Scottsdale has a lot of homeowners who don't live here twelve months a year.

Some spend winters in Arizona and summers somewhere cooler. Others own second homes they visit periodically. Some purchased a Scottsdale property years ago expecting to spend more time here and eventually realized their plans had changed.

Then comes the question:

“How would we sell the house if we're not in Arizona?”

It's a very reasonable concern.

Selling a property involves preparation, access, photography, showings, inspections, repairs, paperwork, communication and plenty of little details that have a habit of appearing when nobody expects them.

Trying to coordinate all of that from another state can sound exhausting.

But it doesn't have to be.

I've been helping Arizona homeowners buy and sell real estate for 27 years and have been involved in more than 1,300 successful transactions. One of the most valuable things I can provide a seasonal or out-of-state Scottsdale homeowner isn't complicated at all:

I'm here.

Your property is in Scottsdale.

So am I.

That makes a surprising number of problems easier to solve.

You Don't Have to Decide to Sell Before Calling Me

Sometimes homeowners hesitate to contact a Realtor because they think doing so means they're officially putting the house on the market.

It doesn't.

You may simply be wondering what your Scottsdale property is worth.

You may be considering selling this season, next year or not at all.

Maybe you've been spending less time in Arizona.

Maybe maintaining two homes is becoming inconvenient.

Maybe you want something smaller.

Maybe your financial plans have changed.

Maybe you simply want to know whether the home's current value makes selling worth considering.

All of those are perfectly reasonable reasons to have a conversation.

My first job isn't to convince you to list.

It's to give you enough useful information to decide whether selling makes sense.

Start With the Actual Value of the Property

Most sellers begin online.

I understand why.

Automated home-value tools are quick, convenient and useful for getting a general idea of value.

I use technology constantly too.

But when someone asks me, “What is my Scottsdale home worth?” I want to look much deeper.

A computer doesn't walk through the property.

It doesn't see the quality of your remodeling.

It may not know your lot is more private than another one that sold.

It doesn't stand in the great room and notice the mountain view.

It doesn't compare the condition of your home with the property currently competing for the same buyer.

It doesn't necessarily know why one floor plan gets a different reaction from buyers than another.

That's where a local property evaluation becomes important.

I'll look at recent comparable sales, current competition, location, condition, improvements, lot characteristics, views, floor plan, market activity and the details that make your property different.

An automated estimate can be part of the conversation, but it shouldn't be the end of the conversation.

Scottsdale Pricing Is Hyperlocal

This becomes especially important in Scottsdale.

You cannot understand every Scottsdale property's value by looking at one citywide statistic.

Different communities operate differently.

Even two nearby neighborhoods may have different buyers, inventory levels, amenities and price dynamics.

Within an individual community, location can matter enormously.

• Golf course versus interior lot.
• Mountain view versus no view.
• Busy road exposure versus a quieter location.
• Original condition versus a thoughtful renovation.
• Different floor plans.
• Different lot orientations.
• Different sections of the same community.

That's why I spend so much time studying the micro-market around a property.

If you're considering selling, I don't just want to know what “Scottsdale” is doing.

I want to know what buyers considering your house are seeing.

Pricing High to “Leave Room” Can Become Expensive

Most sellers understandably want to maximize their price.

So do I.

But maximizing the sale price and maximizing the list price are two different things.

The first price buyers see becomes part of your marketing strategy.

It determines which buyers find the property online.

It affects how the home compares with competing listings.

It influences whether buyers feel urgency or decide they'll keep watching for a reduction.

And when buyers have multiple options, those comparisons become even more important.

My goal is not to walk into your house, suggest the highest number possible and hope that wins me the listing.

I want us to look at the evidence together and choose a strategy.

A listing presentation should not be an auction where the Realtor willing to say the largest number gets the job.

Eventually the buyers get a vote, and their vote is important.

I work nearly equally with sellers and with buyers, so I have very good insights into the way a buyer in the current market thinks. That is insight that I can share with you to benefit you in the sale of your property.

Preparation Should Be Strategic, Not Automatic

When I first look at a potential listing, one of the biggest questions is:

What, if anything, should we do before bringing this property to market?

Sometimes the answer is very little.

Sometimes a few improvements could make a meaningful difference.

Maybe paint needs attention.

Maybe a repair should be completed.

Maybe landscaping needs refreshing.

