
. . as is the case with Steve, who is the sole Owner and Broker of his
company. Middlemen are—as
with other professions and businesses—any people (male and/or female)
or groups of people who come between the original producer/creator or provider
of a product or service and the actual/end user of that product or service. As
applied to the real estate industry, the producer is the Broker of the company;
with real estate sellers and buyers being the end users. Therefore, any person
who acts as a “go-between” by supplying one or more of the Broker’s
services to a buyer or seller is defined as a middleman. This includes salesperson
licensees, assistants, coordinators, etc. Though
it’s often mistakenly used to describe anyone who has a real estate license
of any kind, “Realtor” is actually a term that describes a
member of an association; which Steve has chosen not to belong to due to its tendency
to--sadly—to often act as a kind of self-protection league for its
members and itself. Here’s what the California Department of Real Estate
wants you to know . . . The
Department issued Real Estate Law Book makes clear the important differences
between the Company Broker and his/her salesperson licensees and/or
his/her Broker’s Brokers: Article
4, Section 2725. Broker Supervision: A Broker shall exercise reasonable
supervision over the activities of his or her salespersons. Reasonable supervision
includes, as appropriate, the establishment of policies, rules, procedures, and
systems to review, oversee, inspect and manage: (a)
Transactions requiring a real estate license. (b)
Documents which may have a material effect upon the rights or obligations of a
party to the transaction. (c)
Filing, storage and maintenance of such documents. (d)
The handling of trust funds. (e)
Advertising of any service for which a license is required. (f)
Familiarizing salespersons with the requirements of federal and state laws relating
to the prohibition of discrimination. (g)
Regular and consistent reports of licensed activities of salespersons. Plus
This: Supervision of salespersons, Section 10177(h): “Disciplinary
action may result if a Broker fails to exercise reasonable supervision over the
activities of the Broker’s salespersons.” Why should you care about these differences? Here’s
why: When you list any kind of real estate for sale or lease, your
listing is actually and legally listed with the Company Broker
of that real estate company, NOT with the agent or Broker’s Broker
who comes out to list your home. Unfortunately, this Company Broker will more
than likely . . . be unfamiliar with your needs and situation . . . never
see or meet you . . . will
never see your home or even know your name . . . Can
you imagine listing your valuable home or other real estate with
someone you’ll never even meet!? Is
this the logical, sensible way to do things? Is
this in the best interest of the client? As
each of his client’s sole and exclusive start-to-finish point
of contact, Steve personally handles all phases of the servicing and marketing
of their home. Plus, all ad, sign, and agent calls on their property are handled
by him. Not by a part-time, inexperienced, or newer agent. Not
by someone who may or may not have seen their home. And not by a salesperson
licensee or Broker’s Broker, who’s main concern and interest is likely
to be to sell the caller (your potential buyer) any property they
can . . . including their own listings. With
Steve, his clients’ homes are never lost like this in an ocean of agents
and 10’s to 100’s to 1,000’s of other competing properties
for sale. And they don’t have to settle for middlemen. Since
Steve has all the information about all of his listings and the
individual needs and requirements of each of his clients, he is
the best suited and most qualified to talk with these possible buyers. It’s
one more important factor in helping to bring about quicker, easier,
higher priced sales for his sellers’ real estate. Big
Company Owner/Broker caution: The major drawback of trying
to work solely and directly with the Owner/Broker of a big company is that—understandably—they
are too busy running the company and watching over their 10’s to 100’s
of agents (as California law requires them to do) to both have time to keep up
on the local neighborhood information and home values AND be able to devote sufficient
time and effort to any clients they may have. The Department of Real Estate states
it this way: “In
a large office, the Broker generally has only executive and administrative duties.”
Steve’s clients thankfully deal
with none of the many above listed drawbacks and problems. Steve’s
clients never have to put up with hearing things like this: “I don’t
know. I’ll need to check with my Broker.” or “The company owner
will know what to do!” or “Gosh—that’s a good question!”
or “I’ll ask escrow—maybe they know.” or “I can’t.
Only my Broker can sign off on that.” If
you’re one of Steve’s clients, you won’t have to either. Under long-established and rigidly-enforced
California law, when you’re the Company Owner and Broker
like Steve is .
