We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Gretchen Territo Realtor, IAP Stager. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Gretchen Territo below.
Hi Gretchen Territo, thanks for joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard
To put it simply, our mission at Team Territo is to change the way people think of real estate and real estate agents. Here in NE Florida, our real estate company begins and ends with exceptional, custom, concierge-level real estate services. Our goals are to create raving fans out of our customers, grow through referrals, and invest richly in our local community.
Our vision requires that our level of customer service becomes the hallmark for what exceptional service looks like for our industry locally. In order to achieve this vision, we will employ talent that aligns with our values, has training to deliver concierge-level service, and delivers this service consistently. We envision a concierge-level approach to customer service for EVERY customer, allowing each customer a unique approach tailored to them that allows them to accomplish their real estate goals with us by their side every step of the way. We value concierge-level service because we are pillars of our community, and therefore, always present integrity and honesty in our business, our family, and ourselves in every public-facing activity we engage in.
Example:
The one that wouldn’t sell
Problem: We encountered this seller when he was showing his home FSBO (for sale by owner), and we were representing a prospective buyer (who ultimately purchased another home). The seller elected to sell it himself because four previous agents had been unsuccessful despite several price cuts, and he didn’t see that much was happening beyond a yard sign and placement of his property in the MLS. His home was beautiful and incredibly well-maintained and updated. We knew we could sell it.
HOW LONG IT HAD BEEN ON THE MARKET BEFORE WE TOOK OVER
– 830 Days
NUMBER OF AGENTS THEY USED BEFORE US
– 4, including 1 FSBO
YEAR HOME SOLD
– 2018 – 2019
SELLING PRICE
– $740,000
WE PERCEIVED THERE WERE THREE MAJOR ISSUES THAT WERE KEEPING THE PROPERTY FROM SELLING:
Floorplan
Exterior Color
Marketing that missed KEY selling features
We staged the home to make the floorplan make more sense to buyers. For example, the dining room was being used by the homeowners as a study. We converted it back to a formal dining room. The home had a lot of brown and beige that we neutralized by adding area rugs and color.
For exterior color, we had the home pressure washed, which made the color appear fresher. We took photos at different times (bright morning sun and twilight) and elected to use the twilight photos, which showcased the homes beautiful exterior lighting while minimizing the canary yellow color, and it was a fresh look for the main photo in the MLS to get people who had likely seen it before to give it another look.
And lastly, and most importantly, we took drone photos and showcased the fact that the home was across the street from the Intracoastal, had a fantastic view of the Intracoastal and downtown skyline from the master, and was near the community marina. We placed these photos at the front of the listing, rather than at the end where potential buyers are less likely to click-through. This allowed us to market the home as offering resort-style living with its heated in-ground pool and the ability to walk across the street and onto your boat. We also RAISED THE PRICE! The full value of the property wasn’t getting conveyed to prospective buyers. We raised the price from $787,500 to $799,000.
We also held one of our Sunset Soireés: These are essentially casual cocktail party open houses where we invite our sphere of influence, 600+ local agents and brokers, and the sellers invite their friends, family, and neighbors. These events have gained a following in town among the movers and shakers–who doesn’t enjoy free food and beverages in a beautiful home admiring a waterfront sunset? These events give our sellers lots of feedback on the home, its presentation and pricing, and help spread the word around the community.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I have over 20 years of award-winning sales success in the tech space, so I know how to harness the power of technology and social media to effectively market and sell. I also have an artists’ eye that brings a sense of color, scale, and design to home staging.
My husband Matt and I own our real estate business together and form a powerhouse team, eager to understand your priorities—whether you’re buying or selling—in order to meet your unique needs. Before making the transition to real estate, we realized we were pretty good partners in adding smart value to homes. We then found and invested in a number of properties–buying, renovating, then staging and selling them for profit—before turning our real estate passion into our profession. It was a natural partnership with Matt’s construction knowledge, and my artists’ eye for interior design and home staging. When our children were born, we wanted to turn our real estate success into full-time careers so we could be more invested in the local community and available for our children.
A Little More About Us…
In committing to put down roots in St. Augustine nearly five years ago to rear our boys, we bring a fresh sense of discovery to their adopted city. we’ll share this love of the St. Augustine community—the small town feel, the history, the music and arts and, of course, the water!—with prospective buyers, whether new to the area or long-term residents. Our combined experience together with our knowledge of and commitment to STA will serve you well.
Having built and renovated homes in various cities around the country, we bring scope and perspective to the unique St. Augustine real estate market and look forward to making your buying or selling experience a satisfying one. And maybe sharing a “secret spot” or two along the way.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Our values are simple: integrity and honesty in business, family, and community. We are active in our community, our family life, and work step-in-step with our customers through every stage offering concierge-level service with integrity and honesty. First and foremost, we protect our customer. We are their advocate, confidante, and trusted advisor. We will serve their interests before our own in each and every interaction. As real estate agents, we come from contribution to consult, educate, and guide our customers on the best way to achieve their real estate goals – and have a successful track record of doing just that.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
As a real estate agent, the most valuable source of new clients for me has been referrals. When I deliver exceptional service and results for my clients, they often refer their friends, family members, and colleagues to me. These referrals are particularly valuable because they come with a level of trust and confidence in my abilities, making the process of building a professional relationship smoother and more productive. Referrals have consistently brought me clients who are serious about their real estate needs and are looking for a trusted agent to guide them through the process.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.trustedterritory.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamterrito/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamTerrito
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-territo-2b749a17
- Youtube: @teamterrito1949
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/team-territo-keller-williams-st-augustine
- Other: Tiktok: @gterrito
Image Credits
Monarch Photography Studio