What Adam Offers Sellers
- Adam Garrett
- Apr 21, 2023
- 20 min read
Updated: Jun 18
Image courtesy Raider Photography from a previous listing of Adam's in Kingsmill
In this article, I'd like to go over what I offer sellers.
Marketing:
Top 1% Overall Offerings Per Flexible Commission Rates Based On Tiered Offerings
One of my goals has been to offer options of more for less than other full-service experienced listing agents, as well as options for the same amount for much more quality, and at this point in my career, I've achieved that goal. I never plan to be a heavily discounted commission agent, as the sacrifice of quality would be too high for that where the net to the seller would be lower than what I can offer. That said, I offer flexible commission packages so that sellers can pick which commission option they would like, with even the lowest packages still including that which most agents aren't with a substantial positive influence on marketing & net profits such as a combination of aerial photography, fantastic area photography including offsite aerials, Showingtime, & Matterport 3D virtual tours.
Note: Flexible options are unavailable for those who have an upfront commission offering by Adam from a 3rd party.
Locally Unmatched Competing Offer Spreadsheet
I offer a locally unmatched competing offer spreadsheet, helping sellers in single offer and especially in multiple offer scenarios to directly compare dozens of offer elements, helping to narrow things down as well when navigating multiple offer types.
*Top 1% Virtual Tours
Did you know that most resale properties don't use the top virtual tours available even when they include 3D tours, and that the most common platform used isn't even a top 6 platform among virtual tours in terms of quality (but it's cheap, they say...)? Among listings, my listings are top 1% in terms of the quality of the virtual tours, combining Matterport photography (the top platform by far) with attention to detail in including not just interior shots but including exterior* as well. Virtual tours boost properties in search results in places like Zillow and increase the probability of someone viewing your home online. Is the virtual tour is actually a good one, including interior finished space, interior unfinished space, and exterior, in a 3d style, things get even better, with a lower probability of sight unseen purchasers wanting to withdraw from a contract from surprises.
Matterport is the industry leader in virtual tours. Matterport virtual tours (including interior & exterior*) contain superior virtual tours vs typical alternatives including a dollhouse view option. Often with other agents, when Matterport tours are used, no exterior shots are taken and no garage or other unfinished space photos are taken. My standard commission structure includes interior & exterior.
Here's a ranking of the top Matterport alternatives by a Popular Youtuber as part of a deep dive comparison, with common options like Zillow 360 Tours Not High Quality Enough to make the Cut:
Matterport example I shot at a former listing I sold, including interior, exterior, & dollhouse view.
Image courtesy Matterport from Adam's sold listing
Image courtesy Matterport from Adam's sold listing
*Top .1% Area Photography
*Area photography by Adam including neighborhood amenities & amenities outside of the neighborhood. Among local listings mine include top 1% area photography.
Here are Hampton area photo examples I shot.
I also have photos I've taken in Richmond, King & Queen, York County, Williamsburg, Norfolk, Smithfield, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Suffolk, & more! Typically I add more photos prior to listing as long as my mid-grade commission is selected. For those with lower commissions, my existing area photos are available, with some exceptions where I'll still take new pictures.
Below are examples from Newport News:
City Center of Newport News
Christopher Newport University
Stoney Run Athletic Complex
Denbigh Community Center
Denbigh Community Center
Huntington Beach, boat ramp, tennis courts, & park
Top .1% Localized SE VA Seller Guide
My house seller guide has links to dozens of articles I've written with links to 3rd party content as well included in those articles with localized content personalized to sellers' experience selling with me. I take you from prior to your decision to sell to after closing.
*Better & Safer Open Houses via Tools Acquired for Open Houses <1% of Agents Have
Through a combination of great marketing, Adam offers excellent options for open houses, which are one of the top ways that unrepresented buyers preview properties. Adam has also seen where represented buyers have seen a home he listed alone at an open house, then came back with their agent before a purchase. More showings mean more competition and ultimately a higher net.
In addition to actually bringing people in the door w/ the offers and feedback they can provide, open houses boost algorithms of properties on websites like Zillow (the top real estate website), so if you haven't sold after the first open house, having recurring open houses can push your results further to the top with more views, more saves, & more showings.
