What types of Real Estate do I handle, you ask?
Well let me tell you I can help you buy or sell in Tennessee and was born, raised and lived here my whole life…..we even vacation here….lol! But, also my Hubby, Son and I used to own a very well known, high end floor care business for 24 yrs before we retired and went into full time Real Estate in 2016!
Owning and operating that business gave me not only the knowledge of owning and running a company, but getting to know all of the areas in Middle TN and how to get homes prepared to sell and sold for top dollar as I’ve dealt with some of the most famous people and designers in the industry basically my whole life!
Our business was referral based and we believed in quality, which has helped me navigate through helping clients in our ever changing Real Estate market and negotiating is one of my qualities, among many others….ha! I know how to deal with each situation with patience and work with other agents with respect too in order to make the process as smooth as possible! I believe what you put out there will either bless you or hurt you, so you have to conduct business with professionalism and the utmost care!
It’s amazing that a lot of friends from High School have became clients over the years because I treated them with respect in High School, which again will come back many years later to either bless you or hurt you! So, with that said always lead by example and treat others right, no matter how bad others treat you!
Here are some of the transactions that I have been blessed to help my clients with…..
Seniors Downsizing - I’ve helped many downsize to a smaller, one level home and be able to sell their properties to be debt free and buy with cash so they can either retire or not have to worry about a house payment! I’m very good with budgets and numbers to show them what they will end up with in the end! I have an accounting background that has helped with this over the years! The SRES® behind my name stands for Seniors Real Estate Specialist® and this is a designation I earned through our industry that educateds REALTORS® on how to profitably and ethically serve the real estate needs of the fastest growing market in Real Estate, clients age 50+. I am a firm believer in education and take numerous certification & designation courses and testing to stay up to date with the ever changing Real Estate market!
First Time Home Buyers - I have a knack for helping my young couples or clients with their biggest purchase of their lifetime. This is never an easy thing to do, but I have to give grace and have plenty of patience because you have to hand hold them through the whole transaction! It makes my heart happy when they listen and trust in me to get them to the closing table and hand them the key to their new home sweet home! I have had many buy their first home and then cash in when its time to sell and buy their next!
Land Sales - Yes, I have sold raw land, helped split up and subdivided land, flipped land….you name it I’ve helped through the process! I recently had some clients that I’ve helped through many flips of homes and we bought acreage with a house and barn to subdivide….went through the whole process, which was time consuming and trying at times, but I was able to get them to the end and they were able to pay off their home and live debt free…..this makes my heart happy! If you or someone you know is looking for land to either use for hunting, eventually build on or to flip then I can help you with that!
Home Flipping / Renovation Market - As I’ve said above…..I’ve helped many be able to flip homes and walk them through the process of buying, renovating and then sell it for a profit! I’m their Realtor through the whole buying, flipping and selling! It’s always satisfying to see how a plan can come together and see the transformation! Seeing the transformation of a home that is distressed and now have a new life for other families to enjoy is satisfying. And when the hard work pays off for my clients I believe that is the most rewarding! No one wants to pour their hard earned money into a flip and it become a flop.......so that's why you need a Realtor that knows and understands the market and how to get you to the finish line with a profit!
Listing Agent - I am not only a "buyers agent", but I am also a "listing agent" as well! I like to come out to your home and do a walk through of your home to give you the list of to do's to get it prepared for market and if you listen, not only about what to do, but listen on price as well, then I can get it sold quicker and we can get you moving. If you need to find a home, then I will make it contingent upon finding suitable housing, so that you are not homeless in the process! We have been riding this wave of homes selling for way above asking and sellers are quite used to getting more than they ever expected on the sale of their home, but times are starting to normalize again. You HAVE to price it correctly or it will sit longer or you'll have to do price reductions until it is in the price the market is willing to pay for it in the current state. You can only get what the current market is willing to pay for your home. We have clients that are great listeners and then we have some that with guidance they will figure out things. As a listing agent, we are hired to get the highest price possible for our clients homes, but its not always an agent that does the pricing, sometimes the client is adamant about what they think their home is worth and we will always try our best to get the highest we possibly can for them. If its just not going to bring what the client wanted, then we will have those hard discussions about pricing in hopes they will soon realize that price adjustments are needed. I am also a Pricing Strategy Advisor / PSA® so I have the skills in pricing properties, creating CMA's, working with appraisers and guiding clients through the anxieties and misperceptions they often have about home values.
Normalizing is what was needed for a long time now in this market, so its not a bad thing, especially when you want to purchase. We are not seeing a lot of mulitple offers on certain price points anymore, which gives buyers a little leg up.
Investment Properties - I also help clients buy investment properties around the Nashville area. Many of my clients like to buy homes that can be put into their rental pool of properties and they can start earning monthly income from the homes. People are moving here daily from other states and needing a place to be if they are unable to buy a home right now and some want to see where they land first before buying so they need a rental, so its always a good time to have rental homes. I can help you buy your properties anywhere in Tennessee, but my home base is Middle TN and I am expanding into the East TN market since we love to vacation there!
Relocation - I also have a knack for helping out of state buyers from California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Florida & many other states find a home here in Tennessee instead of renting. It can be done and I have the patience to listen to their want list and things they like to do in order to find their perfect home sweet home here in TN! You can always buy and sell in a year or two if it is not the one long term. Technology helps with talking with clients and showing them homes when they are not here and sometimes are not even here the whole time until after they close on their home. I do virtual showings for my out of state buyers and my Hubby & Son can help with the 360 video walk through tours if needed. My family, including my fur baby help me with Real Estate, so I have a great team behind me.
I’ve helped clients from the age of 18-88, so you really have to be well rounded in the field to deal with all age groups as this is one of the most stressful times of their lives! I help take the stress off or minimize it as much as possible!
Referrals are my greatest compliment and are always extremely appreciated!
Written by:
Audra Hicks ~ REALTOR, ABR, e-PRO, SRES, PSA, AHWD, RENE, HFR
Benchmark Realty, LLC
131 Saundersville Rd, Ste 130
Hendersonville, TN 37075
Cell - 615-859-1748
Office - 615-991-4949