. . you can do things other agents can’t. “The longer an agent has been selling homes, the
better.” Robert Bruss A Note About Personal Service… What
a great phrase—“personal service.” And there’s no doubt
that it’s a popular concept in real estate. It must be, because it seems
like anyone with a real estate license—and virtually every big real estate
company--claims to offer it. But what is it really, and how do you get
it? First,
a definition. In real estate, personal service means that the agent and/or the
agent’s company will tailor and customize their services to meet the individual
needs and desires of each of their clients and the clients’ properties.
Understandably, most all home buyers and sellers want personal service. Who wouldn’t
want something that can be so helpful and useful? The
problem, though, as we’ve just learned above, is that in most cases the
agent who’s offering to provide “personal service” isn’t
the person who’s legally responsible for handling the sale—or
purchase--of the property in question. That responsibility is by law the Company
Broker’s. Plus, as more and more agents employ assistants and/or partners,
more and more layers of people are coming between the client and the Broker (see
also Shocking Truth, next section) . . . How personal is that!? The
good news for Steve’s clients is that because he is the company
Owner/Broker, all his clients receive true personal
service all the time. Always have. Always will. The Shocking Truth about “Teams,”
“Groups,” and “Associates” A
lot of agents are going to be angry and upset about you knowing this, but it’s
time to blow the lid off another big real estate myth: Agents using licensed and/or unlicensed
assistants to create “teams,” “groups,” and “associates”
has nothing whatsoever to do with delivering better service to their clients and
everything to do with making more money for themselves by working with as many
clients at one time as possible . . . It’s
true. But don’t take this the wrong way. This is America.
There’s nothing wrong with working hard to earn the best living we can for
the time we all spend on our jobs—whatever those jobs might be. The problem
is that the agents using “teams” and “groups,” etc are
saying that having more people involved with their clients and transactions means
more and better service for the clients. What’s actually happening
is that these agents have attended various seminars and/or purchased courses,
books, and tapes which explain how to pass off as much of the home-buying and
selling steps, processes, and procedures as possible to others so they can
spend as much time as possible just listing (and sometimes showing) properties.
In other words, they’ve decided to actually minimize their contact
with their clients and their involvement in the many important details involved
in the real estate sales process . . . so they can maximize how many properties
they sell . . . thereby maximizing how much money they make. The more clients
they chase after in this way, the better it is for them. Not
their clients. Note: This way of
doing business is also one of the contributing causes for the large number of
real estate lawsuits there are today (see Staying Out of the Courtroom,
below). Steve’s
approach is different. He believes two things in this regard: #1-Especially today,
there are no details in real estate small enough or unimportant enough that they
should be passed off to someone else, and #2-Clients should get what they’re
paying for from their realty professional. That means their professional’s
full and undivided attention. From start to finish. Beginning
to end. Without interference or involvement from others. Ask
yourself this: when you sell or buy real estate, which of the
up to 100 or more steps and details of the transaction do you think aren’t
important enough to receive the full attention of your agent? What shouldn’t
your agent care enough about to take care of themselves when it’s your
property at stake? With the average price of a Conejo Valley home now over $400,000,
is any detail so small that someone else besides your realty professional should
be responsible for it? Do
you really want your agent personally spending as little time as possible with
you and your home so they can go off chasing after more and more listings . .
. instead of taking the time to do the job you’re already paying them
for? Think
of it this way: If/when you go in for important surgery, who do you want
performing it—your doctor, who has the knowledge, skills, and experience
you want, need and expect . . . or someone else? Is
Steve’s fewer homes, no middlemen, no shortcuts, better
results approach the best choice for you? Bottom
Line: Teams are great for playing football, baseball, or basketball.
. . not for selling
real estate. Quietly. Privately. Confidentially. As anyone who follows the news knows,
our financial and personal privacy is under constant attack these days. Stolen
credit cards. Hijacked social security numbers. Identity theft. It seems that
as the years go on, it becomes harder and harder for us to keep our most important
private information private. What has this got to do with real estate? Surprisingly
enough, plenty. Because while it’s rare for credit cards, social
security cards, and identity theft problems to develop as a result of buying or
selling real estate, other equally important and costly privacy problems are
an issue. When
a home is put up for sale, if the proper steps aren’t taken, too much of a seller’s personal
information and their situation(s)--including their reason for selling--is often
carelessly given out to the wrong people. This can be an especially troublesome
problem with large real estate companies with many agents due to…overheard
phone and personal conversations . . . important paperwork left out in the open
or accessible to others . . . misplaced and misdirected faxes and E-mails . .
