In 2004 and 2005 I used to check new listings several times per-day to make sure we knew when new homes hit the market. That way we could submit an offer before the seller was inundated with multiple offers. The quickest contract I ever secured for a client was 1 hour after it hit the market. How do I know it was one hour? I printed the MLS sheet and called the Realtor to check availability. He informed me he had just made the contract "live" 5 minutes before my call. The house was 3 miles from me, so I was there in 5 minutes (10 minutes so far). My client was a seasoned investor who trusted my judgement, so I called him from the house and we agreed to make an offer. I was home in another 5 minutes, typed up the contract in ZIPFORMS, and quickly sent it to him. He was already in his office so he signed it and faxed it back. I had it to the listing agent at the 45 minute mark. He called his client and we had a verbal agreement at the 1 hour mark. The signed contract came back in a total of 2.5 hours.
Why do I tell you this? Because it's starting to get that way again. I have a client who was interested in a Chandler home that was:
- 2,561 sq ft and built in 1994
- 3 bed 2 bath and 3 car garage
- Bought by the previous owner for $447,000 on 10/19/2005
- Now an REO that cost the bank $395,000
- Asking price $289,900
My client spotted this house in the MLS Client Gateway I had set up for him. It was 3 days on the market and had already gone pending. My client realized he would need to act fast on all new listings. Yikes. I remember those days. It was difficult sticking to any "schedule" because we were always chasing down the latest homes. Note to self:
- always make sure the gas tank is at least 1/2 full
- keep the Supra key in the car
- make sure my cell phone has all current client's names and numbers programmed into it
- set the alarm clock for 6:00 am each day
Realtors ... start your engines.
Comments