Sun City Peachtree Entrance

Preface: this post is for other real estate agents. However, if you’re a possible buyer–or seller!–and want to know how YOU benefit from my way of doing business… Please continue reading. I don’t mind–at all. I encourage you to do so. Informed consumers make better choices.

“How do you–Jessica Horton–work with other brokerages/agents in Sun City Peachtree?”

I get asked this question a lot. Very, very often. But what I’ve found is that most brokerages/agents don’t really care about how I work. Nor do they care about why I do what I do. In fact, they’re not really interested in anything about me at all.

Instead, they’re mainly interested in knowing: “Can I show your listing? And, will you pay me?” They aren’t asking about me. They’re actually asking about themselves. It’s about them. Totally.

And, I understand that. Well, at least I understand their concern about getting paid. However, I don’t actually understand the concept of having to ask other people about getting paid. Why would you want to do that? Personally, I think these agents are asking the wrong questions.

But in an effort to answer the wrong questions openly, honestly, and transparently, here goes.

The short and sweet answer to “How do you, Jessica Horton, work with other brokerages/agents?” is: I don’t. I don’t work with other agents and brokerages. No, you can’t show my listings. No, you won’t be paid by my sellers. And no, you most certainly won’t be paid by me.

This answer isn’t very popular with agents at all. I get that.

However, I am not in business to win a popularity contest. I am in business to sell homes. I am in business to make sure that the seller sells their property at a price that is acceptable to them. And I am in business to ensure that, if the buyer is interested in one of my listings, they get the best and most accurate information about my listings–AND they don’t have to pay an over-inflated price when purchasing it (because exorbitantly high real estate commissions bloat the value). 

So, when buyers take the time to actually listen to what I have to say (and why I’m saying it)… they come to realize: “Jessica is actually putting me in the best position possible. Instead of paying another agent… she and her clients are making things way less complicated; way less convoluted; way less constipated; and last but certainly not least: way less costly!”

Other real estate agents don’t like that.

And you know what? They don’t have to like it. This is my brokerage. This is my policy. These are my clients. And I will aggressively protect our interests. Furthermore, I am not in business to argue with other brokers/agents. I am in business to sell homes. I am in business to make things easier for people. And I am in business to help people get where they want to go.

Again, I am not in business to argue with other brokers and agents. I’m not here to justify my position. So, if you call me up and try to bully me or manipulate me, I will politely end the conversation. I don’t have time for that.  No, I have a job to do. And that’s what I care about doing.

My job.

However, if you honestly want to know more about what I do, why I do it, by all means, please keep reading…. You just might learn something. It just might change your way of looking at things. It just might change your life. And, most importantly, it just might make a major difference in the lives of the buyers and sellers you work with.

A better real estate industry–for our clients and ourselves–starts with: us.

Dear Brokers & Agents:

The first thing you need to know is this: All the properties that have a Jessica Horton & Associates For Sale sign in front of them are exclusively listed by my brokerage. Exclusively. The second thing you need to know is this: My brokerage is not a member of any MLS system. Period. The third thing you need to know is this: My brokerage does not co-op. We do not provide and/or share any type of commission/payment with other brokerages/agents. Period. That’s not what we do.

Now, I realize this may seem somewhat unconventional and weird to many of you. That it’s not the norm. Or, it’s not how you’re used to things being done.  I’ve even heard the words, “Jessica, that’s pure bull crap!” from other agents when I explain how I choose to run my brokerage.

I realize that many agents are accustomed to things being done a certain way. And some of you may think that you’re even entitled to the hard work of others. However, this is what you need to know. There is no law—none!—that requires real estate agents to belong to the MLS. There is no rule or regulation that states, “Listing brokers must provide a way for buyers’ agents to earn a living.” In fact, the MLS is often nothing more than a crudely formed tool for agents who aren’t capable and/or who are just unwilling to go out and earn business on their own. So, they rely on the hard work of other agents to provide them with a steady inventory of houses to show buyers.