Maybe furniture should be edited.

Maybe a room needs a different presentation.

Or maybe the homeowner has an entire list of expensive projects in mind and my advice is:

Don't do half of that.

I don't believe every seller should remodel a home for the next owner.

The goal is to determine which improvements may help marketability and which are unlikely to return enough value to justify the expense, inconvenience or delay.

That conversation is especially valuable before seasonal homeowners leave Arizona.

If you're here in March and considering selling later that year, let's talk before you board the plane.

We can create a plan while you're still here.

If You're Already Gone, We Can Still Prepare the Property

Of course, homeowners don't always decide while they're in Scottsdale.

Sometimes I get the call after they've returned to another state.

That's completely fine.

This is where hands-on local, experienced, representation matters.

Depending on what the property needs and what you authorize, I can help coordinate access for appropriate vendors and service providers, keep you informed about progress and be locally available when issues arise.

That means I'm helping manage the real estate side of the process and making sure the people who need legitimate access to the property can get where they need to be.

You shouldn't have to buy a plane ticket because somebody needs to spend twenty minutes inside the house.

Professional Presentation Matters Online

Your first showing usually doesn't happen when a buyer walks through the front door.

It happens online.

Buyers see photographs.

They see the opening image.

They read the property information.

They compare your home with others.

They form an opinion before they ever schedule a showing.

That means photography, preparation and marketing are not decorative extras.

They're part of the selling strategy.

I want the presentation to make the property easy to understand and appealing to the right pool of buyers without turning the description into exaggerated Realtor poetry.

Your kitchen does not have to “whisper elegance.”

It can simply be a beautiful kitchen.

Good real estate marketing should communicate what makes the home valuable, functional and distinctive.

Selling Remotely Requires Communication More Than Proximity

The homeowner may be in another state, but that shouldn't mean wondering what's happening at the property.

We can communicate by phone, text, email — whatever works best for you.

If you want to see something at the house, I can show you.

If something needs attention, I can explain it.

If we receive feedback from buyers, we'll discuss it.

If an offer arrives, we'll go through it together.

You don't have to be physically in Scottsdale to make informed decisions.

You simply need accurate information from someone who is.

Showings Shouldn't Require Your Involvement

Once the property is ready and listed, buyer access can generally be handled through the normal professional showing process.

That's another reason seasonal ownership doesn't necessarily make a sale difficult.

You don't have to travel back to Arizona every time someone wants to see the home.

Your job isn't to manage the showings.

Your job is to make decisions when decisions are required.

I'll handle the local real estate work.

Offers Are More Than the Number at the Top

When an offer arrives, the price is obviously important.

It is not the only thing I look at.

• Terms matter.
• Financing matters.
• Timelines matter.
• Contingencies matter.
• The buyer's qualifications matter.
• Requested concessions matter.
• The overall structure of the offer matters.

And the strength of our negotiating position depends on the circumstances surrounding the property at that particular moment.

• How long have we been listed?
• What other interest have we received?
• What's competing with us?
• Have similar properties recently sold?
• Do we have another showing coming?
• Is the buyer asking for something significant?

This is where transaction experience becomes useful.

After more than 1,300 transactions, I've learned that negotiation rarely benefits from unnecessary drama.

I want to understand what matters to you, determine where we have leverage and work toward the best practical result.

Effective beats theatrical.

Every time.

Inspection Day Is Not an Emergency

One of the concerns I hear from remote sellers is:

“What happens when the buyer has the house inspected and we're not there?”

The answer is that we deal with the inspection process just like any other transaction.

• Homes are complicated things.
• Inspectors inspect.
• They will find things.

The existence of an inspection report does not automatically mean something terrible has happened.

We'll review whatever requests come from the buyer, understand the issues, discuss options and determine how you want to respond.

If further evaluation by an appropriate professional is warranted, that can be coordinated.

You don't need to panic.

And you don't need to immediately fly to Phoenix Sky Harbor because someone found an outlet that doesn't work or because your electrical breaker box wasn't labeled properly.

We'll handle the situation methodically.

The Little Things Are Why Local Representation Matters

Big milestones are easy to put on a checklist.

• Photography.
• Showings.
• Offers.
• Inspection.
• Closing.

It's often the little unexpected things that make local representation valuable.

Maybe a smoke detector starts chirping.

