When it comes to finding success in today’s real estate market, there’s no shortcut, according to Dania Perry, a REALTOR® with CENTURY 21 Jim White & Associates in Treasure Island, Fla. Here, Perry discusses how dedicating time to understanding the market and pricing properties correctly is a key piece of the puzzle when it comes to setting yourself apart from the competition.
Dania Perry
REALTOR®
CENTURY 21 Jim White & Associates
Treasure Island, Fla.
Region served: Tampa Bay, Fla.
Years in real estate: 5
Average time on market: 238 days
Average sales price: $710,000
Best time management tool? My BlackBerry; it goes with me everywhere.
What is your preferred method for connecting with clients? I call them. I do a lot of texting, too, but mostly I just pick up the phone and call them.
What is your top tip for agents working in the luxury market?
Really, there is no shortcut. Analyzing the listing and finding the right price is the number one thing. It doesn’t do any good to list a home if you don’t price it right. Pricing is key, and you need to understand the market. The only way to understand the market is to dedicate time to it. I’ll spend six to eight hours coming up with a market value for a home, but that’s where you make your money. I put my time in—you can’t gain knowledge without putting in time.
How are you implementing technology into your daily business routine?
My partner, Rick, handles all of our technology. We use eFax to get our documents, and we scan everything to minimize hard copies. In addition, we use online tools provided by CENTURY 21 for our customer database, and we send a lot of eGreetings and newsletters. We haven’t done a lot with social media; my clients are typically executives and I don’t see them on Facebook. I do send newsletters out monthly; my mailing list has over 6,000 people on it. My husband, who is my partner, does a lot on different websites to get our name out there. We get a lot of traffic through our Internet presence.
What is your biggest challenge in today’s market, and how is your company facing it?
Our biggest challenge continues to be getting sellers to be realistic about their prices and what they can achieve for their property. It used to be that sellers didn’t want to accept the value of their home, but now I am seeing sellers who can’t afford to list for the price they should. They understand it, but can’t afford it, and so they are kind of stuck. The prices have gotten to a point where people can’t seem to go any further. This creates frustrated sellers; it’s not that they don’t agree with you, it’s that they can’t sell it for the price that it would take to move the property.
