Have you ever seen the Massachusetts Real Estate advertising that says “We will sell your Massachusetts home in 70 days guaranteed” and wondered what the hell that was all about?
This is just another marketing gimmick that in some respects is no different than value range pricing. The difference being is that more times than not the list price is under the current market value of the property. In some cases WAY under!
I have to hand it to the Realtors that use it as part of their marketing plan because there are quite a few home sellers that actually believe there is something special going on.
It’s seems that some consumers believe that these guys are really not your average Real Estate agents but some kind of Realtor super hero! I can picture it now when they arrive on the scene all dressed in a sharp suit ready to sign up the next home seller only to head off to a local phone booth for a quick change of clothing.
Well maybe not a phone booth anymore as they are much harder to find.
There is no doubt in my mind that plenty of homes can sell in under 70 days no matter what kind of market we are in if they are priced at or below the present market value. In fact, I know this is the case because I sell quite a few Massachusetts homes every year that go under contract in less than 70 days and these are homes that are not under priced!
According to the Sold in 70 days website you will receive an up front guaranteed price in writing from these Realtors and if they receive an offer that is higher than their guaranteed price from a Buyer, you will get the higher offer, not them. WOW… well isn’t that SPECIAL.
They go on to say they are not passive agents and do more than just put a sign in the yard and wait for a buyer. YIPPEE! There is nothing magical about this. In fact you can bet your bottom dollar that the number they are going to guarantee you is no where near what you would expect a buyer to pay for your home.
Yet they sign up a lot of clients this way so I have to give them some kudos and a good old fashion pat on the back.
There are usually two sets of consumers that will respond to this type of Real Estate marketing. Those that think the Realtor may have been born on Krypton and a seller that is DESPERATE to sell their home. If you really need to sell your home at all costs why not go with someone that will guarantee that they will buy it?
It would be interesting to know just how many homes that they actually do end up purchasing. My guess is not many! Buyers know a value when they see it and in most cases will jump at the chance to buy a home under market value. Aggressive pricing is the same reason why most bank owned homes sell quicker than traditional homes.
What is interesting to note is the sold in 70 days website (soldin70days.com) has no strength in the search engines for any kind of competitive Real Estate search terms. Consumers looking to find the homes these Realtors are marketing will not be finding them online at least not from their website. They find desperate sellers using television ads to get their message across.
When consumers search online the most searched terms for Real Estate are the city, state and the word “Real Estate” or “homes for sale”. Using my home town as an example a consumer searching for Real Estate would enter into Google Hopkinton MA Real Estate or Hopkinton MA homes for sale.
Want to see what I mean? Click this… Let me Google that for you. What you will see is all the results in Google for the term Hopkinton MA Real Estate. Between my website and blogs I have a number of positions on the 1st page. This is how sellers get great exposure for their homes online besides some of the popular Real Estate portals consumers visit.
When the home is priced under market value this is not that important because all you are going to need is the multiple listing service (MLS) to get the job done.
A seller that is willing to price their home under market value is the kind of client any Realtor would love to have because it is pretty much a sale in the bank. When you are looking to sell your home for the market value this is obviously not the route you want to take.
Some excellent considerations for picking a top Realtor include their track record, ability to market well, and their communication skills.
Asking good Real Estate interview questions is always an important consideration when hiring a Realtor to represent you.
BTW – If you happen to see a website called sell your home in 69 days guaranteed that is just me improving on this magical system.
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About the author: The above Real Estate information on Selling your Massachusetts home in 70 days guaranteed was provided by Bill Gassett, a Nationally recognized leader in his field. Bill can be reached via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-435-5356. Bill has helped people move in and out of many Metrowest towns for the last 24+ Years.
Thinking of selling your home? I have a passion for Real Estate and love to share my marketing expertise!
I service the following towns in Metrowest MA: Hopkinton, Milford, Upton, Southboro, Westboro, Ashland, Holliston, Mendon, Hopedale, Medway, Franklin, Framingham, Grafton, Northbridge, Shrewsbury, Northboro, Bellingham, Uxbridge, and Douglas.
News, views, opinions and happenings for Real Estate throughout Metrowest Massachusetts and beyond including Ashland, Hopkinton, Holliston, Southboro, Westboro, Milford, Medway, Franklin, Grafton, Upton, Mendon, Hopedale, Northboro, Framingham, Northbridge, Shrewsbury, Whitinsville, Uxbridge, Bellingham and Douglas. 
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Bill – So true ! Great info here. At the end of the day, it comes down to price. In the past, I saw some gimmicks around Philly that would also say “guaranteed or we will buy it ourselves”. I did hear about some pretty angry sellers when the Realtor did not end up purchasing ! Is amazing that folks fall for this, but I agree that the marketing is interesting and could catch that desperate seller. Or of course folks may think these agents are super heroes : )
Chris – ERA Real Estate used that we will buy it ourselves slogan for many years. Of course they were going to be the home for a fraction of the market value. It is amazing sometimes how folks fall for these types of marketing ploys.
Bill:
Hey I showed up on the first page of your google search. I don’t have anything to do with real estate, are you feeling pressure from the competition. I love the “as seen on TV” picture. People will buy anything ask Billy Mays (RIP). I think you should come out with “7 minute abs” to go along with your “sell your home in 69 days”.
I see this type of thing in the financial world all the time. People promise high rates of return. Just ask Bernie.
CJ – The guys mentioned in this article do not have any market share in my area so they are not really my competition. Their focus is actually not like a traditional agent that would carve out a niche in a particular area that they know well. These Realtors will go anywhere that people will believe their pitch. Their territory is basically anywhere in Massachusetts. I do not take listings in areas I do not know well. In my mind that is unprofessional. With the way they do business it does not matter as much because the homes are priced so low there is not as much investment in time with each listing. I may consider your suggestion on the “7 minute abs”:)
Great article Bill. I’ve seen those graphics around that say “WILL SELL YOUR HOME IN 70 DAYS or you’ll get X amount of dollars at closing” with some conditions applying. Of course, when the comsumer calls and finds out those conditions they realize very homes apply yet even if they don’t, the Realtor can often get the listing anyway. I always thought this was a brilliant marketing idea in that lead conversion will be higher whole the consumer isn’t ever getting themselves into something they don’t fully understand. What do you think? Cheap gimmick or good marketing?
-Briddick
Bill, We all need a bit of Kryptonite to use against this type of crap. I am seeing many signs that say “We buy homes” with an 800 number. Love the post, thank you!
Briddick – I think it is a little bit of both. There are quite a few people who believe the “pitch” once the “pitchman” is in front of them. The point however, is that ANYONE can sell a home if it under priced. This is not some great marketing technique that these guys have developed. In fact their actually marketing of the homes is less than stellar but it doesn’t matter because the MLS is good enough to get the job done.
Andrea – Yes that Kryptonite would come in handy!
Excellent article Bill. As any agent, I’m always looking for a new way to get the job done, but this doesn’t work well for me in Charlotte (NC).
Have any of you heard about the 21-day system? It is an auction type sell, it which the owner can pull if back if not satisfied. Is this legal?
Anyway, Bill enjoyed it and look forward to reading more.
Steve Kodad (seedreamhome on Twitter)
Thanks Steve. Yes I have heard of sellers going the auction route and testing the waters this way. If done properly as far as I know it is perfectly legal when selling a home.
Just another group focusing on desperate sellers. I hope many will see your article about the right way to choose a realtor.
LOL…2 good ones in a row Bill. Good job…as always…I agree with your position!!!
Josh – It always amazes me to see how many people actually fall for this kind of marketing!