The size of the real estate firm you hire is no measure of whether it will do a good job for you. is the largest real estate organization in the world with an international presence of 6000+ offices and annual sales in the billions. This does not make us the right firm for you. As I see it: As your broker, our primary job in marketing your property is to make sure that it is seen by the maximum number of prospective buyers -- in the best possible light. We do that.

Does Size Matter? Cont’d from page 1 Any member firm of MLS has the resources of all the 500+ agent members who will show a property to prospective buyers if it fits their criteria. In that regard, a one-person office is as good as a large firm. Considering the first part of that job: having your property seen by the maximum number of prospective buyers - our website, when we researched it a few months ago had a site ranking* double our nearest competitor. (Nowadays, most homebuyers start their search on the internet.) In addition, our listings appear on .com, also a much-visited site. On Realtor.com, the most visited real estate website by far, we invest a substantial sum annually so that we can "enhance" your listing on that website. Rather than just a barebones description that a majority of listings have there, enhanced pages can have additional copy, and the homes can be "showcased" with additional photos. Print advertising is no longer of much value. We do place homes for sale in the newspaper, but it’s mainly to satisfy homeowners who think it matters, not to sell homes. We also have a database that enables us to mail a color postcard to all the homeowners in your neighborhood to let them know your home is for sale.

The second part of the job is making sure your home is shown in the best possible light. This refers mostly to how an agent represents your property to buyers. The ability to enhance the listing on Realtor.com is one aspect, but taking good photos and writing appealing copy is essential in attracting buyers. If sprucing up or “staging” your home is appropriate, we will advise you. Additionally, we pride ourselves on diligence and attention to the fiduciary duties owed to our clients. Our experience in negotiating becomes important once a buyer makes an offer on your home. It is as important to have an agent who is diligent and competent as it is to choose the right firm. In my opinion, it is of the utmost importance that agents and sellers understand the auction process as it pertains to real estate sales. This process is addressed in my brief article on the subject in this newsletter which explains how we implement that knowledge in our handling of transactions with multiple offers. I hope this is helpful in your evaluation. If you have any additional questions, please contact us at any time.

Yours truly, Andrew Peck, Principal Broker *Data supplied on request. You can see for yourself why we bring more buyers, just do a search on the internet, as most buyers do: Search for “Ulster County real estate,” or, “Woodstock, NY real estate,” etc., and you will see our website at or near the top of the list. Those buyers come to us.

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