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Emily Cressey (The River Rock Group, LLC) Commercial Real Estate Agent

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Emily Cressey
location_on Shoreline, WA — The River Rock Group, LLC
Get to Know Emily Cressey

Studies show that most home owners (70%) list their property for sale with the first real estate agent they talk to.  That's good if you find a competent agent right off the bat, but it tells me that a lot of those folks may not know what to look for when they interview an agent.  They want someone who seems nice and sounds smart - most agents have that down in their listing presentations - but they don't know how to evaluate the skills that smiling face brings to the table when it comes time to sell a property.

Studies also show that only 16% of people who have used a real estate agent to buy or sell a property decide to use that person again in their next transaction.  OUCH!  That means a lot of agents aren't living up to the seller's expectations when it comes to delivering results.

I recommend that if you're considering selling your Lake Forest Park or Shoreline Washington house or condominium that you take the following steps before making a decision:

Interview several agents to find one who is a good fit with your personality and expectations, have questions prepared in advance.  Be ready to make the agents sweat a little bit and see if she can think on her feet. Talk to the agents about their track record.  How many properties have they bought and sold?  How quickly have their deals come together?  What percentage fall out of escrow?  What percentage of the listing price do they normally sell for? Consider that there is a range of values for your home.  At the top of the range, your home may take longer to sell and recieve fewer offers.  At the bottom of the range, your home will sell very quickly but you may be disappointed if you feel you've left money on the table.  Talk to the real estate agent about pricing as a STRATEGY and discuss your needs and desires so you and the agent can decide together on the pricing strategy for your home. Find out what the agents' approach is to price reductions.  How often will she expect you to lower your price if the home isn't moving? What market does the agent specialize in?  A lot of agents specialize in whatever market your house is located in.  They work with their friends and family who may have homes in Ballard, Bellevue, Marysville, or Puyallup.  If you are selling a home, it helps to remember that real estate knowledge is very localized.  Find an agent who is familiar with your local market.  I will put it out here now, for all the world to see.  I am a listing specialist.  I sell homes in Shoreline and Lake Forest Park.  If you are selling a home in those neighborhoods, call me.  If you are selling a home elsewhere - let me know and I will put you in touch with someone FANTASTIC who works in YOUR AREA.

 

 

When you're selling your house in Shoreline or Lake Forest Park, interview several agents and find one who offers:

A great track record Consistent communication Neighborhood expertise Negotiation savvy Detail orientation

 

When I sell your home I will offer you:

Value Optimization Consultation - how can we price and position your home to get the MOST MONEY possible in the SHORTEST period of time. Weekly Updates - Don't you hate those stories about realtors who put the sign in your yard and then you never hear from them again? Each week I, or one of my team members will call you to update you on the status of your home and see if you have any questions or concerns. As a home owner, real estate investor, and agent, I understand all sides of the transaction and all the emotions that can accompany buying and selling property. Let me guide you through the process so it will be smooth and hassle-free. Same-Day response.  I set my office hours to be consistent each week.  I return all my calls within those business hours, the same day they are received.

 

As a real estate agent, home owner, and landlord, I have worked with many different agents in acquiring and disposing of property.  Some realtors were better than others.  As an agent, my goal is to maximize your profits when you're ready to sell, with an absolute minimum of hassle and overhead on your end.  Fussing with paperwork, negotiations, and other parties is MY job, not yours!

I want to boost your bottom line!  Contact me today for a free review of your home's value.

A good agent will:

Help you add value to the property before selling it, Analyze the position of the property within the marketplace, Tell you when it might NOT be a good time to sell, and Help you maximize profits while reducing hassle.

Bad agents will cost you money and waste your time by mis-pricing the property, marketing it poorly, not positioning it properly to potential buyers, and being transaction-oriented rather than relationship-oriented.

I have been investing in real estate personally since 2002.  Since then I've owned single family rental homes, bank owned REO's, homes going into foreclosure and lease/option property.  I also co-founded Grassland Investments, LLC which has gone on to buy over $30 Million in commercial property in the last 3 years, including office space, raw land, apartment buildings, and a strip mall.

A Realtor Who Can See The Transaction Through the Client's Eyes

As a Shoreline real estate agent, I can offer my clients the best of both worlds.  As their agent, I am someone who will represent them honestly, support their case with great market research, and negotiate like a bull dog on their behalf.

As someone with investment experience, I can see things from the client's side of the table, where getting the most for your home, minimizing your dollars out of pocket, and knowing what your property is worth really matters a lot!

Please call me today to discuss what you are looking for in a real estate agent and find out whether we are a good match.



Accomplishments and Associations

Lakeside School Alumna BA in Economics - Graduated with Highest Distinction from UNC-Chapel Hill.  Go Tarheels! Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society Member of Faith Lutheran Church on Lake City Way in Seattle Real Estate Investor and Trainer: www.TheRealWealthCompany.com Conversational Spanish Language Skills Coach, Speaker, Trainer for Mentor Financial Group, LLC Co-Founder, Grassland Investments, LLC Author of Keep The Change - 25 Tips That Make Cents For Your Financial Future, a short financial primer for college age students. Attended Brookside, Ridgecrest, and Briarcrest Elementary Schools and Kellogg Middle School, and (briefly) Shorecrest High School.

