Platform
Barbara Smith
My husband and I moved to Acton with our two children in 1988, and after a career in journalism I decided to stay home, raise the kids, and garden! I volunteered in town politics, in the Acton schools and with service organizations. When my husband died in 2002, I began working as a teacher assistant in a local high school until I retired. I’m a homebody and a reader, and still love to garden.
Why did you decide to sell?
How did you know it was the right time?
WMy kids were out of the house, and I wanted to live in a neighborhood of friends, not a single family home where I might talk to neighbors a few times a week. That’s why years ago I joined a group that was trying to develop an over-55 co-housing community in Littleton, MA. It was a long shot, but we succeeded! And the work helped me make lots of new friends. Last February, when people started moving into this new community, I began thinking about selling my house.
What were you looking for in a real estate agent?
I had talked to a few realtors in the past few years but I had heard unsettling stories of realtors who requested expensive upgrades, set unrealistic list prices then failed to sell a house.
A friend, whose home Dani sold some years ago, recommended I speak to her. Dani presented me with a plan to do the work that needed to be done on my house, using recommended contractors for fresh paint for the exterior and interior, refinishing the floors, updating the light fixtures and cleaning up the landscape. That squared with my own ideas about real estate. The results were dazzling. I never could have chosen the paint colors, the light fixtures, or had the patience to interview and hire the people to do the work (I could reimburse her after the house was sold). The photos of my home in the marketing materials were beautiful, and then to stage my home. She also clearly knew the Facts of Life about real estate: data exists to help a realtor set a price. That’s what gets a house sold.
How did Dani guide you through the selling process?
I viewed Dani’s videos about what a seller should know before selling their home. They were short and clear and easy to understand. That’s why, when Dani showed me the spreadsheet of offers later in the day, I knew which one was best. Of course, I had watched Acton homes sell over the years on sites like Zillow, and had a vague idea of what my house might sell for. Dani has better information, and she knows how to use it.
What was the most stressful part of the selling process?
Dani wasn’t a stress. I worried a bit that my house wouldn’t sell in October, which is not the best time, but I also knew that we had a plan for how to proceed. The stressors were downsizing and moving!
What was the best part of your Selling Experience?
It was easy. I moved into my new home in my co-housing community, and the work on my Acton house got done without my help. I loved the finished product; my older, modest home got just the face lift it needed! My friends and I loved looking at pictures of my home on MA Properties’ marketing material: who would have thought it could look that good?
What is your top selling tip?
Start early. Don’t assume you know your home’s value or know how to sell it. Or that it can be done in a few weeks. And data works better than intuition.
Would you recommend Dani and MA Properties to your friends and family?
Absolutely. In addition to everything else, Dani is fun to be with. I always enjoyed talking to her.
