REAL ESTATE
What You Always Wanted to
Know About Real Estate, But
Didn’t Know Who to Ask.
By Terry and Tanner Tillung
Tanner and Terry Tillung
BRANDY DEMARZO
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 115
With more than $30
million in sold real
estate in the past
year alone, Terry and
Tanner Tillung specialize in selling
homes that others cannot. Today
we talk with them about one of the
most important factors in listing
your home – pricing!
Is there a straight-forward
strategy for pricing that works
for everyone?
There is not a one-size fits all
strategy. We ask key questions,
that help to determine if we are
working with – a Speculative Seller
or a Real Seller.
Tell me about a “Speculative
Seller.”
The Speculative Seller will move if
they get their price. This particular
Seller has no specific need to sell
nor motivation, as a result they are
more inclined to test the market.
How do Realtors® price a home
to sell?
First of all, it is not the Realtors
that price the home. The initial
display price is mutually agreed
upon between the Seller and
their Realtor. That being said, the
funny thing is, Sellers can interview 1,000 agents for their
property, and each Realtor has access to the same market
data, which means that the list price is typically within
a range of 1-2%.
What makes the difference which Agent the seller
hires?
We discuss with the client that they are not hiring us
just about the price. More important than that is how we
market and expose your home to the highest number of
qualified buyers and their agents. We stay on a schedule
to maximize their net equity in the least amount of time.
Time = Money.
Let’s talk about marketing.
The home preparation begins before the home is ready
for market. Together we decide how much lead time is
necessary to prepare the home for sale. Our marketing
includes but not limited to professional photography
and videography, 900 websites in 19 different languages,
signage, marketing brochures, direct mail, print advertising,
social media, networking, public and Broker’s opens.
Why is it so important to price
your home within market value
from the start?
Proper pricing is crucial as the
largest number of potential buyers
will view a newly listed home
within the first days of market.
The number of views decrease as
the days on market increase. In
today’s world, we are accustomed
to instant gratification, time is of
the essence.
What have you experienced
when competing for listings in
this market?
Just because an agent is offering
to list your home at a higher
price does not mean that they can
sell it at that price. Agents have
been known to “buy” listings. We
hear time and time again that the
Seller’s key concern is the lack of
communication.
Aside from looking at the
numbers, what methods can
help you determine a list price?
We look at three different pricing
options:
1.) List at the highest possible price
to test the market. Homes in this
bracket tend to sit on market and
this narrows the buyer pool.
2.) Review market analysis and price the home at fair
market value.
3.) Savviest of Sellers will actually price their home
below fair market value - which drives up the pricing
with multiple offers.
How do you work with each type of client, depending
on what they choose to do?
Regardless of price, we provide the same top level of
service, the same “perfect storm.”
Why do you feel you have the advantage over other
agents in your market?
There’s no “hope and pray” method when it comes to
our listing process. We use a system and plan that’s
proven to work in today’s market. Check our references.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Terry and Tanner Tillung are real estate agents
with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate and have more than
23 years of experience selling homes in the Tampa Bay area. For
Terry, call (727) 560-8819, or terry.tillung@floridamoves.com. For
Tanner, call (727) 479-4548, or tanner.tillung@floridamoves.com.