THE COMPLETE
HOME MARKETING PLAN
6 Critical Steps for Getting Your Home Sold
Ben Rogers, Realtor®
Team Leader &
Listing Specialist
“Ben is a powerhouse! He worked nonstop for us and had great marketing
strategies and connections—he sold our house within 22 hours and helped us
move into our dream home. We will always recommend him to our friends and
family.”
- Mark & Stephanie Sullivan
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MEET THE TEAM
BEN ROGERS | Team Leader & Listing Specialist
Born and raised in Hanover County, Ben graduated from Hanover High School and Hampden-Sydney
College. Ben received his real estate license in 2012 in order to apply his competitive attitude towards
the highly competitive industry. Ben has been one of the Top 20 agents at Hometown Realty since
2013, most recently finishing #7 out of 300 agents in 2015. In the summer of 2014, Ben began The
Rogers-Long Team, which produced over $10,000,000 in gross sales volume in 2014 and over
$20,000,000 in gross sales volume in 2015. Ben’s motto is “Attitude is Everything…Pick a Good One,”
and is known by his clients as having a positive outlook on life and by his nonstop work ethic in order
to help his clients reach their ultimate goals. In his spare time, you can find Ben spending time with his
friends and family on the River or at a football game – anywhere in the country!
KEVIN LONG | Buyer Specialist
Born and raised in Hanover County, Kevin graduated from Hanover High School and James Madison
University. A salesman at heart, Kevin has always had a knack for getting a good deal. This in mind,
Kevin received his real estate license in 2012 in order to help educate home buyers on the buying
process – all the way from prequalification to the closing table. In 2014, Kevin was awarded with the
“Century Club” Award for a 100% increase in sales volume from the previous year. In the summer of
2014, Kevin joined up with Ben to help form The Rogers-Long Team, which produced over $20,000,000
in 2015. Kevin is known by his clients as a trusted and reliable resource. His positive and fun attitude
makes him an easy choice for his buyers to count on. In his spare time, you can find Kevin playing golf,
church softball, or watching his favorite baseball team, the Pittsburgh Pirates!
STACY TOLBERT | Executive Assistant
Born in New Jersey but raised all over as she would say, Stacy is the daughter of a Navy Veteran. She
found herself moving to the area in 1998 and that’s when she decided to make Richmond her
permanent home. After being a client of The Rogers-Long Team in 2015, Stacy made the decision to
come work as the Executive Assistant to the team. Stacy’s primary role as Executive Assistant to Ben
Rogers and The Rogers-Long Team is coordinating transactions from contract to close. In her spare
time, you can find Stacy working in her garden, trying Craft Beer, managing her three fantasy football
teams, or watching her favorite NFL team, the Buffalo Bills!
A Proven
Track Record
Hometown Realty Top 10 Agents
Top 2% of Richmond Realtors®
RAR Outstanding Production Award
Rogers-Long Team $10 Million Volume Production 2014
Rogers-Long Team $20 Million Volume Production 2015
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MISSION STATEMENT
“ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING…PICK A GOOD ONE.”
Our business relies on this motto we learned at a young age, that “attitude is
everything”. Our belief is that for things to be accomplished in an efficient manner,
attitude truly is everything. We pride ourselves in being competitive and having a
positive outlook on life, and our biggest promise to you is that we will be competitive
and have a positive attitude in our time working together. The glass is always “halffull” with The Rogers-Long Team! With over 4,000 Realtors® in the greater
Richmond area, why choose us? The answer is very simple: while other agents spend
their time cold-calling and door knocking in order to find clients, we choose to work
exclusively by referral. By counting on our vast network made up of friends, business
associates, and clients to refer us their friends, family and co-workers, we can keep
our head down working hard for you. In short, while other Realtors® focus on what
we refer to as “lead-generation”, our focus is on you.
Our goal with every transaction
is duplicate our clientele by
providing exceptional service to
our current clients in order to
earn their referrals in the future.
OUR BUSINESS PLAN
We love to joke about how every Realtor® is “honest” and “hard-working”. Who isn’t going to tell you that? Our business plan is truly
built on the classic values of Honesty, Hard Work, and Dedication and in addition to these “old school values”, we approach our
professional relationships with creative and innovative tactics. If you like to sign paperwork the old fashioned way with pen and paper,
that’s great! We can accommodate. If you have a busy schedule, we understand and can accommodate that as well—we have access
to and understand how to utilize resources that allow us to get things done electronically…and not to mention, extremely quickly. Being
members of what is referred to as the “Social Media Generation”, we can accommodate your needs in a very efficient and quick manner.