I do not.

In my opinion, the MLS is nothing but a host body that allows parasites to feed off it. The MLS is not for me. And, more importantly, my clients are smart enough to understand why I do things the way that I do. See: they actually take the time to read and/or listen (and that fact alone  put’s them ahead of 90% of the population out there…).

Now, I realize this may seem a very harsh analogy to some people. On the other hand, I believe it’s an honest one. But since we’re talking about harshness, let me tell you what’s really harsh:

See, I am more than capable of “marking it rain” with listings. I know how to go out and get new business. I always have. And you know what else? I am more than capable of successfully marketing these properties without the MLS. Without other agents. Without having to rely on—and even depend on—others to do the very job that my clients, the seller, hired me to do:  sell their property!

In fact, I will even go so far as to say that ninety percent of the time other agents just get in the way. They complicate things unnecessarily. They muddy the waters, confuse the issues, and, over half the time, I end up doing all their work for them. Sadly, the vast majority of agents that I’ve personally had dealings with are lazy and incompetent.

So, my way of selling real estate is very simple: We cut through all the crap. We get rid of it—all. The buyers know who I work for: the seller. I tell them. And, I tell them why. And, you know what? They get it. They really do. Buyers aren’t stupid at all. They understand things. They’re able to grasp things. They just need someone who is willing to break it all down for them. They don’t need gate keepers of information.

Now, this is where other agents are quick to say, “Yes! But the buyer has rights also! They have a right to representation. What you’re doing isn’t fair. It’s taking their rights away from them.”

“Jessica, you’re taking away the buyer’s rights.”

Seriously? Hog wash! Nothing could be further from the truth! I’m not taking away anything at all.

See, I actually agree completely and wholeheartedly with you! The buyer does have rights. The buyer does deserve to be represented, if that’s what they want. And, you know what? The buyer has every right to pay for their own representation. Just like the seller is. 

Now, I realize that you’re just trying to earn a living. You’ve got bills to pay. Kids to feed. You know what? So do I. So, don’t talk to me about being ‘fair’ to the buyer (you’re taking about being ‘fair’ to you!). The bottom line is: You’re asking the seller to pay for the buyer’s right to be represented–by you. And, in my opinion, it’s hypocritical—at best; it’s unethical—at worst. It’s a complete–and total!–conflict of interest.

Now, I realize there’re all kinds of ways to rationalize it, and agents and brokerages can make all sorts of strange and weird mental contortions to get there. They’re capable of twisting things in all kinds of knots in order to benefit their pocketbook. You can say, “It’s just the price of doing business.”

Whatever.

The bottom line is: You’re asking the seller to pay—out of their pocket and hard-earned equity—for the buyer to have an agent (you!) represent them (the buyer). An agent whose very job will be to beat the seller down on price. To get the best deal—complete with the best terms possible—for the buyer. But that ‘best deal’ is nothing but an illusion; a mirage–it’s not real (more on that in a minute).

Please give me a rational reason for a seller doing this. Just one. Hint: It’s not, “Well, because that’s how I, the buyer’s agent, will get paid.” Again, that’s about you, the agent. It’s not about the seller. It’s not about the buyer. So, don’t try to muddy the waters. Lets keep things clear and transparent.

You aren’t talking about buyer representation–at all. You’re talking about: Agent Compensation. More specifically: yours. You’re wanting to know: “Will the seller give me a paycheck? I hope so. Because, well, my buyer won’t pay me–directly. They don’t really see all the value that I bring to the table.”

You don’t bring value to the table. You just happen to know a buyer. And, you want to get paid for knowing them. And that drives up costs for the seller. And, ultimately, it also drives up costs for the buyer.

So, the bottom line is: I doubt very seriously that you’ll be able to answer my question (above). I know it. You know it (even though you probably don’t want to admit it to yourself). The seller knows it. And, more and more buyers are starting to wake up and realize it also.