Maybe landscaping needs attention before photography.

Maybe a service provider needs access.

Maybe something has to be retrieved from the property.

Maybe a buyer has a question that is easier to answer by physically looking at something.

Maybe the house needs to be checked after a storm.

Maybe something simply needs another set of eyes.

These moments aren't glamorous.

They also don't make particularly exciting real estate advertisements.

But they are part of what good representation looks like.

Individualized service from start to finish means being available when you or the transaction needs something — not just when there is a camera around.

Before You Leave Scottsdale for the Season, Do This

If you're a seasonal homeowner and there's even a reasonable chance you may sell within the next year, I recommend having a conversation with your Realtor before you leave Arizona.

Not because you need to list.

Because planning is easier while you're here.

We can walk through the property.

Discuss value.

Talk about the market.

Identify possible preparation.

Determine whether anything should be done while you're gone.

Discuss timing.

Talk about which belongings might need to be removed before a future listing.

Then you can leave Scottsdale knowing what the options are.

Maybe you decide not to sell.

That's completely fine.

The information still has value.

If You're Already Back Home, Start With a Phone Call

You don't need to wait until your next Scottsdale trip.

If you're sitting in another state wondering:

“What could our Scottsdale house sell for?”

Call me.

We'll start with the property.

I'll gather information.

We'll discuss its current condition and any improvements you've made.

I'll look at relevant market activity.

If appropriate and access can be arranged, I can evaluate the property locally.

Then we can discuss whether selling makes sense and what the process would involve.

You are not committing to anything by asking.

Choosing the Right Scottsdale Listing Agent

If you're searching online for the best Realtor to sell a home in Scottsdale or trying to determine which Scottsdale listing agent to hire while you're living out of state, I'd focus on a few things.

• Local experience.
• Transaction experience.
• Communication.
• Neighborhood knowledge.
• Negotiation skills.
• Hands-on availability.
• A thoughtful pricing process.
• A clear marketing plan.
• And perhaps most importantly, trust.

You're asking someone to represent a significant asset while you may be hundreds or thousands of miles away.

You need to be comfortable that the person will tell you what you need to know, not merely what is easiest to hear.

You also need someone willing to deal with the details. Last week I had a magic eraser in my hand, cleaning door frames and scuffs off of walls before photography. 

My job is to sell your house and I know what needs to be done to achieve that goal.

Technology Makes Remote Selling Easier. Experience Makes It Work.

Technology has changed real estate dramatically.

Documents can move quickly.

We can communicate instantly.

You can see photographs and video from anywhere.

Meetings can happen remotely.

Information is easier to access.

All of that makes selling a Scottsdale property from another state much easier than it once was.

But technology doesn't physically walk through your house.

It doesn't meet someone at the property.

It doesn't negotiate an inspection issue.

It doesn't recognize that something looks different in person than it did in a photograph.

It doesn't know your neighborhood after decades of working here.

The strongest approach combines technology with experienced local representation.

I want you to have both.

Selling Your Scottsdale Home Shouldn't Become Your Second Job

This is ultimately the point.

If you own a Scottsdale home but live somewhere else for part of the year, you shouldn't have to manage an entire real estate transaction remotely by yourself.

You hired a Realtor for a reason.

• My job is to be here.
• To advise you.
• To manage the process.
• To communicate.
• To help solve problems.
• To negotiate.
• To keep things moving.
• And to make a complicated transaction feel considerably less complicated.

That's what hands-on representation means to me.

Wondering What Your Scottsdale Home Could Sell For?

You don't have to be ready to list.

You don't even have to be certain that you want to sell.

If you own a Scottsdale home, spend part of the year elsewhere and are curious about its value or what the selling process would look like, let's start with a conversation.

I've worked in Arizona real estate for 27 years and have been involved in more than 1,300 successful transactions. My business has been built around local market knowledge, negotiation experience, communication and individualized service from start to finish.

Tell me about the property.

Tell me what you're considering.

I'll help you understand the options.

And if you decide to sell while you're sitting a thousand miles away?

That's okay.

Your house is still here.

And so am I.

Jeff Barchi
RE/MAX Fine Properties
HomeSellerArizona.com

Real estate conditions and individual transaction requirements vary. Sellers should consult the appropriate legal, tax, financial and other professionals for advice within those professionals' areas of expertise.