 

Local Highlights - Fun things to do and see in Lake Forest Park and Shoreline, WA

I love sports and the outdoors, so my list of fun things to do in the area probably reflects that - but this is what I can speak from the heart on.

Walk your dog or watch a little league game in Hamlin Park. If you enjoy the park, learn about the Save South Woods project. Go biking on the Burke Gilman Trail. We like to join the trail at the Lake Forest Park Town Center and ride up to the Chateau St. Michelle Winery. The longest jog I've ever done was 12 miles on the Burke-Gilman. I got dropped off at the Aurora Bridge and ran all the way to Lake Forest Park. Then it was time for some warm coffee! Catch a basketball game at Shorecrest High School. When I was in middle school at Kellogg, I went to shorecrest basketball camp in the summer and loved watching the women's games during the school year. Come see the Christmas Ships at the Civic Club in December! Lake Forest Park Towne Centre: Get a warm slice of bread from Great Harvest, read a new book at Third Place, enjoy the lemon blueberry pie at Honeybear Bakery or play a board game in the Commons upstairs. Go see the Revolutionary War reinactors at the Bothell Landing on the Fourth of July

 

Certifications

Sometimes real estate agents can be so frustrating.  Before becoming an agent myself, I worked with lots of agents as an investor and I often thought to myself: "Boy, they get paid well for the amount of work they do.  That looks like an easy job." The truth is, there are a lot of agents out there who just don't deliver any value.  You hire them because you have to - to get your property on the MLS or to get access to the homes for sale - not because you want to.

They all seem the same.  A smiling picture, friendly and well-connected, they promise personal service and great communication.

Adding salt to the wound - may real estate agents are expensive.  Although they say they don't "set" their commissions, it can feel like a big bite to go out and pay 6% of your home's value just to get it sold.

I know that burns, especially when you're afraid the house is going to sit and sit on the market if it's priced too high, or sell right away because it's priced too low.

As an investor, I worked with a lot of bad agents before I finally understood what it meant to be a good agent.  A good agent is not getting paid for the time she spends with you.  If she's doing her job right, you may not spend all that much time with your agent and her team, anyway.  What you are really buying, when you hire an agent, is the expertise that she has developed and constantly maintains, about what's going on on the market place.

A good agent must be very well informed about the trends in the local marketplace.  When you ask these questions, your agent should know the answer:

Are prices going up or down - and by how much? How long does it take to sell a property here? How much would this house rent out for? What percentage of the listing price do most homes sell for? What is my home worth and how quickly can you get it sold?

I think like a property owner, because I am one.  As an investor, I've sold a lot of property, and I know just how expensive a bad agent can be.  I've also found some good agents in my time, and man - I can tell you - they are worth their weight in gold! 

I know that as a principle you need prompt and responsive service, an agressive marketing plan and regular updates on the status of your Lake Forest Park, WA or Shoreline, WA property for sale.

I'm all about transparency, I want you to know me, and trust me!  I decided to become the number one listing agent in the Shoreline and Lake Forest Park area because I know it well, I am building a house here and my parents live nearby.  I believe in good old-fashioned small-town values.  It's hard to find a small town anywhere close to Seattle, WA - but I am working on creating that sense of community in Shoreline and Lake Forest Park for my family and my business.

Below are a few of my commercial properties so you can get a feel for my background.

 

9308 Dyer - Single Tenant Office Building

My partners and I bought this property with 95% owner financing.  The remaining 5% was owner-financed, making it a no-money down commercial property purchase.  The cashflow was $700/month on a NNN lease.  The original tenant was an adult day care facility run by a credit tenant.  Now their lease expired and we have released the property.  It is going to be split between two tenants - a catering company, and an furniture company.

 

 

 

34501 East Quincy Avenue, Denver, CO - Currently FOR SALE

This property is the biggest one that I have an ownership in, to date.  We acquired this 955-acre parcel from an international manufacturing company that was closing the facility.

It has all sorts of neat features like a gated 300-acre campus with 955,000 square feet of office and manufacturing buildings, explosion proof manufacturing space, an onsite electrical plant, and its own water source.

This would be a great facility for a server farm or another explosives manufacturer.  (The previous user manufactured explosives for vehicle airbags and airplane ejection seats.)  It is also being looked at by a number of sustainable energy companies.

It's zoned industrial but Arapahoe County has announced a new built-green residential development going in nearby.

 

 

Holly Hills and Forrest Ridge Apartments, Denton, TX

These two apartment buildings represent 166 plus-sized units in a college town outside of Dallas, TX.  These apartment buildings are undergoing extensive capital improvements as we prepare them for sale.  Beautiful grounds, great location, stable market.

 

 

 

 

Auto Repair Shop and 2 Acres of Land - 505 North Valley Road, El Paso, TX

We bought this property from an older gentleman who lived in the house on the site and leased the auto repair shop and equipment to a mechanic who ran the business there.

The auto repair shop, housed, and some of the land are under lease.  We are holding this for future sale or development potential.

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