Whether it’s a phone call, email, text, or even a hand-written note, we understand communication is of the utmost importance and
have been able to become experts of communication in the real estate business.
WORK HARD. PLAY HARD.
Don’t confuse our work ethic and dedication to our careers with boredom. As a client of The Rogers-Long Team, you will see that we
have like to have fun. The most successful businesses operate by working hard and playing hard, and we are no different. Being a
member of our clientele, be ready to hang out with us at different client events throughout the year!
“Ben and Stacy were very helpful in selling my house. They gave me no-nonsense advice and responded to my questions
immediately. There was never a time when I couldn’t reach out and not get an answer.”
- Jenny Olszewski
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THE 6-STEP PLAN
SUMMARY
Our team believes that communication and
preparation are critical to the success of the sale of your
home. Our method reduces anxiety associated with
selling your home by setting the correct expectations
before, during, and after the transactions.
“The time and effort that Ben Rogers spent
working to position my house for sale far
exceeded my expectations, and it paid off. I
had a signed contract that exceeded the list
price of my house 30 hours after it hit the
market. I couldn’t have asked for a better
outcome, or a better Realtor® to work
with!”
- Russ Clay
PROPERTY ENHANCEMENT
Tour your home and begin Preparing for
“Battle,” also known as the real estate market.
MARKETING YOUR HOME
STEP
1
STEP
This proactive approach includes intense
research for competitive pricing and a
“Maximum Exposure” marketing strategy.
2
CLEAR & OPEN COMMUNICATION
STEP
This winning strategy includes immediate
feedback on showings and weekly reports
known as “Market Updates.”
3
NEGOTIATING & STRUCTURING THE SALE
One of the primary reasons your hire a Realtor®, this
step includes reviewing offers, qualifying buyers, and
setting expectations while under contract.
STEP
4
COMPLETE TRANSACTION MANAGEMENT
STEP
With 184 people, on average, involved in a single real
estate transaction, our team keeps everything and
everyone in line throughout the transaction.
5
MY CLIENT APPRECIATION PROGRAM
While most Realtors® spend their time cold-calling
and door-knocking, our focus is on you. Our goal is to
serve you so that you are comfortable referring us!
THE SELLING PATHWAY
The “Selling Pathway” begins with our initial
appointment and ends when you receive the
proceeds from the sale of your home.
THE HOME INSPECTION EXPLAINED
Home Inspections have the potential to create some
unwanted stress. This explains the inspection process
upfront so you know what to expect.
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STEP
6
APPENDIX
A
APPENDIX
B
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1) PROPERTY ENHANCEMENT
1
HOME ENHANCEMENT CHECKLIST, “PREPARING FOR BATTLE”
During the first visit to your home, we’ll tour the home and the property while answering any
questions you may have. Shortly after the first visit, you’ll be emailed an organized checklist to
help you prepare your home for the market (“Preparing for Battle”).
2
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REPAIRS/IMPROVEMENTS
We will tour the home as a prospective buyer. If there are any minor repairs or
improvements that should be made in order to sell your home for market value, these
recommendations will be given immediately to make your home more marketable.
3
I CAN REFER YOU TOO!
As Real Estate Professionals, we work with many different service providers every day. We have
a list of business partners that would be happy to serve you; consider us the source of the
source for anything you may need.
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2) MARKETING YOUR HOME
STEP
1
INTENSE RESEARCH FOR COMPETITIVE PRICING
In order to correctly position your house to sell, extensive and aggressive research is provided for you. With
this, there is an understanding of your equity as well as honesty in providing the correct list price.
OPTIMIZE CONDITION & VIEWING OF YOUR HOME: PREPARING FOR BATTLE
Preparing your home for “Battle”, or the real estate market, includes creating space, de-cluttering, and
recommendations on staging. You will receive a detailed checklist of Positives, Potential Objections, and
Suggestions following our initial appointment in order to optimize condition and viewing of your home.
STEP
3
STEP
2
THE MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE (MLS)
You will receive a copy of your MLS listing to review for accuracy. At any time, we can edit the MLS to help
attract more buyers. With the MLS, we can use what is called “reverse prospecting” in order to get in front
of the buyers that are currently looking for a home like yours.
NETWORK WITH BUYER’S AGENTS & COI
Don’t worry, we still exercise the fundamentals of selling, and that is voice to voice contact. You have put
a lot of effort into preparing your home for the market – we want people to know about it!
STEP
4
MAXIMUM EXPOSURE: 92% of buyers first see their home of choice on the internet!
STEP
5
When marketing your home, we combine the old school and the new school methods of marketing. When