. office and other group meetings and social events. Frankly, with everyone so
“buddy-buddy” in a big-office setting, it’s almost impossible
to keep a seller’s reason for selling and other potentially harmful,
hurtful, and detrimental personal information from others . . . information
that has cost sellers—and buyers--$1,000’s of dollars and lost sales
. . . By
not passing off his work to partners, assistants and such…and not being
around 10’s to 100’s of co-workers…and not having to answer
to an office manager, company owner or Broker (because he doesn’t need a
manager, and is the company Owner/Broker)… Steve’s clients
don’t ever have to worry about such privacy issues and risks. Do you really
want 10, 20, 50 . . . even 100 or more strangers knowing
your exact business and situation? Steve’s able to strike the perfect balance
between the proper and necessary disclosures to other companies and their agents
and clients…while not letting them know what they shouldn’t. The
respected industry magazine The Real Estate Professional says it best:
“Protection is Vital.” Whether you’re selling, buying,
exchanging, or leasing out your Conejo Valley-area real estate, your personal/business/family
confidences and privacy are safe and secure with Steve. Steve’s 24x7 Maximum Exposure Sales
& Marketing System Ready
to sell your Conejo Valley home? Guess what: Anyone can sell your home for
less than it’s worth. But as a seller, you’re entitled to the
best price and terms possible. That’s why Steve’s brought together
the most effective sales and marketing techniques, tactics, and methods that work
best in any kind of real estate market or economy. It’s
a system that gets his clients’ homes sold quickly and for top dollar. Just
ask Verizon, Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil, The Janss Corporation, and Capital Records. This
system specifically targets the two sources of all potential buyers for your home—those
looking on their own, and those working with any of our area’s 1000+ other
agents. It starts strong and stays strong, until each client’s property
has been sold. His 24-Hour-a-day, 7-Days-a-week, 100% complete-exposure-to-the-buyer-pool
system includes the Internet, the Multiple Listing Service, Realtor caravans,
high-impact flyers; powerful, guaranteed-every-week-until-sold advertising,
agent-showings follow-up, professional-to-professional contacts and marketing,
regular client reports of progress; lockbox and sign (where appropriate/desired),
and more. If
Steve’s your Broker, you’ll always know what he’s doing,
when he’s doing it, and why. It a maximum-exposure system
that actually piggy-backs on and “plugs into” the marketing the other
100+ companies in our area are already doing--getting their agents
anxiously working to sell his clients’ properties. Steve
uses this system on every single one of his clients’ homes . . . All Day. All Night. All the Time. Until Sold. The Industry Joke That’s No Laughing Matter Seen
all those big-company, full-page “display” ads in the newspapers and
magazines? Impressive, aren’t
they? Well, guess what—their main purpose is not to sell real estate,
but to impress potential sellers and keep current selling clients happy
(by showing them that the company is “doing something” to sell their
homes). Surprised to hear this? Don’t be. So is most everyone else when
they first find this out. Why is this so? Though it’s rarely true, people
generally believe that individual ads (called, appropriately enough, “reader
ads”) run in the classified section of newspapers are better deals. The
public feels that properties that are advertised in big ads run by big real estate
companies are probably priced at top dollar and therefore not a bargain. “Better
to search through the small classifieds for my home,” is most of the
serious buyers’ approach. Thanks
to formal and informal ad-response tracking, real estate companies have known--and
been joking among themselves about—this for at least the last 50 years.
