Office: (781) 894-1882 Cell: (508) 717-3648 Email:shane.engel@remax.net

Marketing Proposal (How we get homes sold...for more $, in less time)

Thank you for taking the time to meet and discuss the marketing and sale of your home. Please take the time to review this important material before we get together. It contains answers to many questions that our clients had, prior to working with us. Reviewing this information will make our scheduled appointment more efficient. You have very busy life, and we respect your time. This proposal includes a comprehensive marketing plan to help you sell your property for the greatest amount of money in a reasonable amount of time. This plan includes: Information about properly positioning your property in the market to get

the most from the sale. Suggestions for staging your property to attain the highest possible sales

price. Answers to the question, “Why should I hire Shane Engel and his

Team to help me sell my house?” We are sure that you will find the enclosed information insightful and effectively useful. Please let us know if you have any questions. Sincerely, Shane Engel

Introduction

Testimonials from a few Past Clients

“My husband and I were first time homebuyers and didn’t know what to expect.

I had heard horror stories about pushy realtors that only cared about commis-

sion, well Shane is NOT that guy! The moment we met Shane, we knew we want-

ed to work with him. Not only was he extremely knowledgeable but he’s just an

overall nice guy who did a wonderful job representing us and always looked out

for our best interest. Shane was always available to answer our 100+ questions

no matter what day of the week it was. Not only that, his calendar was incredibly

accommodating for showings. Shane really did make the home buying process

easy and stress free. I 100% highly recommend working with Shane and can’t

thank him enough for helping us find our first home!”

- Kelley Ash

“We want to express our gratitude and appreciation for all your help during the selling of our house. Thanks to your experience, skills, and knowledge...we were able to make the right decisions when we needed to most. We are really grateful to have not only a professional, but a person who really put himself in our place and made this a great experience for us.”

- Carmen and Miguel Cintra “It was a pleasure having you represent us. Your confidence and knowledge of what you are doing is superb. You are always willing to go the extra mile, and you do. Howard and I feel it was our good fortune to have you represent us. Keep up your good work.”

- Connie and Howard Johnson

What you can expect...

Communication When surveyed, the #1 complaint most home sellers have given about their real estate agent/ broker is that, once they signed up with the broker, they “hardly ever heard from them again.” This state of affairs is entirely unsatis-factory (especially given the myriad of communication technologies available in our present age.) We operate differently. We realize that, when a client is in the process of selling a home, it can be stressful. And one way we can help reduce stress for our clients is by “keeping them in the loop.” It is our job to keep our clients informed as to the current state of affairs, as well as what are the next steps in the process. Effective communica-tion is a high priority here, and we take it very seriously. It is one of our most important jobs, and it is a way that we differentiate our services from the competition.

Experience and Expertise The complexities of your real estate transaction will be well-handled. Smoothing the way for your listing and sale, I will capably remove many potential challenges before they have the opportunity to appear. I have 15 years experience selling residential real estate. I have sold over 250 homes. What comes with these sales are my first hand experience with every kind of real estate transaction at varying degrees of complexity.

Marketing Your home will get the exposure it deserves. My marketing systems maximize your property's exposure to the most likely buyers.

Pricing I will advise you on current market conditions and what you can realistically expect to receive, in terms of sale price, for your property.

Staging and Repairs I will provide advice that will help position your home advantageously, in comparison with other (competing) homes currently for sale. Homes sell because of correct pricing and excellent presentation. I use my experience (in being able to view things from both the buyers’ AND sellers’ perspectives) in order to help create an ideal first impression of your home in the minds of interested buyers. In addition, I can am happy to provide advice on repairs and recommending certain repair professionals, when appropriate.

Satisfaction Our relationship is dependent on meeting and exceeding your individual needs. We identify those needs together, and my cancellation guarantee protects your right to end our relationship if you're disappointed. I am 100% confi-dent, you will be satisfied with my services. I am so confident, we have a cancellation policy which will allow you to end our marketing agreement at any time.* * Unless the property is already under contract with a qualified buyer.