For properties where Adam can connect to the home wifi, Adam has 2 motion-sensitive cameras that can alert Adam when someone comes to the home while he's showing the home or yard to another prospective buyer(s). For properties without wifi (that enable his motion-sensitive cameras), Adam has other motion-sensitive devices to alert him.
Top Showing Platform Available
Did you know that some showings and some offers never occur because the middle man is too slow on the draw? With Showingtime, which is far superior to alternative showing services, the middle man is cut out of the equation so that agents can instantly confirm showings on vacant properties & can directly ask occupants about certain timeframes available. I have my own subscription to it to optimize my seller's experience by getting more buyers in their door.
Top 3%: *Access to up to 5 of my 5 Multiple Listing Services (MLS)
When I interviewed with a former agent as a prospective listing agent who was selling his family's home in Hampton, one of the top 2 factors about why he chose to work with me vs another agent he interviewed with was that I was going to put his listing on more than 1 MLS.
MLS access is critical to a successful sale. In SE VA, some cities/counties do not have >50% of listings present on a single MLS, drastically reducing their marketability. According to the National Association of Realtors, "Having an agent to help them find the right home was what buyers wanted most when choosing an agent at 49%." The primary means that agents send properties to buyers is via MLS feeds to the buyers that they represent, and often agents are only part of 1 MLS. I've seen where agents in Richmond reached out to me about property in Hampton when it was clear that the agent had no idea about the competition in the neighborhood since they had only used the Richmond MLS to locate a property for the buyer & I had my listing in the Richmond MLS. I've also seen where listings from other agents were present where the only MLS used had <1% market share of an area, virtually eliminating the opportunity for that listing to go to buyers from agents' feeds. The seller was likely ignorant of that and had no idea about how poorly his property was getting marketed because of it. That sort of problem is more common for low-commission agents looking to cut corners, in part because each MLS has its own fees present.
I provide:
1. Access for sellers to up to 4 MLS. MLS access is one of the factors I offer that is dependent on price and commission rate. Feel free to reach out for all the details on that.
[Related: Most important cities to have more than 1 MLS in SE VA]
2. The data that I haven't seen elsewhere to show which cities/counties in the area are primary to each & what % representation each has. Here is a list of which MLS are used most by which city in SE VA based on my own research of 5 MLS & here is an article on MLS explaining the importance of MLS & other details for buyers and sellers.
Here are my 5 MLS:
Northern Neck (NE),
Central Virginia Regional (W),
Chesapeake Bay & Rivers Association of Realtors (E),
Williamsburg (central),
& Real Estate Information Network (SE)
3. Data input in MLS is highly detailed to consistently max out the public remarks space's word count (within 95%) to display positive property elements & check far more property features than most agents for similar properties to maximize searchability.
Top 5%: Standard Aerials of All Listings
Aerial photography examples by Adam Garrett at listings he sold (all shot by Adam):
Keep in mind that there are some rare cases where I don't integrate aerials of the home in a listing even though I'll typically have aerials of area amenities. A typical case where I won't include aerials of a listing is if an aerial would highlight a negative element of a home no matter the angle (i.e. branches touching the roof, etc.).
Top 5%: *Premium Snacks & Drinks
Snacks and drinks of much better selection, quality, and quantity than typical if present at all. These snacks and drinks selected keep in mind mitigating the damage of spills, with all clear liquids, for instance.
Top 10%: *Limited practical staging assistance
Limited practical staging assistance, including (if not already present) hand towels, hand soap, interior floor mats, exterior entry mats, shoe covers, toilet paper, basket for shoe covers w built-in label, metal step-to open trashcan(s), wine cooler for available drinks, Poo-Pourri, plungers & toilet brushes, $100's of $ in label/picture holders (with the latter benefiting homes that are not physically staged & to showcase area amenities), etc.*
Professional Still Photography
Here are some examples from my previous listings:
Image above courtesy Art Louis Photography from a former listing of Adam's
Image above courtesy American Real Estate Media from a former listing of Adam's
Image above courtesy American Real Estate Media from a former listing of Adam's
Image above courtesy American Real Estate Media from a former listing of Adam's
Image above courtesy Art Louis Photography from a former listing of Adam's
Image above courtesy Art Louis Photography from a former listing of Adam's
*Details Provided & Follow Up with Buyers & Buyer's Agents
While some agents are downright neglectful when it comes to follow-up, responding to inquiries from buyers' agents, & showing requests from buyers' agents, Adam is responsive to inquiries in detail & provides plenty of information upfront with buyers' agents at the time of their showing request automatically via Showingtime, such as web pages dedicated to showing his listings & for buyers' agents writing offers so that sellers can receive the best offers. Adam also has options for reaching out to parties who expressed interest or showed the property without ruling it out prior to acceptance of an offer, unless related to a deadline that was clear in MLS prior to the buyer's agent's request for a showing in agent remarks.