marketing your home, we want as many people to know about it as possible. We will be able to make a
big splash in the marketplace by utilizing the following (at no cost to you):
Professional Sign Post Installation
Just Listed Postcards to the Closest 100 Neighbors
Professional Photography
Virtual Tours
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3) CLEAR & OPEN COMMUNICATION
The number one complaint among sellers is the lack of communication from their Realtor®. We believe that communication is of the
utmost importance. The scariest thing for a client is to feel like their Realtor® and his or her team is not available when needed; this
will not happen with us. Our job is to be here for you and be proactive with getting your home under contract and closed. Let’s face
it: the only way we make a living is to get your home SOLD.
MY GUARANTEE TO YOU:
IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK
The lockbox on your door is connected to our emails. When the lockbox is opened, we know which
Realtor showed it, what time they went in, and all of their contact information. Please allow 24 hours
or until the next business day for feedback; we want to know what the buyers thought, too!
WEEKLY REPORTS (Market Updates)
Every Thursday, we dedicate a majority of the day to market updates for our sellers. We’ll contact
you to go over market activity in the past week in your area to be sure we are accurate in our pricing.
We will be emailing you all of the properties that are comparable from the past week so you can
review.
MEET PERIODICALLY
The goal is to get your house sold as quickly as possible. If it does not sell in the first month, we will
request an appointment with you to review market conditions and adjust marketing strategy as
needed to get your home sold.
“Ben Rogers is a super agent! Not only does he have excellent market strategies and knowledge about current trends, he
also is very good about staying in contact with you on a consistent basis. During the entire process of selling and buying
our properties, we always felt like we were his only clients. He never pushed us in a decision and always gave us options
during the process. I always recommend him to anyone who is looking for an agent.”
- Van & Ann-Myra Everette
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4) NEGOTIATING & STRUCTURING THE SALE
As your Real Estate Professional, we are
trained to understand your options and
your situation in order to give you the best
advice possible. We hold ourselves to a
strict code of ethics to maintain a higher
level of knowledge of the process of buying
and selling real estate.
OUR PROMISE TO YOU:
OFFERS
QUALIFIED BUYERS
NO SURPRISES
We will carefully review and present
all offers for your consideration.
We will not waste your time with
“shoppers”.
Remember, there are many other
terms to a contract outside of the
price.
We will be sure that buyers are
qualified to actually purchase your
home.
During our review of a contract, you
will know exactly what will happen
and what could happen and during
the ratification period.
All parts of a contract are
negotiable.
Financing is never guaranteed, but
the chances of securing financing
are dramatically increased when
buyers have already been qualified.
We will be sure that we are
prepared for anything that can
occur while under contract so we
close in an efficient manner without
any surprises.
“The Selling Pathway”
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5) COMPLETE TRANSACTION MANAGMENT
There are well over 100 people involved in every real estate transaction. We will be sure to manage these on a daily basis.
Here is a quick list of the different pieces of the “real estate puzzle”:
Lenders
Attorneys
Contractors
Warranty
Co-Brokers
Termite
Homeowner’s
Associations
“Ben Rogers was highly recommended to me by a co-worker. I can honestly say he knows how to market a house. He was
with me every step of the way with phone calls of updates and what I should expect next. I never had to guess where we
stood; he was always a step ahead. He has a passion for what he does and does it with a smile.”
- Lesa Wooldridge
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6) MY CLIENT APPRECIATION PROGRAM
“HOW DO I REFER?”
AFTER THE CLOSING:
 We are always here to assist
with all of your real estate
needs.
 You’ll be added to our Client
Appreciation Program and
will be receiving valuable
information on a monthly
basis.
 Consider us your source of
referrals for all types of
businesses, whether related
to real estate or not. We’ve
partnered with great
professionals who would be
happy to serve you!
If you had a friend, family member, or co-worker that was
interested in buying or selling a home, am I the Realtor you’d refer
them to? If the answer to this question is “yes”, that’s great! I am
so happy to have you in my Client Appreciation Program. If you
run across someone interested in selling, buying, or building,
please ask permission for me to call them. If you could provide me
with your referral’s name and contact information, I’ll be sure to
follow up quickly to provide the same exceptional service that was
provided to you.
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Appendix A:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
THE SELLING PATHWAY
INITIAL APPOINTMENT

