Susan Colella is a top real estate pro for Baird & Warner in Naperville, Illinois. She’s an outgoing individual who loves music (she also teaches piano!) and looks at selling as an art. Her career started in hotel and restaurant management where she learned how much she truly enjoys sales and interacting with people. A few years ago, she decided to follow her heart into real estate and never looked back.

“I enjoy being an agent so much that it barely ever feels like a job,” Susan states.

Susan is not afraid to tap into her creativity to develop a selling strategy that drives results. In 2014, Chicago Magazine voted her as a five-star professional. To learn how she earned her five stars, Susan shares her 8 unique ways she adds style to every listing.

1.  Take advantage of image enhancements.

“The easiest way to add a dash of class to every listing is to always take your professional real estate photography one step further. To make great images stand out from the rest, investing in image enhancements have always added a sense of luxury to my properties no matter what the listing price is. VHT Studios offers CLEARSHOT™, which enhances the views of the surrounding property from inside the house. I also never forget about VHT’s Blue Sky add-on. It’s great for exterior shots because it turns grey skies bright blue!

My favorite VHT photographer is Michelle Norris. She’s very artistic and extremely trustworthy. But when she’s not available, I know that I have the option to tap into VHT’s network of photographers and never be disappointed.”

2.  Tell a story through well-written descriptions.

“When I discuss with the client what they loved most about their home, the answers always inspire me; I couldn’t come up with the answers myself. They’ll tell me things like ‘the beautiful trees in the backyard provide a perfect setting to sip morning tea’ or ‘the four-car garage is a perfect place to store my vintage cars’. From there, I have insight into unique features that are perfect for certain lifestyles and hobbies. I try my best to target the property to a specific group of prospective buyers based on these unique features. For instance, I once promoted a property that had a fabulous garden strictly to garden-loving home seekers.”

3.  Develop beautiful brochures and postcards.

“A good listing story doesn’t end at great photography and well-written descriptions. I make the most of my images by using the ‘money shot’ (referring to the best shot taken) in beautiful, eye-catching brochures and postcards.”

4.  Staging and floor plans are important!

“Staging a property is a crucial selling tool. Some clients try to get out of staging, but I always emphasize, ‘If you want to sell your home, we’ve got to do it right the first time around.’ I try not to photograph the empty rooms in the house if at all possible. I like my properties to communicate a certain style and tell a great story. And it needs the props to do so.

Floor plans are also an added value that clients appreciate. I have actually won listings because I offered a floor plan.”

5.  Promote before it hits the market.

“It’s never too early to get started! I start to promote the property before it officially hits the market. Baird & Warner allows me to promote properties two days ahead of time online, letting prospective buyers know it’s coming. I’ll even add a ‘coming soon’ sign in front of the house. You’ll be surprised to find that homeowners in the area may not think they are looking for a new home until they stumble upon the sign in front of their dream home.” 

6.  If the price is right …

“The price must be right the first time. I always do my best to advise my clients on determining a listing price that fits the property. I’m very assertive at first because it’s so important. It’s all about first impressions, and you don’t want to lose the right homebuyer all because the price didn’t align with the property’s value.”

Conclusion

Susan also mentioned that it’s all about being proactive. When it comes down to it, all these tools are great, but the most effective selling tool is passion.

“When you have passion, you get things done. I’m never afraid to pick up the phone or text a client right away. I don’t wait for things to happen, I make them happen.”

Want to leverage some of Susan’s selling secrets? Call VHT Studios for professional real estate photography, image enhancements, and more, or visit VHTStudios.com.

Susan Colella is a Naperville Baird & Warner agent who brings a dash of style and uniqueness to every listing. Learn more about Susan at susancolella.bairdwarner.com.