One of our jobs as Real Estate Professionals is to make sure your property stands out from all others (and to target market specifically to the demographic group most likely to buy your specific property.) We take the extra steps to go above and beyond the minimum requirements of most real estate agents.

Where buyers come from...

40%

20%

18%

8%

7% 3% 3% 1%

Realtor Contact/ Multiple Listing Service (40%)

For Sale Sign (20%)

Responded to Ad, But Bought Different Home (18%)

Responded to Open House, But Bought Different Home (8%)

Referral by Relocation Service (7%)

Bought Advertised Property (3%)

Bought for a Combination of Reasons (3%)

Bought at an Open House (1%)

Properly Positioning a Home on the Market

Let's begin with a very direct statement: I am not the one who decides how much your home is worth. The market does. It tells us exactly where to price your property to sell and how to approach the marketing of it. Prospective buyers are going to compare your property – both the condition and the price – to other listings in and around your neighborhood. Those buyers will determine value based on properties that are listed or have recently sold in the area. Here are the factors that will affect your home’s current market value: Location Location is the single most important factor in determining the value of your property. Condition The condition of the property affects the price and the speed of the sale. As prospective buyers often make purchases based on emotion, first impressions are important. I'll be able to help in optimizing the physical appearance of your home to maximize the buyer's perception of value. Timing You may have certain time constraints, which are a result of your own life circumstances. (For example, you may need to sell before year-end for tax reasons. You may need to sell one property in order to buy another property which might not be available later. There are many other potential examples, but I am sure you get the point.) Based on your specific needs, we can craft a marketing plan which addresses your own personal time constraints and position the property, in the market, accordingly.) Marketing A Successful Marketing Plan Is: • The Right Story • The Right Story Told Effectively • The Right Story Told To The Right Prospects • Using The Right Medium To Tell The Right Story To The Right Prospects

The Most Important Marketing Decision Setting the proper asking price is one of the most important marketing decisions you make when you decide to sell real estate. You want to sell your property in a timely manner at the highest price possible. OVER-PRICING: One of the issues which faces homeowners and would-be sellers is over-pricing (asking more for a property than it is currently worth). One tested and true psychological principle of behavior is that people tend to value what they own more than another person does. This is one reason people over-price their property when they try to sell it. This results in a lower sales price for the homeowner. IMPORTANT: Market conditions determine value. This means that the value of a property is determined by the amount that a willing buyer will reasonably pay and what a seller will take, in order to consummate a deal. Both parties must agree for a deal to occur. Pricing too high or too low can cost you time and money. Realistic pricing achieves a maximum sale price in a reasonable amount of time. Problems of Overpricing 1. Difficult to get agents excited about your property (statistically, over 90% of buyers work with agents) 2. Difficult to get good buyers to view property 3. Difficult to get people to make an offer 4. Difficult for buyers to get proper financing * Informed buyers do not look at over-priced property.

* Uninformed buyers do look at over-priced property, and they cause some of the most trouble-some, stressful transactions imaginable. They do not know the proper process, and they cause tremendous prob-lems the whole length of the transaction. Very often, even though they make offers, they cannot close the deals.

When a property first comes on-to the market, there is a flurry of showing activity.

The highest number of showings takes place during the first 3 weeks. If a property is over-priced during that time, the best market has passed.

* Percentage of showings per month during a typical listing period.

Real Estate: Fact vs. Fiction Part 1

Agents Myth: “I should select the agent who suggests the highest price.” Fact: The most common tactic of an agent who is desperate to take a listing is to tell the seller what they want to hear, compliment the home, and agree to list it at an unrealistically high price- just to get the listing! Then, after a few weeks, start telling the seller they need to reduce the price. We, on the other hand, provide a well-researched market analysis to determine a realistic value of your property in today’s marketplace. Real estate agents do not determine value. The market does. Willing buyers and willing sellers must agree on a fair sales price. A good agent knows what buyers are willing to pay, but that does not mean that, just because an agent says a house will sell for $300,000 that it will sell for that amount. They may just be trying to get the listing by telling a seller what they want to hear. Any agent who tells you they can get more for your property than fair market value is doing a big disservice. They will increase the time it takes to sell it AND reduce the amount a willing a buyer will pay.