The purpose of the initial appointment is to understand your goals and set expectations correctly.

After our initial appointment, we'll have a great idea of price and marketing strategies.
PREPARING FOR BATTLE

Within 2-3 days after our initial appointment, you'll receive a "Preparing for Battle" document specific to your house. At
this time, you'll also be set up on my weekly MARKET UPDATES list.
PRE-LIST APPOINTMENT (your first showing!)

Typically 2 days prior to our list date, a professional photographer will take photos of your house.

The lockbox will be installed & the "for sale" sign will be hung.
OFFICIAL LIST DATE & SCHEDULING SHOWINGS (always be prepared!)

On the list date, you will be sent all links & marketing pieces pertaining to your home for sale.

Showings are usually scheduled via text message. If this is not okay, please let me know.
RECEIVE, REVIEW, NEGOTIATE & ACCEPT OFFER: CONTRACT RATIFICATION

When an offer is received, we will carefully review before negotiating and accepting.

Upon contract ratification, you will be introduced to your attorney representation.
PROPERTY INSPECTION

Within 14 days (+/-) after ratification, the inspection(s) take place. See following page for more information on this process.
The Purchaser pays for this.
APPRAISAL

After inspection negotiations are complete, the Purchaser's lender orders the appraisal. The Purchaser pays for this. An
appraiser confirms that the house is worth the contract price.
TERMITE, WELL/SEPTIC INSPECTIONS

All Sellers are required to have (and pay for) a termite inspection within 30 days of closing.

If applicable, well/septic inspections are also required to be completed (and paid for) by the Seller.
DEED SIGNING

One common misconception by Sellers is that they have to be at the closing table; they don't!

Usually within a week of closing, you'll go meet with your attorney to officially sign the deed over.
FINAL WALK THROUGH/CLOSING (45-60 days after ratification)

Also referred to as settlement, the Purchaser will sign all documents at the closing attorney's office.

Upon conclusion of the closing & recording of the sale, you will be contacted to receive your check!
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Appendix B:
THE HOME INSPECTION EXPLAINED
After we receive the inspection report on your house, the Purchaser will be granted the opportunity to request repairs by
the Seller, or request a credit in lieu of repairs. Once the Seller receives the inspection report and Repair/Repair Credit
Addendum, there is a 7 day negotiation period.




Most Buyers get nervous about inspections. It is possible that some requested “repairs” will be unreasonable.
Try to keep a calm mindset.
Buying a home is just as emotional as selling one. Just as we don’t want to be offended by inspection requests,
the Buyer wants to be sure they are buying a home that functions properly.
Just because something is requested, doesn’t mean that you have to do it. Sometimes, not everything on the
inspection report will be requested. Sometimes, it will be.
After inspection negotiations are agreed to, we can help you schedule repairs to be completed. Please keep all
receipts/invoices of work completed and send them to us.
WHAT IS REASONABLE TO TAKE CARE OF:
Defects of the property. This means something that is damaged or dysfunctional that
affects a normal standard of living.
"Defect": a condition which impairs the normal stability, safety, or use of any
improvements (building) on the Property.
Common examples include: structural defects, a damaged roof, mold in the crawlspace.
WHAT IS UNREASONABLE:
Cosmetic flaws. This means something that improves a personal preference of living (i.e.,
affects appearance vs. substance). "Any cosmetic flaws, antiquated systems, or
grandfathered components that are in working order but would not comply with current
building code if constructed or installed today."
Common examples include: normal settlement cracks, a roof that is towards the end of its
life expectancy that currently is in working order.
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