In addition, repeated advertising-effectiveness studies done over the years continues
to prove that individual classified-section ads get more calls,
more often, than when an ad for the same home is part of a large display
ad. It
is for these reasons that--though he would do so if it was best for his clients--Steve
doesn’t squeeze his clients’ homes’ together in display
advertising like the big companies do. Never has. Never will. His clients prefer
being impressed with quicker, higher-priced sales for their homes rather than
by reduced-results, too-big ads. Plus
this: Look closely at a full-page realty newspaper ad. Notice that
there are 20 . . . 30 . . . sometimes even 50 properties advertised for sale in
it. Now, divide the cost of the ad (a couple thousand) by the number of the properties
in the ad. You’ll see that—on a home-by-home, client-by-client basis,
the big company is actually spending no more money on each of their clients’
homes than the small real estate companies do on each of their clients’
homes. The supposed “larger financial resources” the big companies
say they spend on their sellers’ properties? It’
not happening. The
truth about real estate advertising? Big ads. Small results. Small ads. Big
results. You
decide. Bigger ad? Or Bigger Check? The fact is, no company—of
any size—commits and invests more time, effort, and resources to get
each of their clients’ homes sold at the absolute best prices
and terms possible than Steve Morsa Realty does. No
one. All Real Estate is Local: The Surprising
Risks of the Out-of-Area Agent Under
state law, a real estate Broker or salesperson-licensee is permitted to list and
sell real estate anywhere in California. But should they? Here’s
the huge problem with doing so. Agents who haven’t spent many
years living and working in the community in which they also sell real estate
are at a distinct disadvantage in working with clients who are buying and selling
within that community. Frankly, as you’ll see, it’s a real disservice
to the clients . . . who probably
aren’t even aware it’s happening . . . Sadly
for these people, their agents have little or no historical perspective of the
community . . . little knowledge of the schools and the school district (that
they and/or their children never attended) . . . limited or no experience
in dealing with the various governmental agencies exercising control and influence
in the sale process . . . are knowledge-deficient of processes, procedures, and
realty/business traditions unique to that area . . . they’re unfamiliar
with the various tracts, neighborhood, and critically important housing trends
and values . . . and more. The
results of these out-of-area-agent problems? Under and over-pricing of
homes (such under-pricing steals $1,000’s to 10’s of $1,000’s
of dollars from sellers; while over-pricing misleads sellers about how
much equity they really have, reduces or eliminates showings--sometimes preventing
a sale from ever happening at all) . . . More
problems include incorrect, inaccurate information inputted to our MLS system
. . . agent not readily available for appraisals, home inspections, to meet with
clients (including you) . . . not available quickly and easily for offers,
counter-offers, other critical negotiations; walk-throughs, client
or property emergencies (ever timed how long it takes to drive from Ventura
or Van Nuys to the Conejo Valley in morning rush-hour or after-work traffic? .
. . not even counting how much longer still it takes when there’s an accident
or construction on highways 101, 18, or the 23). Without
a local Conejo office to work from, so many of the critically important and necessary
steps in the home-sale process are make much more difficult and take longer than
they have—or should—to. All
because the out-of-area agent has unwisely chosen to not work exclusively in the
community they know best. All in their quest for more and more sales . . . no
matter how far they have to travel to do so . . . The
fact is, with a population now of over 200,000 people . . . living in more than
30,000 housing units of all types . . . situated within well over 200 distinct
and unique tracts and neighborhoods . . . all in a 15 mile long, 10 mile wide
valley; it takes a full-time local
professional with at least 10 years of both living in and selling real estate
in our Conejo Valley to supply and deliver the kind of knowledgeable, experienced,
informed information, services, and results that all clients deserve to have.
Want
to be sure none of these painful, expensive problems happens to you? Then just
do this: If your home/property is located in Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park,
Westlake, or Agoura . . . or if you want to buy a home/property in
any of these areas, be sure that both the agent you’re considering working
with and the specific office they have on file with the Department of Real
Estate as being where they work out of are located right here in our own
Conejo Valley. Not
in Simi or Moorpark. Not in Camarillo, Oxnard, or Ventura.
Not
in the San Fernando Valley or Los Angeles. Only in the Conejo Valley. Warning: Because most
agents/companies know that many Conejo Valley real estate buyers and sellers—wisely
so--won’t use their services if they know they’re not a knowledgeable
local agent/company, a few of them have actually taken to hiding their office
location from the public. If they’re using large (“I want to impress
people”) display-type ads (see The Industry Joke…,above), they
won’t put their address in the ads. Same
with their websites. No address (or they bury it where’s it’s
almost impossible to find). No way to tell where their base of operations really
is. No way to know how far away they are or where they’re coming from
. . . They
even go so far as to use local phone numbers to make it seem like they’re
local, even though they’re not. Sure,
you can always call and ask them where they’re from. If they admit to where
they live and what city their office is actually in, though, they’ll try
to convince you that it doesn’t matter. . . that since they have a license,
they can effectively and knowledgeably sell real estate “here, there,
and everywhere!” Knowing
what you know now . . . will
you believe them? Plus This . . . Steve
recently made a bold, virtually-unheard-of-in-the-industry decision to take this
whole critically-important locational-expertise issue to its final and ultimate
logical conclusion. To further enable him to provide the absolute best service
and results for each of his Conejo Valley clients, he no longer
accepts listings or shows/sells homes outside of Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park,
Westlake Village, or Agoura. In
this way, his full and complete time and effort is and remains constantly and
continuously sharply and tightly focused on our wonderful community--the
Conejo Valley. The
plain fact is—given the population, housing, and neighborhood counts
we’ve reached over the last few years—it’s now physically,
locationally, and time-impossible for any one realty professional to be a true
expert in both the Conejo and other cities. No matter who they are.
