Are you currently considering listing your Smith Mountain Lake, VA home on the real estate market? I’d love to walk you through the home selling process I provide for my clients, and then invite you to contact me directly.
Even if you’re not sure if time is right to list your property, I’m more than happy to speak with you simply to get all your questions answered about the current state of the unique market in this area.
Deborah F. Beran Inc. – Broker/Realtor®, ABR, CLHMS, CRS, GRI, MCNE
6655 Scruggs Road, Moneta, VA 24121
Phone: 540.721.1488 | Cell: 540.529.4229 | Fax: 540.721.2198
dba Deb Beran Properties | Contact Deb
Finding a real estate agent you can trust to handle the sale of your largest asset can be a challenging task — especially in an area with such unique properties like SML. With three counties surrounding the lake to pull from, we understand how the sheer number of Realtors out there vying to list your house can be overwhelming.
No matter if your lot or home is waterfront, lake access or off-water, you’re likely considering many things in your search for the best candidate to sell your home – like years of experience, number of homes sold, and the price of homes typically dealt with.
With all that in mind, I’ve put together a comprehensive Smith Mountain Lake Home Seller’s Guide to give you some insight about my services and the incredible team here at Deb Beran Properties.
After you review this information, I’ll personally get back in touch with you to answer any of your questions and offer you a free market analysis of your Smith Mountain Lake home.
My Qualifications and Real Estate Experience
For nearly 30 years, I have been privileged to represent buyers and sellers at Smith Mountain Lake with the highest level of integrity and professionalism. My team and I take great pride in delivering exceptional customer service and we believe in putting our clients’ needs first throughout the entire home-selling process.
Having been a full-time resident of Smith Mountain Lake since 1988 has afforded me personal and in-depth knowledge of this beautiful resort area as it has grown throughout the years.
I acquired my Virginia real estate license in 1988 and became an Associate Broker in 2000. More recently, I was named one of the Top 100 real estate agents in the Roanoke Valley Association of Realtors and honored to be selected as a RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement Award Winner in 2019.
In addition, I’ve earned the designations of Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR), Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI), Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) and GUILD Elite Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS). You can read details on these certifications here.
Why Should You List Your Home with a Real Estate Broker vs. an Agent?
A question I often get is about the differences between a real estate agent, a Realtor® and a broker – all terms you hear that may seem like the same thing, but in reality, have key differences that could impact you as a home seller.
Here’s a quick reference on the differences for you:
REAL ESTATE AGENT
A real estate agent is simply a professional in the real estate industry that serves as the facilitator of real estate transactions between buyers and sellers. Agents work under real estate brokerages, so in essence, the brokerage is who you are hiring and the agent is simply representing the brokerage.
REALTOR®
A Realtor is a professional in the real estate industry who is a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Real estate agents as well as brokers can join the nationally recognized organization by meeting the professional requirements and passing an NAR Code of Ethics course every four years.
BROKER / ASSOCIATE BROKER®
When a RE professional continues their education beyond the level of a real estate agent, they can obtain a state real estate broker license. Associate brokers complete the same requirements necessary to become a broker, but work under a managing broker.
This is one of the key benefits of working with a broker or associate broker during your real estate transaction; you’re working with someone who has more real estate experience.
Of course, more experience can be an advantage in any property transaction, but especially if you are dealing with complex situations we often see in Smith Mountain Lake communities – things like flood plain proximity, shoreline management compliance and varying county regulation issues to name a few.
Meet The Team At Deb Beran Properties
I realize your real estate transaction is an important task, with many details to manage. That’s why I’ve built an amazing team of people who are just as dedicated to strong client care and satisfaction as I am. My team and I work together behind the scenes to walk you through the process and get exceptional results that exceed your expectations.
PEG WHEELER – REALTOR, Buyer’s Agent
Peg helps buyers find and tour the right properties and understand the buying process. She also submits and negotiates offers and refers buyers to reliable professionals to ensure a smooth transaction. In addition, Peg is our resident number cruncher, keeping up with important trends in the Smith Mountain Lake real estate market. She compiles and analyzes monthly market reports and creates comparative market analyses for sellers.
JUDY HAWKINS – REALTOR, Buyer’s Agent
Judy has ties to Smith Mountain Lake since 2009. She understands the challenges of transplanting after moving from New Jersey to become a full-time resident. As a proud team member of the Deb Beran Properties family, Judy carries the values of loyalty, integrity, and outstanding client service into every aspect of her work. With years of experience as a high school English teacher, Judy has a passion for research and focusses on each detail of the homebuying process. She presents lakefront property, but Judy also brings 30 years of equine expertise to assist those clients looking for the farm of their dreams. Whether it is in the purchase of a lake house or a sprawling, pastoral horse farm along the foothills, Judy’s expertise and enthusiasm is an invaluable asset to the team.