Beware of Devious Agents

“Beware that some devious agents will at first suggest a very handsome price. Then, after they have the listing and the house hasn’t sold, they’ll come back with a pitch to lower the price.”

-Consumer Reports, July, 1990

Never select an agent based on the price they suggest!

Real Estate: Fact vs. Fiction Part 2

Agents Myth: “All agents are the same.” Fact: Better agents get better results! Another major way an agent sets themselves apart from the crowd is with superior negotiation skills. On the average, we get more money for our listings than the average agents, based on “list price to sell price ratio.” Feel free to ask us about our latest statistics. We would be happy to share them with you, because we continually outperform in terms of the percentage of list price we help our clients attain, in addition to selling our listings faster! (And, if you happen to interview any other agents, be sure to ask them to reveal their past performance. Our track record, especially when compared against the “average” agent, speaks for itself!) The negotiating stage is where a competent agent is worth their weight in gold, because hav-ing the right wording or contingency clauses in the contract can mean the difference between a smooth transaction and a messy legal battle. Productive Agents Myth: A busy (productive) Realtor might be way too busy to pay attention to my property. Fact: As Benjamin Franklin said, “If you have something you want done, give it to a busy person.” Just as great restaurants are always busy and superior doctors have a heavy patient load, our success in marketing and selling properties has resulted in a busy schedule. But like good restaurants and doctors, we have assembled a team of top-notch people to assist with all of the details. This results in outstanding customer service and support. The long list of satisfied clients speaks for itself. Showings Myth: “If I have a lot of people looking at my house, it must mean that I have a well-priced property, even if I haven’t gotten any offers.” Fact: Some real estate agents, in order to get their buyers to make an offer on a different property, will show over-priced listings first. The well-priced listings look much better in comparison. Thus, buyers are much more likely to make an offer. In the current market, if a property has more than 6 to 9 showings before a good offer is made, it is probably being used for such a purpose.

The RE/MAX Home Team The “Average” Agent

Minimal (non-strategic) “advertising” Professional color brochures Open houses Multiple Listing Service (MLS) One person, attempting to handle all of the

important details of selling real estate Sell only 50 to 60% of total listed properties.

(The rest simply “expire” off the market.)

EFFECTIVE advertising/ marketing - TARGETED marketing (based on the demographic profile of the potential buyer for your home via the platforms where THOSE BUYERS are looking (Examples include: Face book targeted ads, Instagram, Niche web sites, Twitter, etc.) Multiple Listing Service (MLS) A team approach: Each member of our

home selling team has a specialized role in helping you get to a successful closing.

Exceptional skill and training in contract negotiations. Over $20,000 personally in-vested in real estate marketing and negoti-ation training to be able to better serve you.

Extensive network of affiliates and local service providers and fellow residents

Adding your home to the local Broker Tour of homes (when applicable), in order to showcase it to cooperating agents. We want your property to be in the front of other Realtors’ minds when they are working with their buyers.

“Spin-off” business (This happens when buyers call on one of our many “For Sale” signs and end up purchasing a different house that better suits their needs. We get a lot of calls, because we have a lot of “For Sale” signs around. More calls on our signs benefit all of our clients, because, when a BUYER CALLS US, we can help direct the homes they see.

“Showcase” listing status on the world’s #1 real estate web site: www.realtor.com and top Google real estate site: www.remax.com.

There are certain standards of service, which any “average” real estate company would provide:

We at outshine them all by providing the following services in addition:

Why choose a single agent when you can have our entire home team working for you?

Team Approach versus Single Agent Approach There is a long list of tasks which must be completed to ensure that a home is sold. We have a checklist of over 150 items which we complete from the initiation of a listing to the completion of the sale.

HOW MOST AGENTS OPERATE Most agents try to act independently, attempting to perform all necessary tasks on their own. They end up spending more time and more energy on “busy-work,” instead of providing you with the quality of service and communication you deserve.