*On Property Throughout Listing: Enhancing the Showing Experience for Buyers
*Stands available to put 11"x17" cardstock images of home while staged if the furniture is removed prior to listing and to put on location and nearby aerials if desired. In some rooms, rather than including the stands, they'll be put directly onto countertop surfaces, such as on this kitchen countertop that's agent to the area on the cardstock image:
Top 1% live video available for prospective buyers with Adam's showings available for unrepresented buyers and unavailable buyer's agents (see section VI).
On Property Throughout Listing: Enhancing the Showing Experience for Buyers' Agents
According to the National Association of Realtors in 2022, "86% of buyers purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker." The opinion and experience of the buyer's agent can be highly influential with the buyers including whether or not they make an offer, the quality of the offer they make, and how aggressively or not they try to keep the transaction intact.
*1-3 electronic MLS lockboxes & a contractor lockbox (minimum 1 electronic & 1 contractor box for homes & commercial buildings)
Many agents have too limited lockboxes available, in some cases, eliminating a buyer and buyer's agent's ability to see a home before it goes under contract in a hot market, especially if the agent isn't part of the local MLS.
*Paper Marketing Campaign
Professional highlight sheets produced by the GRP marketing department.
https://www.adambgarrett.com/examples-of-my-marketing
*Paper marketing to around 100 agents at my firm & same flyer on property in a flyer box on the sign & in building
*Paper Just Listed Postcard to area owners to at least 200 households - available for typical commissions over $300k & discount commissions over $800k.
Digital Marketing & *Social Media Campaign
Email marketing to roughly 100 agents
Direct feed from MLS to hundreds of websites through a paid 3rd party service.
*A social media campaign with an average reach of over 10 thousand and average engagement over one thousand (also excluding certain distressed properties that are in condition that could lead to public heckling, i.e. unusually dirty properties & those with many obvious repair needs)
None of the above are paid ads, but each took time and achieved results that other agents wouldn't. The top source of buyers coming to the open house on that last listing and one of the top sources of buyers inquiring after the open house was my Facebook campaign. I didn't spend a dime, and partnered with the seller by setting things up where it was easy for them to perform some supplementary shares while I did the bulk of them.
Images courtesy Facebook
*Appraisal Paid Up Front by Adam
While I don't recommend ruling out an agent due to list price differences, if you're about to list with another agent primarily since they say that your house is worth more or less than I do, I have a unique option for you. I'll front the money for an appraisal from the appraiser of your choice as long as the appraiser has at least 5 years of full-time experience, up to $500. If the appraisal comes back closer to my amount, you can pay me back after listing with me when we close. If the appraisal comes back closer to the other agent's amount, you don't need to pay me back, and you can still choose to list with me or with them.
Items above with a * may depend on location, price, and commission bracket desired
More about Adam:
Dozens of reviews & recommendations on various platforms
https://www.adambgarrett.com/reviews
My list of values as evidenced by quotes from reviews:
Staying Available
Working Hard
Saving Clients Money
Keeping Clients' Interests First
Client Educator (See also my extensive website that includes enough content I've written to fill a book)
High Ethical Standards Including Integrity
Excellence
A Locally Unmatched Combination of Physical & Digital Resources
Excellent digital tool belt to assist sellers, including but not limited to:
ShowingTime to get more buyers and buyer's agents through the door with immediately confirmed showings on vacant properties & no delay between when an agent requests a showing and when the occupant receives the request.
Extensive writing on numerous subjects beyond email direct content that can be provided on call, with over 50,000 words on my website alone.
