Howard Hanna Realtor Amy Hoes and her team are red hot
By Patricia Nugent
The spring season—one of the hottest times of year for home selling—came early this year for Amy Hoes. In fact, the seasoned Howard Hanna real estate agent reports her close rate has been red-hot since just after the first of the year.
“It seems like we never slowed down this winter; there’s been so much activity,” she says, noting they’ve already sold 29 homes in the first few weeks of the year.
Amy reports than in 2018 she sold 98 homes, and her average listing was on the market an average of 30 days less than other homes in Medina County.
This ranks Amy and her team in the top one-half percent of Realtors in the country, according to Real Trends in their 2018 rankings.
A True Seller’s Market
“Currently, TrendGraphix shows that the number of homes on the market in this area is the lowest it’s been in 20 years,” Amy states. “And that shortage means sellers can expect their home to sell quickly and for what they’re asking. We are also seeing multiple offers on homes, which is great.”
Currently, the number of homes on the market in Medina is about a quarter of what it was a decade ago.
Amy does caution, however, that buyers today are specific about what they are looking for.
“A home needs to be properly staged and beautifully photographed before people will want to go through it,” she says. “Sellers should realize that buyers are shopping online, and that if their home doesn’t stand out within the first click or two, they won’t attract them.”
To stand head and shoulders above the competition, Amy and her husband Kurt are always looking to introduce innovations. For instance, they were one of the first in the area to offer FAA-authorized drone photography. Now Amy reports they’ve added 3-D virtual home tours to all of their seller’s listings. It might cost Amy more to create these tours, but it’s worth it in the end for the clients.
“The amazing technology puts buyers in your home, which is a game-changer,” she says. “The camera takes you room to room and provides a dollhouse view of the floorplan, too. People say they like a virtual tour as much as an in-person one, as it allows them to go back and spend time in each room.”
Check out Amy’s YouTube channel of virtual home tours. While other Realtors may have this technology available, Amy is one of the very few to offer it to her clients on every listing.
Making sure the photography gets seen by the largest possible number of targeted potential buyers is important to Amy as well. She and Kurt have orchestrated unbeatable online marketing campaigns on the top sites such as Zillow, Realtor.com and Howard Hanna that put their properties on top.
“We have exclusive advertising deals which help our listings get seen more often on sites like Zillow,” says Amy.
When Loyalty Matters
Amy reports that in the world of real estate, top-selling agents are often offered more lucrative deals to switch to another brokerage.
“Would I put more money in my pocket going to other firms?” she asks. “Sure, but that wouldn’t help my clients in the end, so I won’t do it. I’ve stayed with the same company for the past decade and will remain at the place where I can offer the highest level of service to my clients.”
Pondside Paradise on Substation
One of Amy’s newest listings is a glorious 5,000-square-foot, six-bedroom, five-bathroom Cape Cod at 2214 Substation Road in Medina.
“It’s like you’re living on a five-acre resort,” she says.
“There’s a pond, a pool, decks, patios and a pavilion for entertaining, a sweeping front porch, paved walking paths through the property, and a full outdoor kitchen with stone fireplace. Inside, it offers all the five-star amenities you’d expect, such as an in-law suite and a finished walkout basement.”
There is No ‘I’ in Team
Amy credits much of her success to working with a fantastic team, which includes licensed buyer specialists Nicole Schmalz, who has two sons Zach and Sam; and Gretchen Darrell, with three children Anna, Jason Jr. and Juliette.
“I’m so grateful to these two knowledgeable and hard-working ladies,” she says.
“Buying and selling a home can be a complicated and daunting process. Nicole and Gretchen take the time to simplify the process and are terrific communicators.”
Amy credits her family team, too, which includes Atalie, age 16; and Bryan, age 13. The family is all-in when it comes to supporting local Medina teams, and as big Cleveland Indians fans, they are counting down the days until the season opens.
Amy Hoes’ Howard Hanna office is located at 3565 Medina Road, in Medina. You can call or text Amy directly at 330-416-1597, email AmyHoes@gmail.com, or visit AmyHoes.com to find out more. Wondering what your home is worth? Just give Amy a call and she’ll pop over to discuss its market potential.