Senior Real Estate Specialist
What is a Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) ?
A SRES® designee is a Real Estate Agent who has taken specialized training, and has been accredited, to provide additional assistance that may be specific to senior’s needs when buying or selling a home. This additional training and experience may be useful to seniors and would include things such as:
- Helping you manage the financial and emotional challenges of selling a long-held family home.
- Creating a customized plan to market and sell your property.
- Understanding your unique needs and creating a customized plan to ensure your home meets those needs now and in the future.
- Utilizing specialized knowledge in reverse mortgages, 401(k) accounts, and IRAs for your real estate transaction.
- Connecting you with their vast network of movers, attorneys, home inspectors, and other experts to help you through the process.
A Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) is uniquely qualified to help you take the next step.
When holding senior status, your needs may not be the same as a first-time homebuyer or seller. You might be looking to retire, downsize, or join an active adult community. Whatever reason you may have for considering a move, you can depend on an SRES® to guide you through every part of the process. A Seniors Real Estate Specialist can be your best source for knowledge, understanding and support throughout the buying and selling process.
Selling Your Home
There are several important factors when selling your home. For adults ages 55+, the often complex process can be made more difficult due to physical and financial limitations, and the strong emotions connected to your family home. Having an SRES® at your side can simplify selling your home every step of the way.
Pricing Your Home
The first essential step is to set an appropriate price for your property. The listing price of your home is often the first thing buyers notice. Setting the right price is an important first step. We will consider a wide range of strategic factors including:
- Market Conditions
- Location
- Competition
- Floor Plan
- Property Condition
- Lot Size & Square Footage
- Ease of Showing
- Property Improvements
Staging Your Home
A well-staged environment increases the dollar value buyers are willing to offer. This does not mean you need to spend hundreds of dollars on a company to come into your home and set up furniture. Staging your home means presenting it in the best light. Your SRES® knows what buyers are looking for and can help you get your home looking its best. We understand that this can be emotional for you and your family, and will be at your side, supporting you all the way through.
Marketing Your Home
We are well known for our innovative marketing techniques. We offer powerful resources to sell your home through our various marketing techniques giving buyers a look into their future home through professional photography, digital marketing, social media, video and much more.
Showing Your Home
We work with you on your preference and time frame for showing your home to prospective buyers. We can either host an open house or schedule individual showings. It is preferred that the seller is not present during the open house or showings as it can make the buyer feel uncomfortable to speak freely with their agent. For this reason, will likely ask you to be out of the home during a showing. However, we understand that this may pose a challenge for adults 55+. We will take into consideration your schedule and abilities for showings. As your Senior Real Estate Specialist, we work with your best interest in mind to meet your needs.
Negotiating the Sale and Closing
It’s exciting when an offer is made on your home. Your SRES® will present and review the offer(s) with you and your family members and help you to determine if an offer is reasonable and should be considered. We will discuss various scenarios in order to ensure your objectives are met and will start negotiations with the buyer.
Negotiations Include:
- Getting you the highest possible price for your home
- Negotiate an escrow period ideal for you
- Negotiate a possession/occupancy period ideal for you
- Negotiate personal property
- Negotiate a suitable deposit from the buyer
- Negotiate home inspection items
- Schedule and keep track of contingencies and inspections.
Packing and Moving
Moving out of your family home can be overwhelming. Not just the organizational and physical parts but the emotional part, too. Old possessions can trigger a lot of memories making it difficult to decide what comes with you and what is given a farewell. Family members can help you through this process but sometimes a third-party specialist is what you need.
Your SRES® can put you in touch with professional services that can:
- Determine how much can fit into a new home
- Help make decisions on what to keep and what to leave
- Manage the packing, moving and unpacking process
If you decide to handle the moving on your own, it’s recommended that you start organizing and packing sooner rather than later. Set small, achievable goals and break up the work to relieve any emotional stress you might experience.
And if you do decide to enlist professional help, your SRES® will be readily available to connect you with a senior moving specialist in your area.
Buying A Home
Purchasing a home can be very emotional; both exciting and nerve racking. Such a big change may be overwhelming. As a Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES®), we help you outweigh the negative emotions with the positive. Whether you know exactly what you want or are still sorting through the selection of residential housing choices for adults ages 55+, our team can help you to understand the options available to you. These options cover a broad spectrum from active living communities, such as Leisure Village, to those providing full and continuous care. We will sit down with you and your family members to discuss your wants, resources, current and future care needs and more. We will help you to find properties, determine appropriate offers, and negotiate purchases on your behalf.
Not all real estate agents are the same. A Senior Real Estate Specialist has the resources that benefit you as an older buyer. Our network of home inspectors, movers, escrow, title, attorneys, and CPAs experienced with adult buyers ages 50+ ensures the entire buying process, from purchasing to moving in, goes as smoothly as possible.
Things to Considering When Purchasing or Designing Your New Home
- Smart home technology– Makes turning electronics and home environment systems (heating and cooling) on and off easier by using your voice, or smartphone, tablet, or computer
- Adding brighter lights– Improves visibility
- Ramps– Gives wheelchair access into and out of the home
- Lowering work areas and light switches– Brings counters and switches to an accessible level for the wheelchair-bound
- Railings– Sturdy railings along all steps or stairs, and in commonly wet areas like bathrooms and laundry rooms to reduce the risk of falling
- Widening hallways and doors– Allows easier access throughout the house when using a wheelchair, walker or cane
- Removing or shifting furniture– Opens up space in rooms and can put items like lamps within reach
I welcome helping out seniors with any questions, concerns, or specialized needs,
Tricia Garcia
P.S. Feel free to contact me anytime :)