Highly comprehensive emails edited according to situations at each major step of the process to guide you thoroughly. An informed seller can make the best decisions.*
Highly comprehensive offer comparison spreadsheet (*template provided for all, filled out for all standard commission sellers and for discount commission sellers above $350k)
Highly comprehensive responsibilities & obligations of buyer & seller with page #s to reference on contracts*
Here are some of the digital resources I offer specific to sellers, though many of my digital resources are unpublished.
Excellent physical tools, gadgets, & other resources to assist sellers.
Legacy as a 3rd Generation Realtor®
For higher-end properties, if desired by the seller, my father, Greg Garrett (Linkedin, Facebook, Company Webpage), can be present with me at listing appointments & if desired, co-list property with me. He's been Recognized in Realtor® Magazine as one of the top 50 Realtors® in the United States. He's sold a few dozen properties for sellers over $1,000,000 & has possibly sold more homes than anyone else living in SE VA, thousands of properties personally.
My father, a 14th generation Virginian, started over 40 years ago, and both of his parents were real estate agents. He got in the business in the late 70's, & is still in the business.
"Early in his real estate career, Greg became the #1 agent on the Virginia Peninsula. Then he became the #1 agent throughout Hampton Roads, Virginia. He has closed on over 4000 thousand properties personally since they started recording his closings in our primary local MLS in the late 90's. In his best year, he closed on a house a day. He brands himself as a team although it is just him, transaction coordinators & other staff. He has "toned down" the amount of time he spends on real estate, but as of 11/30/22 he's closed on at least 98 homes in the past 365 days, at least 126 in the prior 365 days, and has typically done 100 or more homes a year relatively consistently.
Before my father was a real estate agent, both of my grandparents on his side were agents. My grandmother acquired the prestigious Emerald Award from the Virginia Peninsula Association of Realtors, acquired from those who have 20 years of award-winning sales based on volume. In some years, only 1 person achieves that award.
High Net Proceeds Driven in Part by Honesty/Candor with Sellers
One of the top reasons to select an agent is because an agent is able to maximize your net proceeds. While many factors are involved, 1 of the top reasons is my honesty with sellers. Maximizing your net proceeds can't happen unless an agent is honest with a seller. A good agent should ultimately leave things up to you, but recommend what you can do to participate in achieving the top net proceeds you can, from cleaning, painting, & performing repairs to filling out seller surveys. An agent being honest means possibly not seeming as "enthusiastic" about your listing when meeting with you as other agents. It also means that honest agents are more likely to provide a lower # when it comes to suggested value. Many sellers fail to realize that and don't pick me because of my honesty, without realizing what they're doing, picking an agent instead who doesn't mention any flaws or suggests a much higher value. My honesty with sellers doesn't stop me from sounding very enthusiastic in the actual listing, pointing out positives of your property left and right and consistently going within 95% of the word count cap in remarks on REIN MLS before adding even more positives in picture captions of a listing as visible on MLS. It's very rare to see that from an agent. There are many agents who will intentionally wait until after a seller signs a listing agreement before mentioning any suggestions about improvements because they know those suggestions could cost them the listing if another agent seems more "enthusiastic" than them. In many cases, waiting like that could cost a seller time & $, in addition to frustration that the agent didn't tell them sooner.
Related:
2. Financing Repairs Paid at Closing
3. Where to Find Equipment To Borrow/Lease/Purchase for Your Property Repairs/Reno/Cleaning
Examples of Adam Maximizing Seller Net Proceeds
1. In 1 case, I received an offer $40,000 higher than the closed price of another agent at the same property. On that occasion, a listing of mine had 3 offers while I listed it. The seller went against my advice and rejected the highest offer. Shortly after they listed with another Realtor, convinced that I was not marketing the property enough despite marketing efforts that far exceeded that of a typical listing, likely in the top 1% of active marketing for properties. After multiple price reductions, a year later, it sold through that other agent, one of the top agents in VA, for a sales price $40,000 less than the offer that they had rejected while I was the listing agent that I recommended that they not reject. Keep in mind that the market had appreciated during that year.
2. It's not uncommon for those who market homes very well to achieve contracts that an appraisal can't justify. Conversely, when agents don't do top tier marketing, there are many cases where properties are purchased for below the appraised value. Here are some examples from when I represented the seller(s) & my marketing led to contracts above appraisal:
A. 1 contract was $45k above (after the appraiser raised the amount from his original amount based on a value dispute I made), which was roughly 10% of the sales price.