All you’re doing is getting in the way (and asking to be paid for doing it).

Real Estate Commissions–for the seller AND the buyer–are like paying to get mugged.

Why? Because it’s the equivalent of a guy walking down the street who sees a shady-looking person with a weapon. So, the guy walks up to the other guy with the weapon and says, “Here. I want you to take this $20.00 that I’m giving you…and I want you to hold your weapon up to my face…and demand that I give you my wallet—with the rest of my money.” And then thank the mugger for doing him a favor.

Sellers have paid a co-op commission because they’ve never really had much of a choice in the matter. Like a gang of thugs demanding protection money from local merchants, agents have always demanded that sellers pay for both sides of the transaction. And, if the seller was unwilling to pay it— and, in some cases, unable to pay it—well, then, they’d just have to go it alone. By themselves.

That’s not a career. That’s a cartel!

“Jessica, I, as an agent, don’t like how you run your business.”

Well, I regret that you may not approve of how I do business. That you don’t approve of how I choose to run my brokerage in a free society. That you only see people in terms of how they benefit you–directly. Well, that’s your right. I won’t try and change it. If that’s how you want to live your life… it’s your life to live (see how that works?).

I’m not going to try and change you. I’m really not. However, I will try and give you another way of looking at things in an effort to improve our industry.

I respect your volition. Your right to choose.  And my clients and I both hope that you’ll be willing to extend that same courtesy to others. See, I have the same right to choose how to run my business. And sellers have a right to choose how—and with whom—they list their homes. We hope that you’ll respect that.

However, I’ve been doing this for 12+ years now. Sold hundreds of properties, ranging from $40,000 to well over $4 million. Won a few awards, both local and national. Been a guest speaker at the NAR. Supervised 60+ agents. And managed hundreds of more transactions….

So, needless to say, I do have some experience. And my experience tells me: Most brokers/agents won’t respect it—at all. Instead, they’ll make an issue out of themselves, and they’ll do it under the guise of caring about the buyer. They’ll yell and even cuss at me. They’ll tell people all kinds of mean and nasty things about me—online and in person.

Well, again, you have that right. But let me tell you a quick story:

Sometimes we all need a little ‘tough love’ from people.

Years ago, this newbie agent wrote an offer on one of the homes that I had listed. She wrote it up incorrectly; it was filled with errors—lots of them. So, in order to ensure that my client, the seller, was protected, I asked her to fix the errors. To rewrite the contract. She just couldn’t (or wouldn’t!) get it right. It took her 12 tries to finally get it right. She yelled and screamed at me. She was in tears. She told me what a terrible, terrible person that I was. How much she hated me.

That’s fine. I did my job—correctly. I put my client in the best position possible. And, truth be told, by insisting on things being done—correctly!—I put all concerned in the best position possible. The seller. The buyer. Myself. My broker. And, yes, even the other agent and her broker too!

Years later I ran into that agent at a real estate-related function. She pulled me off to the side and apologized for her behavior. And she thanked me. She thanked me for pushing her. For challenging her. For making her do a better job. For making her a better agent.

So, please know: I don’t dislike/hate agents. Just the opposite.

“I do what I do because: I love helping people–including other agents.”

I have great love for my sellers. I have great love for my buyers. I have great love for this industry. And, yes, that even includes great love for you. I may not know you personally, but I respect and appreciate the job you do.

However, as long as you depend on others for your income, as long as you depend on others to provide you with inventory, as long as you depend on others to provide you with houses to sell:  You will always be dependent upon others. You will always belong to others. You will always be subject to their whims, to their ideas of what is best for you. And, that is the very definition of being in bondage.

No, I don’t dislike you. On the contrary: I want to help you. I want you to open your eyes and see Freedom. To see the beauty of free enterprise. And, in a free market, you get to decide what you’re worth. You get to compete.

And the seller… And the buyer… And you… And your family… Everyone benefits.

Our clients and Customers deserve the very best.