ERICA TIBBS – Property Transaction Coordinator
Erica performs important administrative duties during each stage of a transaction, from contract to closing. She works behind the scenes to make sure nothing falls through the cracks, communicating with clients, agents, lenders and others involved in transactions. In addition, Erica manages our client appreciation program, distributing valuable information such as current market conditions, articles on current affairs, and other helpful local information.
ANDIE GIBSON – Real Estate Marketing Specialist
A writer, editor and content management expert, Andie creates and implements custom marketing plans for each active property, which includes videos and social media exposure, as well as print and digital advertising.
JENNIFER CHURCH – Website & SEO Ninja
Jennifer has the critical job of keeping our website, debberanproperties.com, running smoothly. She also manages search engine optimization (SEO) to ensure the site is prominently positioned in search results, bringing more online traffic to my available properties.
BOB FARLEY – Jack of All Trades
Bob wears many hats for the Beran Team, including installing property signs, coordinating home repairs and serving as captain and tour guide when we show Smith Mountain Lake waterfront property by boat.
The Marketing Campaign – Our Plan For a Quick and Profitable Sale of Your SML Home
While you’re considering the numerous ways to sell your house, it’s important to have in mind that selling lake-based real estate can present some additional challenges.
That’s because there are many more factors in calculating the unique value of lake properties that standard real estate transactions just do not address.
When you couple that with the fact that a large majority of potential buyers may not be coming from the immediate local area, you realize the importance of having a comprehensive marketing and home sale system to get your home sold quickly and for the best price.
HOME SALE GOALS
The primary objective of the marketing campaign is to find a buyer for your home. Our criteria for meeting this objective include:
- Selling your home at or above market value
- Achieving the sale within your preferences for timing
GETTING YOUR HOME IN FRONT OF THE RIGHT AUDIENCE
The target audience we always aim for are prospective Smith Mountain Lake, VA home buyers who are actively searching for listings within your home’s price range, proximity, lifestyle or any combination of these variables.
The pool of buyers in this area can vary from current local residents looking for a different community of the lake, regional buyers from Roanoke or surrounding counties to out-of-state buyers looking for a permanent new residence or even a second home.
We’ll use tools such as photos, video and other key details about your home listing as the main benefit or value to attract the home buyer audience. This information will help them determine if your home meets their criteria and provide them with the opportunity to express their interest.
POSITIONING YOUR HOME FOR A SUCCESSFUL SALE
Our main goal is to clearly lay out the distinct value your home offers in comparison to its competition on the market. Buyers are evaluating your home against the others, which is why we want your home to stand out from the competing houses.
Developing the positioning of your home requires three steps:
- Assessing the home’s condition and highlight features compared to other similar homes for sale
- Correlating those features to the current trends in buyer preferences
- Crafting the narrative to help potential home buyers connect to the distinctive value your home offers
In every step of selling your home, we will utilize many calls to action such as providing additional ways to learn more details, allowing the buyer to ask questions, and scheduling a virtual or in-person home tour. Whether the action is taken online, by phone or in person, these calls to action will appeal to different levels of buyer interest and connect with the viewer based on where they are in their home buying journey.
FOR MORE DETAILS, REQUEST MY SML SELLER’S GUIDE!
Key Sales Services Provided When Listing Your SML Property
At Deb Beran Properties, we have developed a plan to address all the important tasks that need to happen before your home is even listed. Market research and working up a listing contract are just a few of the steps to consider. We’ll also be preparing for professional photography, floor plan videos and customizing your comprehensive marketing campaign specific to your home.
In addition to the standard Multiple Listing Service (MLS), your home will be marketed on online in multiple digital formats – at a local, national and even international level – to reach buyer audiences through dozens of popular home search sites, proprietary buyer email lists and active social media platforms.
While your home is listed with Deb Beran Properties, we’ll continue implementing the marketing plan in addition to scheduling property tours and open houses for area Realtors and potential buyers. My team is committed to communicating all activities to you and we’ll also be presenting and discussing all offers with you.
We utilize performance-based marketing practices to monitor and improve results as our campaigns are implemented, which means you’ll be in the loop at all times with how your home listing is performing.
Of course, the work doesn’t just end with an accepted contract. After the sale of your home, we’ll assist with synchronizing all buyer/seller transactions, arranging necessary inspections and repairs and many other steps to ensure a smooth closing process.
FIND OUT YOUR HOME’S VALUE! REQUEST A NO-PRESSURE VIRTUAL OR IN-PERSON CONSULTATION TODAY.
More Resources for My Clients
Meet Smitty! Clients who buy or sell with Deb Beran Properties may have free use of Smitty, our 15-foot moving truck.
Smitty is also put to good use by a number of Smith Mountain Lake non-profit organizations throughout the year such as The Discovery Shop, Lake Christian Ministries, the YMCA and the SML Charity Home Tour.
Smitty is large enough to fit furniture and bulky items, but is not difficult to drive and maneuver. The truck is available for moves within a 300-mile radius of Smith Mountain Lake.