B. Buyers paying as high as $15k (6% over the appraised price) above appraised value with an agreement for that in advance of purchase at time of offer.
C. Some closings with no appraisal contingency
Experience
I have had full-time experience as a Realtor since February 2015 with over 100 closings as of 2022. Prior to becoming a Realtor, I spent 9 months full-time in the marketing department at Garrett Realty Partners. As visible from a brief review of my website & as shared by a review, "As a third generation realtor, his knowledge base and experience is beyond his years."
In my best year thus far, I was within the top 8% of agents overall in my primary market (Hampton Roads & #s from REIN MLS, not counting sales outside of REIN).
My freshman year of college my family purchased this home, so I know some things about luxury waterfront that many don't:
You'll see the majority of my previous transactions on my Zillow page.
Not only am I experienced, but I'm also highly detailed including in my property walk-throughs for all sellers who want to maximize profits by not going as-is, but available for as-is sales as well.
Transparent Coverage Map of Where I Can Help Sellers Based on Price & MLS Access
Below a Coverage Map for sellers is labeled along with the 5 MLS I have access to with strong coverage. Areas in white are where my MLS don't have ideal coverage. See my coverage map page for more details including exceptions where I may go below the figures pictured below. For those outside of my standard coverage, I can often provide a quality referral for those seeking to buy or sell property >$40k.
Adam’s cities/counties covered include:
Amelia County,
Charles City County,
Chesapeake,
Chesterfield County,
Colonial Heights,
Dinwiddie County,
Essex County,
Franklin,
Gloucester County,
Goochland County,
Hampton,
Hanover County,
Henrico County,
Hopewell,
Isle of Wight County,
James City County,
King William County,
King & Queen County,
Lancaster County,
Mathews County,
Middlesex County,
New Kent County,
Newport News,
Northumberland County,
Nottoway County,
Petersburg
Poquoson,
Portsmouth,
Powhatan County,
Prince George County,
Richmond (City of),
Richmond County,
Southampton County,
Suffolk,
Surry County,
Sussex County,
Virginia Beach,
Williamsburg,
York County,
Transparency
On this website, you'll find plenty of information about me, a number of articles with me educating sellers, & otherwise.
Fast Facts About Adam
Adam doesn't perform dual agency, where 1 agent attempts to represent both buyer and seller. While legal in VA, it's so fraught with problems that it's illegal in some states and prohibited at Garrett Realty Partners.
Adam has a wide coverage area throughout the majority of SE VA, excluding the Eastern Shore, for properties for buyers and sellers with access to 5 MLS. He also has a spreadsheet of where those MLS are most important, info on where multiple MLS in SE VA are most important, and where in SE VA other MLS are used substantially or primarily.
As of 2022 Adam's closed on over 100 properties.
Adam's father (see legacy section) is an invaluable resource, available at times for co-listings, does residential & commercial, and has cumulatively likely personally sold higher volume than any SE VA agent still active.
Adam can do commercial or residential real estate, land only or land with structure(s). Whenever commercial is involved, he brings his father into the equation as an invaluable resource since Adam has done more residential than commercial, while his father has much more experience than he does with commercial.
Related Facts:
Adam is good with math & good with words. He scored in the top 2 percentile on the SAT in math and scored an 80/80 on the writing skills PSAT.
Competitive Commissions with Multiple Options
Adam doesn't charge transaction coordinator fees.
Considering what Adam offers at different commission brackets & price points, what he offers is highly competitive. For instance, with his lowest commission options at the lowest price points he serves, sellers would still have professional photos, aerials, and Matterport virtual tour, a combination that is rarely offered standard by other agents even at 3% listing side commissions, but would have placement in the primary MLS of the city/county instead of up to 4 available at higher commission packages at higher price points (placement in 2 MLS if the primary MLS is CBRAR/CVR since via the co-op only 1 data input sheet is involved), fewer new area pics available to be taken by me from the ground or the air, & other reduced offerings in various capacities where I typically go above and beyond (i.e. no top 3% premium snacks/drinks at the property throughout listing).
What agent you use to sell can have a drastic influence on your net proceeds, even if selecting between 2 agents that charge the same commission rates, depending on the quality of the agent you are getting and the marketing that they will do for your property. See examples of just how much that can mean (i.e. $40k different sales price) in my section titled "Examples of Adam Maximizing Seller Net Proceeds".