But the way “things have always been done” around here? Take a long and very hard look around at the real estate industry… As a market… As a profession…  As the quality of people’s lives.

Be honest with yourself. You don’t see freedom in this industry. You see oppression. You see strangulation. You see grabbing hands trying to grab all they can.

So, you can get mad at me and continue down the path you—and this industry—are heading. Or, you can open your eyes and decide: “I don’t like the way things are being run. I don’t like the direction that we’re heading. I don’t like it all. I want to make a difference.”

The choice is yours.

But…

The choice is also mine.

I choose to make a difference in people’s lives. I choose to defend the money that people have worked their entire lives for. I choose to protect the equity in people’s greatest investment—their homes. I choose to add value. I choose to give my clients choices. I choose to help buyers get the home they really want without another agent’s commission getting in the way.

That’s my choice (as a business owner).

That’s the choice of seller (as the homeowner).

That’s the choice of buyers who work with me.

What about you?

What do you choose?

Choose wisely.

Lead. Follow. Or, get the heck out of the way.

Now, if you’ll be kind enough to excuse me…. I have a job to do.

Sincerely,

Jessica Horton

How do you–Jessica Horton–work with other brokerages/agents in Sun City Peachtree?

I loved my first home in Sun City Peachtree. I love the amenities, the low maintenance yard care, the safe environment. It’s a beautiful complex where they’ve thought of everything for retirement.

The only thing my first home didn’t have was a large unfinished basement. So it was actually my seven grandchildren who led me to Jessica Horton. I was hunting for a bigger home with space for all the little ones to come visit Grandma in comfort.

When I discovered a house in Sun City Peachtree that was on the market and that had just such a basement, Jessica’s For Sale sign was right outside. We talked about the property and then toured it—and I could tell it was just the home for me.

Now the crucial thing was to sell my original home in order to make buying the larger home possible. Jessica picked up the phone and started calling and emailing buyers in her extensive data base. One of her buyers was instantly interested; it was 100% what she was looking for. Jessica showed my home to the woman within a week, and within two days I had a contract—Jessica didn’t even put a For Sale sign up in my yard!

I’ve been in real estate my self, so I’m no novice at this game. And I’m here to tell you that Jessica crosses every “t” and dots every “i. She is so professional—with Jessica you truly get what you pay for. I’ve owned several properties in my lifetime and I’m telling you that, thanks to Jessica, selling my home in Sun City Peachtree was the fastest closing I’ve ever been through!

The buyer also really liked my furnishings and ended up purchasing 3/4s of them. Jessica handled all the negotiations about the furniture for me and wrote up the bill of sale. And now, again thanks to Jessica, I have so much less to move!

A couple of days before I listed my property with Jessica, another real estate agent contacted me about showing my home. When I explained that I was listing with Jessica, this agent tried to discourage me, saying that Jessica doesn’t list her properties on the MLS and doesn’t co-op with other brokerages.

When Jessica and I met for the listing appointment, she explained why she does business this way. When someone is as familiar with Sun City Peachtree as Jessica is, the MLS would only get in the way. She has her finger firmly on the pulse of this highly specialized market. Nobody knows Sun City Peachtree and the Griffin area like Jessica does—not even the people who work at the sales center. Needless to say, I never heard from that agent again. And, thanks to Jessica, I didn’t need to!

After the two closings are concluded, I’ll be back to enjoying life at Sun City Peachtree. I just finished taking a course in oil painting and am currently taking a course in watercolor. I swim in the wonderful pool and meet my friends for exercise class twice a week. We’ve even joined the Silver Foxes in Griffin; our group attends the latest theater performances every month.

At Sun City Peachtree, I can do as much or as little as I want; there’s entertainment every night. And, most of all, I’ll be able to visit with all seven of my grandchildren—thanks to Jessica Horton!

Jessica Horton’s Sun City Peachtree Testimonials 03-16-13

I found both Sun City Peachtree and Jessica Horton the very best way to find anything—through a friend.