In the same way that it’s client risky for out-of-area agents to come into
our community, it’s just as client risky for Conejo agents who try to claim
sufficient expertise in areas where they don’t live in, don’t spend
the majority of their time selling real estate in, and know little about. This
is a disservice for both people buying and selling homes in areas outside
of the Conejo, both groups of which are looking for—and deserving of--accurate,
informed, current information and guidance from their realty professional concerning
the community(ies) they’re buying and/or selling in to or out of. In
addition, Steve believes that time spent outside our area is time he wouldn’t
be able to spend with his clients within our area. Negatively impacting
his local clients. Which is why Steve strictly limits his practice to Newbury
Park, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, and Agoura. You’ll find him nowhere
else. Not
in Simi or Moorpark. Not in Camarillo, Oxnard, or Ventura.
Not
in the San Fernando Valley or Los Angeles. Only in the Conejo Valley. Is this the kind of ultimate area
specialist you’d like to be working with the next time you sell, buy,
exchange, or lease out your Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Westlake, or Agoura property? For
his clients moving out of the Conejo, Steve—when desired by the
client--provides them with referrals to similarly-experienced, knowledgeable,
and qualified small-company, no-middlemen, Owner/Broker direct professionals who
Steve has personally interviewed and prescreened in the city/town/community they’ll
be moving to. Special
Note to Steve’s clients and friends outside the Conejo Valley: His commitment
to you remains. You won’t have to settle for less. Though Steve no longer
accepts new business for realty outside the Conejo Valley--for the excellent reasons
detailed above--he will continue to do so for you . . . as his thanks and appreciation
for your previous and current trust and commitment to him. It’s
the right thing to do. How to Stay Out of the Courtroom “We
thought we’d done everything right. We read the books. Studied the market.
Asked lots of questions. Got our home cleaned up and ready to show. Even listed
with a “big-name” real estate company. After six long, agonizing months
and many $1,000’s of dollars in price reductions and a parade of people
going through our house at all hours of the day and night, we finally got a buyer
for our home. We packed up our belongings and scheduled our movers. Everything
was right on schedule and going great! Or so we thought . . . halfway through
the escrow our ‘friendly’ buyer sued us over something in the contract
we thought had been taken care of by our agent. The buyer’s attorney filed
a lien against our house. We lost the wonderful home we were buying. And after
all the problems we had gone through to finally get a sale . . . now our attorney
tells us we could be in court for two years over this. What happened? Where did
we go wrong? . . . This
dramatization is a good example of the all-too-common difficulties and frustrations
that can develop in real estate transactions when something’s been missed
or everything necessary isn’t done exactly right . . . resulting in expensive
and time-consuming mistakes . . . mistakes that eliminate valuable previews and
showings . . . mistakes that delay or prevent escrow closings . . . mistakes that
cost unwary buyers and sellers many $1,000’s or 10’s of $1,000’s
of dollars in cash and home equity . . . even mistakes that can land them in
court. How
to reduce or even eliminate such problems? Three things are needed: First—as
you would do if you were having brain, heart, or cancer surgery---hire the
best-trained and most knowledgeable, experienced, and committed professional you
can afford. Second, reduce or eliminate the number of people between you and the
company Owner/Broker. Finally, minimize the number of people who are involved
in the purchase and/or sale of your home. Because
Steve personally and directly handles all the required aspects and steps necessary
in the sale and/or purchase of each of his clients’ properties, the chance
for such mistakes is reduced to virtually zero (as proven by his quarter-century
track record) . . . When
you think about it, doesn’t this just make sense? To
verify for yourself that this is true, just ask the large companies how many lawsuits
they’re currently involved in--and have been over the past 5 or 10 years
(be prepared though, they may not tell you). The fact is that on both a local
and national basis, the big companies are sued all the time—some for just
cause, some not. In fact, at any given time—including even as you read
this--nationally, large numbers of lawsuits are ongoing involving each of
the large firms and some of their agents . . . Is Steve’s Owner/Broker Direct,
no-middlemen, 25+ year perfect record of never being sued by a client something
you’d like to have on your side in your real estate dealings and transactions? In
today’s litigation-happy society, can you think of a better way to minimize
problems and stay out of court? Note: Though thankfully
rare in the Conejo, a small number of area agents have unfortunately been involved
in Department of Real Estate Disciplinary Actions. This is a very serious issue
and something you’ll want to be careful of and watch out for. Ask anyone
you’re considering hiring just to be sure they haven’t been. As
with client lawsuits, Steve has never been involved in such an action. “Working
from inside of the real estate closing process, you soon learn that all real estate
professionals are not alike. Differences in knowledge, experience, and motivation
show up quickly when it’s time to do what’s needed to minimize the
possible problems to close sales on time. Over these past six years that our company
and Steve Morsa have worked together, he has consistently demonstrated the qualities
needed to get the job done right. My company and I give Steve our best recommendation
possible.”