They try to juggle all these tasks alone. They eventually run up against the limits of time,

energy, and marketing resources. Limited time means they have less time to spend

with you and providing the highest possible levels of service.

OUR TEAM APPROACH Each member of our team has a unique set of responsibilities, which frees us from doing mundane, non-productive duties, and enables us to provide you with top-quality service. Together, our combined efforts add up to a superior marketing and customer service plan, which results in your home being sold fast and for top dollar.

You get a team of professionals working for you (versus a single agent). You have access to more information, because

each of us has expertise in specific areas. We never run out of time for you, because each of us is responsible for a specific part of the process in the sale of your property.

Testimonials from a few of our Past Clients

“We want to express our gratitude and appreciation for all your help during the selling of our house. Thanks to your experience, skills, and knowledge...we were able to make the right decisions when we needed to most. We are really grateful to have not only a professional, but a person who really put himself in our place and made this a great experience for us.”

- Carmen and Miguel Cintra “My husband and I worked with Shane to purchase our new property. I found Shane to be extremely professional and a joy to work with. His prompt attention to our ques-tions and needs was outstanding. I would work with him again without hesitation when my needs for a Real Estate professional arise again.”

- Andrea Coates “Shane is a very conscientious individual who will go to great lengths to deliver re-sults. Shane is a strategic thinker who brings new ideas and approaches to each task. He is not afraid to roll up his sleeves and jump in the trenches when needed, willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. I have absolute confidence that Shane will bring professionalism and quick results to any Real Estate endeavor he is part of.”

- Mark Leeber “Shane is a professional above professional Real Estate Brokers. Easy to work with presenting himself in a helpful an non pushy way.”

- Ken Kuntz “My agents were very knowledgeable. Shane was an excellent negotiator both in the selling of my house and the buying of our new property. We were fair with our asking price and Shane made sure we got 100% of the asking price. In my opinion my agents did an excellent job, and I would use them again without a doubt.”

- Paul Hammond

Preparing Your Property: Your Role in a Successful Sale

A house that "sparkles" on the surface sells faster than its shabby neighbor, even though both are structurally well-maintained. From experience, REALTORS® know that a "well-polished" house appeals to more buyers and sells faster and for a higher price. Buyers feel more comfortable purchasing a well-cared for home. Their subconscious thought process is, “If what I can see is well-maintained, what I can't see must also be well-maintained.” In readying your house for sale, it is important to consider: How Much Should be Spent? I n preparing your home for the market, spend as little money as possible. Buyers will be impressed by a brand-new roof, but the final sales price will not necessarily be increased by the amount required to install a new roof. There is a big difference between making minor and inexpensive "polishes" and "touch-ups" to your house (which we highly recommend), such as putting new knobs on cabinets and a fresh coat of neutral paint in the living room, and doing extensive and costly renovations, like putting in granite countertops. We are very familiar with buyers' expectations in this area and are happy to advise you specifically on what improvements need to be made. Below is a list of low-cost suggestions to maximize showing appeal: Keep the lawn edged, cut and watered regularly Trim hedges, weed lawns and flowerbeds, and prune trees regularly Check the foundation, steps, walkways, walls and patios for cracks and crumbling Inspect doors and windows for peeling paint Clean and align gutters Inspect and clean the chimney Repair and replace loose or damaged roof shingles Repair and repaint loose siding and caulking In Northern winters, keep walks neatly cleared of snow and ice During spring and summer months consider adding a few showy annuals, perhaps in

pots, near your front entrance Re-seal an asphalt driveway Keep your garage door closed Store RVs or old and beaten up cars elsewhere while the house is on the market Apply a fresh coat of paint to the front door

Preparing Your Property’s Interior (“Staging”) Giving every room in the house a thorough cleaning, as well as removing all clutter will make your house appear bigger and brighter. Some sellers, who have excessively crowded rooms, have chosen to rent storage space to create a sleeker, more spacious look. It is recommended that you thoroughly clean your house once every few weeks while the house is on the market. Removing the less frequently-used items from kitchen counters, closets, and attics makes these areas much more inviting. Since you are anticipating a move anyhow, you might want to consider holding a garage sale to get rid of un-wanted items. Other Suggestions:

If necessary, re-paint dingy, soiled or strongly colored walls with a neutral shade of paint, such as off-white or beige. The same neutral scheme can be applied to carpets and linoleum.

