Upping the Game
11/06/2017 03:20PM ● By Alesha DamervilleSTEAMBOAT SPRINGS-The Steamboat Springs real estate market has seen its ups and downs over the last two decades and a select group of Realtors have been through it all. Among them, Cheryl Foote has carved a name for herself as the area’s hardest working and most productive agent. As it turns out, there’s a well-planned method behind her success, and there doesn’t seem to be any sign of it slowing down.
Steamboat Springs is different from most other resort towns. How do you see that trickling down to local real estate?
What’s so unique about Steamboat is how we were a town first, before we were a world class ski destination. Just look around at the heritage and long-standing traditions of this place and it’s not hard to see what makes it so special. Although the resort industry is a major contributor to our employment base, our economic diversity includes businesses thriving in the outdoor industry, health care, investment banking and others. I feel this adds stability to my clients’ investments when talking about real estate.
Everyone is saying that 2017 has seen a very active real estate market. What is your perspective?
Great question. It seems like people are selling for a lot of the same reasons we’ve heard for years. The inventory in certain price ranges and property categories is also much tighter this year, so buyers have had to move more quickly. I’ve seen a few transactions this year with multiple offers. One of my listings actually sold for $100,000 over list price because of how badly the buyer wanted it. Yes, things have been active, to say the least.
You closed nearly 90 transactions last year. How do your clients continue to get a high level of attention from you when you do this volume of business?
I’ve always taken pride in making sure my clients get the high level of service they deserve when making real estate investments. I would not be able to provide this degree of care if not for the staff I’ve brought on to work with me. I have a full-time transaction manager who handles the timeline and details of our contracts, and a marketing professional who is responsible for keeping my outbound communications active. I recently brought on a buyer’s agent to work exclusively with my clients who are interested in owning property here. He makes sure they receive our full attention when deciding what to purchase.
I’m always available to my clients – there is no such thing as “business hours” in real estate. In reviewing my client testimonials on Zillow you’ll see consistent mentions of the success of our “team approach” to real estate. It’s something I’m proud to have created.
Photography and video seem to play an important role in marketing your listings. Tell me about why you think it is so important?
Looking at the quality of what was being used in real estate marketing, I realized that there was an opportunity to differentiate my services by doing better. I made a commitment that every one of my clients deserved to have the most professional marketing package possible, regardless of price point. Professional photography, video walk-throughs, aerial videography and even 3-D virtual property tours get people more engaged in my listings.
This translates to more exposure and interest in my clients’ homes. When I started seeing that my listings with professional imagery sold faster than those without, I went all-in on doing this for every property I sell, and it has really paid off.
You’ve got a lot of Zillow testimonials. Why do you consider them important?
What you read on Zillow is real feedback written by real clients about their experience. Zillow doesn’t allow Realtors to input testimonials on their own behalf, so each of the submissions must be verified as an actual customer of mine. The fact that my clients take their valuable time to create an account and submit their feedback in such a public forum speaks volumes about their satisfaction with my work. I am frequently humbled by and very proud of the testimonials that are posted.
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Cheryl Foote has been awarded the honor of Steamboat’s Top Producing Real Estate Agent for the last 2 years running. She is a wife and mother of three. Cheryl’s experience in working with buyers and sellers to maximize their Steamboat real estate investments spans over 20 years and has earned her Sotheby’s International Realty top awards.
If you’re interested in the Steamboat Springs real estate market, contact Cheryl at 970-846-6444 or visit: www.RealEstateInSteamboat.com