I was living on seven acres with no nearby neighbors. Over time I had come to realize that caring for that property was simply too much for me to handle at this stage of my life. So I made the really big decision to start looking around at real estate, and one of my best friends insisted that I look at Sun City Peachtree. And I met Jessica through this friend.

Over the next couple of months, Jessica and I toured many homes in that community. I found several properties that I liked, but didn’t love. Then, three weeks ago, lightning struck!

I play cards once a week with several ladies who live in Sun City Peachtree. One day I arranged for Jessica to pick us up after our weekly card game. We all piled into Jessica’s car and took off to see a couple of houses on the market. We looked at six homes that day—and the very last one we walked through was it!

As I toured properties with her, I asked myself how someone as young as Jessica could know all this real estate stuff? I mean, her knowledge of Sun City Peachtree is encyclopedic, from every model to every upgrade. The answer I discovered is that Jessica simply loves selling real estate. And her enthusiasm just shows.

Let me be clear. There are two things I like most about Jessica Horton. First, she is incredibly patient. Not pushy at all. Not high pressure. I appreciate that we proceeded at my own pace, as I looked at homes two and three times. Jessica was the antithesis of a sales center rep. She respected my need to think things over and make a decision on my own time—the right decision for me. She clearly had no quota.

Secondly, I totally trust her. And, let me say, this is a unique feeling when somebody is trying to sell you something. There is never an ulterior motive with Jessica. You can take anything she says to the bank. When she says she’ll be there at 9am, she will be there at 9am on the dot. When she says she’ll call you, you can expect that very call. Jessica is 100% about service; whatever she can do for you, she will do for you.

Within a week of discovering the perfect house for me, I had made an offer and it had been accepted. And a most unusual house it is. My chosen home is a prototype home, one of a kind. And it had been owned by an interior decorator. As the icing on the cake, I liked her furnishings so much that I purchased nearly 80% of them.

Also, let me tell you: Jessica doesn’t just walk away after the sale is over. She keeps in touch with me. She has shared dozens of emails with me, a new tidbit every day. She is my little hero.

Yes, I found Jessica and Sun City Peachtree the very best way, through a friend. And, along the way, I also found something else—a new friend—Jessica Horton.

Jessica Horton’s Sun City Peachtree Testimonials 03-15-13

My husband and I first discovered Sun City Peachtree through my mother, who owns a home there. We were already interested in the Griffin area because my grandmother lives there and our sons live in Atlanta. So, when we knew we would be retiring later this year, and because of the many entertainments and activities my mom enjoys in Sun City Peachtree, that community held many attractions for us.

One night I went searching on the internet, and Jessica Horton’s website was the very first one that came up. I was immediately interested because her website had all the information I was looking for: pictures, lots of pictures; thorough descriptions of the homes for sale; and important details like prices and addresses. I could quickly see that very nice homes in my price range were available in Sun City Peachtree. And, because of Jessica’s website, I did all this sitting in my recliner!

I emailed Jessica that evening and she responded right away. That same weekend we looked at four or five homes—and made an offer on a house that very day. Now, the seller chose another offer, but we knew that with Jessica we were working with the right person.

Jessica takes her work very seriously. She asked pertinent questions about exactly what we were looking for. These details—such as a tile backsplash in the kitchen and a full tub in the bathroom—meant a lot to me. And, after she asked us questions, Jessica listened to our answers. Unlike some agents who simply show you what they’re listing, Jessica zeroed in like a laser on our particular wants and needs.

Not long after, Jessica learned of a home that was just coming on the market in Sun City Peachtree. She emailed me the same night as soon as it became available. We set up a meeting right away. We were the first folks to make an offer—and this time we bought our house!

The thing I like most about Jessica is that she didn’t waste our time with homes that didn’t suit our needs. She knew her market; she knew the homes; she had done her homework; and she could answer questions. And if she didn’t happen to know the answer, she got it for us right then and there.