If you're looking for the lowest commissions in town, Adam doesn't have them. If he did offer the lowest commission in town, he would need to drastically reduce what he offers, otherwise, he'd be forced out of business very quickly because he goes above and beyond again & again. In order for very low commission agents to survive, they have to cut many corners even vs what typical agents do to support much higher volume than a typical agent.
Excellent Options if You Also Need to Buy
If you need to buy as well, I've got excellent options.
Example Interior & Exterior Matterport Virtual Tour Including Dock, from a former listing of Adam's. Matterport example shot by Adam
Ask Adam & All Agents You Interview for Their 5 Most Recent Listings: Those Say a Lot About Agents & Are Often Neglected by Sellers.
Ask all agents you interview for their 5 most recent listings. Pay a lot of attention to the quality of those listings, & it's a good idea to compare similar listings from 2 agents side by side in terms of home quality and sq ft of the home. Here are some metrics to check:
Picture volume (though keep in mind that unless you're talking about a kitchen with an island, a room with special features like a fireplace, or a room that exceeds 500 sq ft, you shouldn't be often seeing more than 2 pictures of each room that should get the full room between them; if you have 50 pictures of a 2k sq ft home on <.25 acres with no area pictures, the agent is merely doing a lot of unnecessary photos in most cases that waste buyers' time).
Picture quality
Area photos (for homes with <3k sq ft & <.5 acres, these are most important)
Virtual tour quality (especially whether or not it was 1 of the 6 top platforms used, exterior shot volume, area amenity shot volume, & unfinished space volume)
Word count for public remarks
Searchability via the number of included items mentioned outside of the public remarks (specifically focusing on those items that aren't required but that can have a big impact on your property getting filtered out of a search, like acreage in REIN MLS)
Also, verify on their Zillow profile (where to search; Adam's) based on the dates of those listings that the agent sends you are their most recent listings just in case an agent wants to cherry-pick. If the listings are more spread out chronologically or not near you vs other agents, that's not a problem, especially if the marketing quality is higher (which inherently takes more time &/or $ for the agent), as long as the agent has access to the right MLS for you, & in SE VA, more than 1 MLS in many cases.
Keep in mind that sometimes, Matterport tours are taken down soon after a sale closes. In my case, I typically don't keep them up much longer after closing, but have an archive of all of the Matterport virtual tours I've done in case you'd like me to reactivate one for you.
For more details, go to: Reviewing Agents' Former Listings Online
Related:
About the Author: Adam Garrett - 3rd Generation REALTOR®
Adam is the 3rd generation in a line of award-winning real estate agents serving SE VA. He has served full time at Garrett Realty Partners since May 2014 when he joined the marketing department before transitioning to full-time sales to assist buyers and sellers in February 2015. He believes that an educated buyer or seller makes the best decisions, & is dedicated to helping with that both digitally & on-site physically for buyers & sellers. He's also available for referrals to real estate agents around the globe. In several capacities, his resources & direct offerings for assisting sellers & assisting buyers are either unmatched or are top 1% for the SE VA area, and in some cases, nationwide. Not stopping after closing, he also provides information for tenants, landlords, & homeowners.
Related for Buyers:
Related for Sellers:
While Adam can refer buyers and sellers elsewhere, Adam’s direct coverage includes most of SE VA including Hampton Roads (VA Peninsula, Southside, & Middle Peninsula), the Northern Neck, & Greater Richmond including the following cities/counties:
Amelia County,
Charles City County,
Chesapeake,
Chesterfield County,
Colonial Heights,
Dinwiddie County,
Essex County,
Franklin,
Gloucester County,
Goochland County,
Hampton,
Hanover County,
Henrico County,
Hopewell,
Isle of Wight County,
James City County,
King William County,
King & Queen County,
Lancaster County,
Mathews County,
Middlesex County,
New Kent County,
Newport News,
Northumberland County,
Nottoway County,
Petersburg
Poquoson,
Portsmouth,
Powhatan County,
Prince George County,
Richmond (City of),
Richmond County,
Southampton County,
Suffolk,
Surry County,
Sussex County,
Virginia Beach,
Williamsburg,
York County,
Related for Sellers
Additional Related
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