There's More to Selling Your Home than putting a "For Sale" sign in your front yard. In the past, when buyers were plentiful, some sellers got lucky and sold their homes without the help of a real estate agent. However, the real estate market has changed dramatically and today buyers are scarce.

We’ve shifted from a strong seller’s market to a strong buyer’s market. Today only homes that are aggressively priced & aggressively marketed get shown and sell. The competition for the few buyers is fierce! There are so many houses on the market that only the outstanding ones get seen. The others remain unsold for months, even years, and follow the market spiral down, which has fallen to 2003 prices.


During the first half of 2007, the "busy" real estate sales period, there were nearly 5,000 homes for sale in Sarasota County each month, while less than 500 sold in any one of those months, including single family homes, villas and condominiums. This means your chances of selling your home were less than 1 in 10, even during the "busy" selling season.

Although these sales statistics may seem daunting, plenty of properties still change hands daily, as demonstrated by the more than $4.7 million in closed sales that occur on an average day at Michael Saunders and Company, the leader in Sarasota real estate.


In today’s market, time is money. If you are serious about selling your home, marketing it professionally will result in more money in your pocket in the end than trying to sell it yourself because it will sell faster and for a higher price.

Today, more than ever, you need the assistance of an experienced real estate professional to sell your home, backed by a company with more than three decades of doing business in Southwest Florida.

Margaret Henkel is a seasoned real estate Broker/Associate who is:

• An expert at helping you price your home correctly for today’s market, to meet your sales objectives.
• A tough negotiator who will help you get top dollar for your home.
• A knowledgeable transaction counselor who will make sure that disclosures, inspections, surveys, legal documents and escrows are all handled smoothly and in compliance with Florida laws.

Michael Saunders & Company, the leading real estate brokerage in Sarasota for over 30 years, has weathered every real estate cycle and consistently come out on top for our clients and customers to bring every transaction to a successful end.

Known for our integrity, depth of resources, far-reaching marketing strategies and network of exclusive broker affiliations, we have consistently delivered more buyers to the closing table than any other real estate company in town.

Margaret Henkel and Michael Saunders & Company are the team that can get your house marketed and sold for the highest price in today’s market, within your time frame!

If you are still determined to sell your house yourself, here are two important matters you should consider:

1. Did you know that homes that are For Sale by Owner tend to attract buyers looking for a bargain? From the buyer’s viewpoint, you should be willing to accept a reduced price because you are not paying a commission to an agent. As a For Sale by Owner you can expect to get low-ball offers, especially in today’s slow market.

2. How will you determine the value of your home in today’s changing market to attract buyers and get it sold within your time frame? On the flip side, how will you determine where to draw the line in negotiating to prevent a savvy buyer from walking away with a "steal"?

Make sure you have the answers to these questions before putting a sign in your front yard. Errors can be extremely costly!

If you are still determined to try selling your house on your own, at least let me help you establish a sense of its true market value. Tell me a bit about your house, and I'll do a quick Comparative Market Analysis to help you determine what your house or condo is worth in today’s market, whether you are on the Sarasota mainland, Longboat Key or Siesta Key.

In return, I'll show you how Michael Saunders & Company and I would aggressively market your property to make sure it sells despite this tough market, should you be unsuccessful in selling your house on your own and decide to list with a professional broker.

This is marketing consultation is complementary, with no strings attached.

You can contact me with confidence that your privacy will be respected.