Jessica goes over and above to help you get your home. After our first meeting, we corresponded with her through email and phone calls. When it came time to sign the official paperwork of our offer, she volunteered to meet us halfway in Forsyth, Georgia, so we wouldn’t have to drive the entire distance. She had filled out all the paperwork and her thoughtfulness made it so easy for us.

We’ve noticed that for many real estate agents, selling homes is just a sideline, just an afterthought. For these people, real estate is not their main focus. And, as you would expect, they are lax about returning emails and phone calls.

We could immediately tell that Jessica was very serious about her work. Selling homes is her life, and she had every detail such as tax information at her fingertips.

The thing that meant the most to us was that Jessica responded back to us so quickly—every time. Every email was answered, every phone call returned. In addition, she is incredibly thorough. For example, even though we had hard copies of the sale’s paperwork, Jessica went ahead and scanned in copies any way so we would have them in a file on our computer.

We would definitely highly recommend Jessica as a real estate agent. She knows Sun City Peachtree. With her care and her concern, Jessica opened the door for us to a brand new life in Sun City Peachtree—and, believe me, we’ve been grateful for her ever since!

Danny & Elaine

Jessica Horton’s Sun City Peachtree Testimonials 03-09-13

Above and beyond!

That’s how far Jessica Horton went to help us sell our home in Pike County, Georgia. In March 2010, we purchased our retirement dream home in Sun City Peachtree. We currently owned a home in Ranchland Estates, one of the more upscale communities in Pike County.

We knew that Pike County was very desirable and thought it wouldn’t be a problem to sell our Pike County home.

We were sadly mistaken.

First, we listed our home with one of the largest local “mom & pop” real estates companies. It was on the market for 159 days without selling.

Then, we listed with one of those big national franchises that’re always bragging about ‘selling more real estate than anyone.’ Our home was on the market over 590 days!

Finally, we heeded the advice of one of our close neighbors and called Jessica Horton. Jessica had successfully sold our neighbors’ home and they had nothing but high praise for her. We asked her if she could repeat the success she’d had in Sun City Peachtree in Pike County.

Much to our delight, Jessica answered, “Yes! I do sell homes in Pike County, Georgia. I’ve actually sold quite a lot of them. And I’ve got a proven track record of moving properties in the upper price range and more distinguished neighborhoods.”
Jessica and her office came in like the marines seizing a building! All her paperwork was neat and organized. We didn’t even have to ask for copies. She made sure we got everything—and then sent us digital versions. Hundreds of photos went up on her website. The For Sale sign went up. The lockbox went up. Bam! Bam! Bam! Jessica handled everything like the true professional she is.

Our showings increased instantly.

Potential buyers presented offers.

Jessica clued us in to everything that was about to happen—and why—and what her opinion was on how to handle it.

She answered her phone.

She returned calls.

She responded to e-mails, and sent us an e-mail update every week or two.

And she dropped off paperwork—in person—when necessary. She even picked it up very late at night when Mel was doing rehabilitation from knee surgery in the hospital.

Jessica really represented our best interests and really looked out for us. Our sale wasn’t worry free. The buyer had used an unlicensed home inspector who compensated by picking at every detail of our twelve-year-old home. Jessica went the extra mile dealing with this difficult situation. She also held the hand of the other realtor, who turned out to be quite inexperienced. And when it came time for the closing, Jessica intuitively knew she would be needed. On the other hand, we never had to worry: Jessica was always there.

Jessica does things very differently than other agents. She marches to the beat of her own drummer. She does things her way. Why? Because her way works. She had our home under contract in about 3 months…when two of the largest local companies couldn’t do it in 750 days! So, Jessica’s way works well—very well.

And the only thing she cares about is selling her clients’ homes—not the home across the street or the home across town. She cares about her listings. And we appreciated that her focus was entirely on us and doing the job we hired her for.

To sum up, Jessica has got guts. She does her job more than fulltime. We can’t say enough about she helped us through what was a trying time. And we are really, really happy we chose her.

