The method
How I sell a home in the Ann Arbor area
How I sell a home in the Ann Arbor area: a price based on recent sales, professional photo and video, a paid social media campaign, and a clear plan from listing to closing.
Who you'll work with
My first priority is giving your home the widest possible exposure
I'm Nancy Arnold, a REALTOR® with The Charles Reinhart Company. Every home I list gets a paid social media campaign, so it reaches more of the right buyers.
More than once, my paid social media campaigns have drawn more views on a home than its own listing on Zillow.
The short version
Selling your home is one of the biggest financial decisions your family will make. My job is to give your home the most exposure possible from its first day on the market, so it sells at a strong price without sitting.
Every home I list goes through the same four steps, in the same order. Each step sets up the next one.
Equity is the price, based on what similar homes near you have actually sold for. Presentation is how your home looks online before a single buyer walks through the door. Impact is a paid social media ad campaign that reaches buyers beyond the people who drive past the sign. Campaign is the launch itself, and the checklist that guides you from listing day to closing day.
It's a clear plan, run the same way every time, so nothing is skipped and no buyer is missed. I've refined it over 13 years in the Ann Arbor market.
Before you decide anything, I'll walk you through all four steps for your home specifically. If you'd like a sense of price first, start with what your home is worth.
Get My Free Home Value
Equity: a price based on what is actually selling
Nearly every seller I meet asks two questions: "Are we pricing this right?" and "Is it going to sell?" The answer to both starts with an accurate price.
Online estimates change from week to week, and they can't see inside your home. They don't know about your updated kitchen, your lot, or the condition of the homes that sold nearby. I review three groups of homes near yours: the ones that recently sold, the ones for sale now, and the ones that didn't sell. Then I show you where your home fits among them, so you can see exactly how we arrive at the number.
A home that is priced well draws strong interest in its first days on the market, and that early attention gives you more options when offers come in. A home that starts too high loses the buyers who would have loved it at the right price. By the time the price comes down, those buyers have watched it sit, and they start to wonder why.
We set the price together before anything goes public. I'll tell you clearly what I recommend and why. If I believe a number will work against you, I'll tell you before you sign, not three weeks after your home goes live.
This step also covers timing. If you're buying your next home too, the biggest worry is often being stuck between two houses. We plan the order of your sale and your purchase now, so the price and the plan both fit your move. If that's where you are, read how I help with moving up and downsizing.
How I sell a home in the Ann Arbor area
Presentation: buyers decide before they walk in
Almost every buyer sees your home on a mobile phone first. In the few seconds they spend on the first photo, they decide whether to keep scrolling or schedule a showing.
Your home gets a complete professional media package before it goes live: professional photography, a video walkthrough, and drone footage that shows the lot, the street, and the surrounding area. In Ann Arbor, location is a big part of what buyers are paying for, whether that's a home close to downtown, a lot that backs up to the woods, or a quiet street near the river. A drone shot shows that better than any description can.
Your home also gets its own property website, a single page with every photo, the video, the details, and an easy way to contact me. The ads, the postcards, and the QR code all lead there, so every interested buyer lands in one place that is all about your home.
Before the photographer arrives, we walk through the house together and decide what should be in the photos and what should be moved out of the frame. Small things show up on camera, like a crowded counter, a dark room, or an empty corner. I'll tell you what I'd recommend fixing, and what isn't worth your money.
The listing description gets the same care. It describes your home with clear, accurate facts: the bedrooms, the lot, the updates, and the distance to the places that matter, so the buyer can imagine themselves in the home. No hype, and no filler.
Impact: a paid campaign that reaches more buyers
This is the step that sets my listings apart.
A yard sign reaches people who drive by. The MLS reaches buyers who are already working with an agent and actively searching. Your home gets both. But many good buyers aren't at that point yet. They're thinking about a move, or just starting to look, and they spend their evenings on Facebook and Instagram. They won't find your home unless it's put in front of them.
Every home I list gets a paid Facebook and Instagram ad campaign that runs for its first two weeks on the market. The ads reach buyers in and around the Ann Arbor area and send them to your home's property website. The campaign also includes buyer retargeting. When someone views your listing and leaves, the ads continue to show them your home, so a buyer who was interested on Tuesday sees it again by the weekend. I want to make sure no buyer is missed.
Your neighbors hear about it too. Just Listed postcards go out with a QR code that opens the property website on a phone. Neighbors often know someone who would love to live on their street, and the postcard makes it easy to pass along.
Sellers often ask whether the marketing really works. It's a fair question. On more than one home, my campaign has drawn more views than Zillow's own count for the same property. When we meet, I'm happy to show you how a campaign runs.
More of the right buyers in the first two weeks means more showings, and more showings give you more choices. Read more about selling your home with me.
Campaign: you don't just list it, you launch it
A launch follows a set order, and every piece is ready before your home goes live. The price is set. The photos, video, and drone footage are finished. The property website is built. The ads start the same day the listing does, and the postcards are in the mail.
The first days on the market are when your home gets the most attention it will ever get. Everything in Equity, Presentation, and Impact is designed to make those days count.
Then comes the part many sellers worry about most: the time between accepting an offer and closing. Inspections, the appraisal, the lender, the paperwork. This is where my checklist comes in. From listing day to closing day, I track every step, and you'll hear what comes next from me before you need to ask. Clients have told me they don't want to be nagged, but they don't want to be left wondering, either. My checklist keeps you informed without overwhelming you.
When something unexpected happens, and occasionally it does, I stay with it. On one sale, the buyer's lender backed out two weeks before closing. I moved the file to a lender I trust, and the sale closed ten days later. Strong relationships are part of the plan, too.
If you're thinking about selling in Ann Arbor or anywhere nearby, call me or send a note. I'll walk you through this plan for your home, and you can decide from there. Make it a great home selling and buying day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do the social media ads run on my listing?
Two weeks, starting the day your home goes live. That is when buyer attention is highest, and the retargeting keeps your home in front of anyone who looked at it and left.
How do you decide what price to list my home at?
From the homes that actually sold near you, the ones for sale now, and the ones that sat. I show you where your home fits among them and what I recommend, and we set the price together before anything goes public.
Will I know what's happening after my home is listed?
Yes. I run a checklist from listing day to closing day, and you hear the next step from me before you have to ask. You won't have to call me for an update.
Do I need to stage or renovate before listing?
Usually not a renovation. We walk through the house together before the photographer comes, and I tell you what small fixes are worth doing and what isn't worth your money.
Keep exploring
Ready to make your move with Nancy Arnold?