Kim Gritz, Office Manager, Chicago
Title & Trust For Sellers: The Prove-It or Lose-It
Easy-Out Listing Who
should be responsible for the promises and representations made by real estate
professionals to homeowners? Should the homeowner be? Based on the typical kind
of listing agreements most realty companies use, you’d think so. They love
to lock up sellers in long, 6+ month
contracts. Their thinking is that by doing that, they have the greatest chance
of selling the home—no matter what happens. They also make it difficult
or impossible to get out of the contract—even if the agent or company isn’t
doing what they promised to do. And what about if the homeowner’s plans
change and they no longer want, or are able, to move--then what? Should
they be stuck paying the commission even if they’re no longer moving?! Steve
doesn’t think that’s right. He accepts only short, 45-90 day listings.
And because he believes that the real estate professional and his or her company
should be responsible for backing up their promises with action--not the homeowner--his
Love-It or Leave-It, Prove-It or Lose-It, Easy-Out listing
agreement lets the homeowner end the listing immediately if at any time
the homeowner is unhappy with his services or their moving plans change.
And they do so with absolutely no cost or further obligation by the homeowner.
Steve knows that even in the rare case where a home hasn’t sold within 45-90
days, if he’s been doing the kind of job he should be doing, most sellers
are only too happy to extend the listing agreement. [As hard as it may be to believe,
in his 25+ years in the profession, Steve has never had a client cancel a listing
because they were unhappy with his services. Ever.] Is this the kind of listing you’ll
insist on when you sell your home? The Small Price of Big Success What
should a home-seller expect to pay for this kind of Elite, Owner/Broker-Direct, Premium/Platinum service? Though
many would expect such a rare collection of available-nowhere-else, no-middlemen,
national award-winning services and results to be well worth at least 6-7% of
the sales price of a property…thanks to today’s higher prices and
very active real estate market…which has reduced the marketing, carrying,
and other costs of getting a home sold… Steve is now able to provide all
of his clients and friends with their choice of several affordable equity-maximizing
selling options individually tailored to meet their own personal and financial
needs… for a surprisingly modest and affordable 1½%-4½% of the sales price.
Not 6-7% or more. While this will no doubt need to go up if future market
conditions warrant, for the time being at least…it’s a wonderful way
to get to work with Steve at a price never before available. Plus, unlike so many
other real estate companies these days, Steve does not and has never
charged those nasty, almost hidden, $250-$750+ junk-commission fees (often
called “administrative” or “transaction” fees). He believes
that the commission quoted should be the commission paid. That’s it. And
no more. Important
Note to Buyers: Except in very rare circumstances, because sellers traditionally
pay the commission, Steve’s real estate buying clients receive his extensive
knowledge and experience, representation, proven negotiation skills, commitment
and unbeatable results at absolutely no cost to them. Including none of
those $250-$750+ junk fees so many companies are now also charging
their buyers. What
a great time to be a Conejo Valley home-seller! (And with today’s record
low interest rates, it’s a great time for buyers, too!) *
*
* By
summarizing the facts and information revealed and explained here at RealtyTruth.com,
the following 20-question agent/company comparison chart provides a simple and
effective way to see and compare the many important differences between Steve
and the competition. Real estate, consumer, and business advisors and experts,
the media, and national/international corporate relocation departments all recommend
that such fact-based, confusion-ending comparisons be used in selecting a real
estate professional to work with: Real Estate Agent/Company Comparison
Chart
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