Mel & Mary

Jessica Horton’s Sun City Peachtree Testimonials 02-23-13

Absolutely fabulous!

That’s what we think about Jessica Horton. We found ourselves in a most unusual situation—and Jessica led us down the right path to successfully selling our home.

After our son joined the Air Force, we no longer needed our 2,514SF home in Sun City Peachtree. We had our eyes on another home with a smaller floor plan in the same community, but the first realtor we used generated very little traffic. He also lived several counties away. And he didn’t really know the Sun City Peachtree community. In the end, we lost the opportunity to buy that particular home.

Jessica caught our eye when she sold that first home we were interested in (Our house! The house we wanted to buy!). And then we really took notice of the number of other homes she was selling in Sun City Peachtree. We wanted to sell our home. So we approached her.

Now, our home presented several challenges. To start with, the upstairs loft was huge, with a full bedroom, bathroom, and great room. The stairs, which are not coveted in a retirement community, also were a challenge. We needed to find just the right buyer, someone who didn’t mind stairs, a couple with a large family who would come to visit, or someone who wanted that extra space for crafts or music.

Well, things really started heating up once we listed with Jessica. She posted over a hundred photos of our home. She created a website featuring our property. Jessica had a multitude of buyers lined up in her database. And showings by other agents picked up significantly.

But, after weeks and weeks on the MLS, with Jessica and loads of other agents showing our home—but no offers—Jessica approached us with something highly unusual and very unorthodox: she wanted us to take our home off the MLS completely!

We had placed a contract on another home. Once again the clock was ticking; we didn’t want to lose it. However, we were willing to try just about anything. And, once Jessica took us off the MLS, the number of inquiries increased significantly. And it wasn’t long after that that Jessica found a buyer. We are here to tell you: Jessica knows how and when to think outside the box!

One of the things we liked most about Jessica was that she utilized her real estate background and her familiarity with Sun City Peachtree to bring us back down to earth. Sometimes our expectations needed to be countered with the realities of the market, such as which upgrades were marketable and which were not.

The point is, no one knows the market and the neighborhood better than Jessica does. After all—she lives five minutes away! Most of all, we would encourage other sellers to listen carefully to what Jessica recommends. When clients listen to her, they sell.

The proof is in the pudding: Jessica knows her business! She sold our former home and made sure we were able to buy our new one. She took care of us every step of the way.”

Ken & Vickie

Jessica Horton’s Sun City Peachtree Testimonials 12-12-12

Folks, let’s cut to the chase: we bought our home in Sun City Peachtree a little over a year ago—and Jessica Horton sold it for more money than we paid. And dealing with her was a pleasure.

Jessica is most familiar with the community of Sun City Peachtree and with the price of each of the upgrades. She knows the floor plans and the options. She was able to really break it down and to explain it to the buyers, to show them exactly what was in our home, and, more importantly, what made our home unique.

Jessica makes it her business to be very informed about all the prospects. She didn’t waste our time with buyers who were just looking to look. She screens her prospects; in this case, she narrowed the field to folks who focused on the Tifton Walk home in Sun City Peachtree; and she brings only serious people.

We trusted Jessica implicitly when she showed our home. And after each showing, every light was turned off, every door was locked. When we were out of the country, she was even there for our home inspection, which took several hours.

We believe that Jessica’s real estate website is one of the very best we’ve seen—easy to navigate and very informative. She took over 175 photos, photos that told the story of our home. She documented every square inch of our Tifton Walk residence. In fact, Jessica knows more about our house than we do!

We found that Jessica is very punctual about getting information back to you. She always has her iPad with her. And she took minutes to update us, not days. Whenever a prospect asked a question, she immediately got back to them with the answer. In fact, you would think Jessica lived in Sun City Peachtree!

We believe you could not ask for a more caring person than Jessica to represent you in selling your home. She always goes out of her way to help—she goes above and beyond.