Check for cracks, leaks, and signs of dampness in the attic and basement.

Repair cracks, holes or damage to plaster, wallboard, wallpaper, paint, and tiles.

Replace broken or cracked windowpanes, moldings, and other woodwork. Inspect and repair the plumbing, heating , cooling, and alarm systems.

Repair dripping faucets and showerheads. Buy showy new towels for the bathroom, to be brought out only when prospective buyers are on the way.

Spruce up a kitchen in need of more major remodeling by investing in new cabinet knobs, new curtains, or a coat of neutral paint.

“Little” things make a BIG difference!

One option you have is to hire a staging professional to do this work for you. They

generally have interior design experience and can add thousands of dollars to your final sales price, depending on particular situation. We are happy to recommend specific, qualified professionals at your request.

I have been a real estate professional since 2004 and a broker since 2008.

My primary areas of expertise are residential (and investment) real estate, primarily, in suburban Boston, alt-

hough I have been asked from time to time to help out in other areas (and am happy to do so). I have had the

pleasure of working with a variety of clients, including: people who need to sell their homes in order to move

out of the area, people who are selling their homes to move into a larger (or smaller) home, first-time buyers,

investors, HUD, and a long list of REO (bank) clients.

I believe that the best way I can help my clients is by (a) providing the best market exposure for the properties I

am helping them sell, (b) possessing valuable and current market knowledge which my clients can use to make

better decisions, and (c) using my experience and finely-tuned negotiation skills to help my clients get the best

possible price and terms.

In the beginning of my career (2004), I chose to work at an office where “training” was a high priority. I was at

least smart enough to know that there was too much I didn’t know to be able to figure it out on my own. Howev-

er, one very valuable lesson I learned is: Just because you have good and valid questions, you still need to be

wise about who you ask. Fortunately, for me, I did have some glimpses of people who didn’t “do real estate” the

way I was being taught, and they were very successful in their own way. And, fortunately, they saw fit to spend

time with me, encouraging me, showing me (by their example) of new ways to move through the world and con-

tinue to be true to myself and my clients.

I continue to study and learn the most modern, effective marketing techniques, in order to use them to the ad-

vantage of my clients. As technology continues to change, some of the things that "worked yesterday" don't

work anymore. No longer is it satisfactory to just "put up a listing on MLS and do an Open House" in order to

effectively market a home. The upper echelon of real estate professionals continue to master their craft. And I

also realize that I owe my clients a level of service and results which makes them happy to have worked with

me.

So, that, in a nutshell is what we are all about here. I appreciate you taking some time to get to know me a little

better.

Best regards,

Shane Engel

A Little About Me

In Conclusion

Why YOU SHOULD CHOOSE Shane Engel To represent you? We are focused on the LONG-TERM. This means building RELATIONSHIPS, based on

trust and respect. Real estate is a career, not a part-time hobby. And, if for any reason you aren’t happy, we have a generous “cancellation policy to give you an “easy out” (and we are, thereby, held ACCOUNTABLE FOR RESULTS.)

We use a SYSTEMATIC approach. We use proven marketing strategies and transaction

systems, which ensure optimum exposure, and are proven to net our clients more money. We are extremely COMPETENT and EXPERIENCED. We utilize a combination of extensive

real estate knowledge, local market knowledge, and network affiliates to help you accomplish your goals.

We provide REGULAR PROGRESS UPDATES throughout the selling process and share

feedback received about your property from potential buyers and their agents. You will NEVER have to say, “Once my property was on the market, I never heard from my agent.”

WE EXPLAIN each step of the selling process and skillfully provide guidance to help you

make better decisions. We provide VALUE-ADDED SERVICES, such as discounts on commonly-used real estate-

related services.

Thank you for taking the time to read this material. We look forward to being of service.