The devil is in the details – some examples:

In conjunction with the many activities we engage in when putting a property on the market, the Neil Lyon Group attends to many detailed steps to effectively launch the marketing and advertising campaign. These steps include:

We immediately take detailed property notes and an initial round of photographs. Capturing the property details allows us to prepare for showings, gives us information for the brochure, and gives us detailed content for the many websites where our listed properties are exposed.

If the owner has floor and site plans available, we will have copies made and return the originals. These plans will also be used in our brochures and on our various websites. If plans are not available, we will likely have a floor plan created (at our expense) as one will be an essential element in our marketing initiatives.

Copies of keys will also be made and the originals returned. We’ll obtain the details of any alarm and security information and a For Sale sign will be placed if signage is allowed.

Within about a week of the listing becoming active, our professional photographer will visit the property and take photos and virtual tour shots. Within 72 hours of his visit, these professional photographs will replace our initial photos on the various websites. The virtual tour scenes will be added to all the sites that support them.

With professional photographs, virtual tours, comprehensive copy and plans in place, we are now ready to create an individual property website. These website are easy to access with web addresses that are based on each property’s street address. Each individual property website is much more comprehensive than typical property listings found online and we direct people to them whenever we receive an inquiry.

A title binder for each new listing is ordered from the title company we work with. Each binder is carefully reviewed by a team member to determine if there are any issues with title that are cause for concern and can be addressed long before a contract is in place. Each binder also includes copies of any covenants, road, well or easement agreements that have been recorded. All of this information helps us understand each of our listed properties and allows us to relay correct information to prospective buyers.

If a property has a septic system or water well, we do the necessary research to locate the septic permit and the well record. These documents will need to be provided to the buyer when a contract is in place. If these documents are not available, we advise on the necessary steps to bring systems into compliance thus ensuring that there are no “surprises” that could put a sale in jeopardy.

At any time we receive a request to show a listed property, we promptly notify the owner in the agreed-to manner. We call or email as desired by each owner.

Except in rare cases, one of the brokers in the Neil Lyon Group will arrive at the property prior to the scheduled showing and make the necessary preparations. For properties where the owners are away from Santa Fe, we open window coverings, turn on all lights and do whatever else is needed to make sure all is ready for the potential buyer. In the warmer months this will include opening doors and windows. During winter months, we’ll shovel walkways as needed. This isn’t the glamorous part of our job, but we do what is necessary to get the most out of every showing.

After each showing we promptly contact the owner to let them know what we observed and the level of interest that was expressed by the buyer. We’ll also have follow-up contact with the broker who brought the buyer to get more detailed feedback. Often we’ll learn of a reaction that is quite different from what we observed during the showing. We’ll let the owner know of any new information about the buyer and their potential interest.

On a monthly basis we email a comprehensive summary report (The Marketing Service Report) to each owner showing the details of each showing, where the property has been advertised, when the property has been placed in a “featured position” on our many websites and other activities that an owner would want to know about. Much of this information is redundant, as we communicate activity as it happens, but this extra step guarantees that an owner knows exactly what is happening through the entire marketing process.

While we are showing our listed properties, especially for those owners who are not full-time Santa Fe residents, we are constantly on the lookout for maintenance issues that owners should know about. Whether it’s a new roof leak, a leaky toilet, a door that now doesn’t properly close, or one of the hundreds of things that can go wrong on a house, we always try to have a keen eye and we always call our owners to let them know what needs attention. These are not the calls our owners look forward to, but they are always calls that are very valuable to them.

When we have a contract on the property and it is time for inspections, one of us always remains at the house during all inspections, unless other arrangements are made. This allows us to provide immediate feedback to our owners, which we have found to be greatly appreciated. With general inspections lasting 3-4 hours in most cases, this commitment in time is a serious one, especially in those cases when 2-4 inspections may be conducted on a property.

After the execution of a sales contract, we create a Pending Sale Status report (PSSR) that summarizes every milestone in the contract and the associated dates. This convenient summary allows all involved parties to keep track of the many steps of the escrow process and the key deadlines and dates.