For us, Jessica stepped up to the plate and delivered 120%. We believe she is the only person who can get this job done. When you choose Jessica, we are here to tell you: you’ll have no regrets!

Barry & Rich

Jessica Horton’s Sun City Peachtree Testimonials 11-30-12

The following is an interview with one of my clients. We closed on her house yesterday (October 11, 2012) ; this is her testimonial letter:

“Jessica Horton entered our lives on July 27th , 2012. On that day we were packing up my parents’ home in Sun City Peachtree. I was moving them into assisted living; the situation was devastating. When we checked their mail that day, there was a business postcard from Jessica. Little did we know it would be an answer to prayer.

I was responsible for everything regarding my parents. Most of all, I was responsible for selling their home. I had written on my prayer list that we had to sell the home, close on it, and be totally done with it by December 1 st . As it turned out, we listed my parents’ home with Jessica on July 28 th and had a contract on it September 7 th . In spite of this economy, the transaction took only 45 days. Jessica was just incredible!

From Day One, Jessica kept me abreast of what was going on. She posted plenty of photos on the web. And she always made herself available to me by both phone and email. I could count on Jessica to return every call.

The thing I would like to stress about Jessica is that she immediately made me feel so confident in her ability to sell the home. From the moment she walked in the door, it was clear that she knew everything about this house—the model, the floor plan, the upgrades, the community— everything . She knew exactly what it took to sell it.

We priced my parents’ home aggressively in order to compete with new construction as well as a foreclosure that had just come on the market across the street. And the offers came in quickly. Jessica did encourage us to hold out for a better offer—I could tell she hated walking away leaving money on the table. But we had to make our decision on what was in the best interest of our family. And Jessica did her job like the true professional that she is.

Today my parents are living closer to me and I have such peace of mind regarding the sale of their home. Throughout the entire transaction, we found Jessica to be extremely personable. She is by far the best real estate agent I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. And, as I said before, we found Jessica to be an answer to prayer.

Joanne M.

Jessica Horton’s Sun City Peachtree Testimonials 10-11-12

Before Jessica was my real estate agent?

Before I met Jessica Horton, my home had been on the market for well over 800 days. I had listed it with two of the biggest national real estate franchises as well as with three different realtors. One of the realtors was even supposedly “the” salesperson in Sun City Peachtree. Nothing happened—all their efforts fizzled.

I had even tried going the For Sale by Owner route. Again, nothing worked.

After Jessica?

Then I met Jessica Horton. I had discovered really good things about her on her website. I was most impressed with the number of recent resales that Jessica had racked up.

I was impressed from the outset with Jessica’s energetic efforts to sell my home. She immediately took over 150 pictures of my house and posted them on the web. She also made a really detailed video tour of my home so she could share it with potential buyers. In fact, I was so impressed with Jessica’s work that I shared pointers from her approach with my son who was selling his home in another state!

I believe these two investments—the plentiful photos posted on the web and the effective video—really made the difference between “No Sale” and “Sale.” In fact, Jessica sold my home in only a couple of weeks—and for the full sale price!

Jessica asked me to do several things that made my home more marketable. For example, she asked me to take up all the area rugs on my hardwood floors and tiled sunroom. These floors represented an upgrade which she wanted to bring to the attention of potential buyers.

I always found Jessica to be really good at communicating. Even though she was busy selling homes, she never failed to respond quickly to my emails and phone calls. When I needed to move the closing forward on the calendar, Jessica pushed my request with the buyers and we were able to close in record time.

Jessica doesn’t have hundreds of yard signs advertising her brokerage. Instead, by stint of hard work, she has made herself “the” go-to realtor in Sun City Peachtree. She knows the community—in and out—better than any other agent. She made all the difference in the world in selling my home. I still can’t believe she sold it in under 30 days—and for the full asking price! All I can say is “Thank you, Jessica!”

Elaine F

Jessica Horton’s Sun City Peachtree Testimonials 9-14-12