With homes in Mueller Austin in very short supply, they tend to get snatched up pretty quickly. Recently, there have been a few “Coming Soon” signs popping up on lawns around the neighborhood. Since two of my buyers recently went under contract on “Coming Soon” listings – 1916 Emma Long and 4132 Lawless – I thought it might be helpful to compare a pre-MLS listing like these with a Mueller Silent Market listing, and to offer tips on how to getting one of them under contract.
A “Coming Soon” sign indicates to passers-by that the owner of the home is preparing to list with a Realtor in the MLS. This helps to spark interest before the home hits the MLS and, in a hot housing market like Mueller’s, possibly generate an offer. This is called a pre-MLS listing in Realtor lingo, and you may find yourself wanting to stalk the neighborhood in search of them. I don’t know anyone who’s on the road around here more than I am, so my clients usually know about pre-MLS listings as soon as a sign hits the turf. If they are interested, I contact the agent to schedule a showing and to find out when it will placed on the MLS. Getting a first look is important and can often times help to prevent a multiple offer situation.
If you follow my website, you know that I market homes this way, as well as on what’s called the Mueller Silent Market. There are sellers out there who are not interested in placing their home on the MLS for a variety of reasons, such as:
- A preference to make the move discreet – no MLS, no sign in their front yard etc. This could potentially be sparked by financial reasons, divorce etc.
- They are open to selling, but only for the right price and without putting in too much effort in regards to de-cluttering and staging the home.
- Limit traffic through the house and have showings on ‘their terms’. This may be due to an elderly relative living in the home who cannot vacate easily or quickly.
- It’s a to-be-built, and the builder does not want to unnecessarily rack up days on market in the MLS during the building process.
Often there is no sign in the yard, and some require the utmost confidentiality. Most sell without much sign that they were even on the market at all. Prior to the Mueller Silent Market, there was no easy way for buyers or sellers to find and sell homes in this manner.
So, in addition to getting homes ready to list on the MLS, I also specialize in listing homes on the Mueller Silent Market to accommodate a seller’s varying & unique situations. Signing up for email updates (to the right) from the Mueller Silent Market is a good way to stay on top of upcoming pre-MLS and Mueller Silent Market listings, but my clients will always be my first priority.
Here are a few Pre-MLS and Mueller Silent Market tips for buyers:
- Be prepared. Have a pre-approval letter from your lender ready to go and some money in the bank for Earnest Money.
- Do your homework. Know what you want in home and what similar homes have sold for.
- Act fast. There are advantages to being the first one through the door, and often you won’t get a second chance before you have to decide.
- Get help. Hire a good agent who is in the know and can help you with all of the above. I have a proven track record helping buyers find homes here at Mueller, pre-MLS or through the Mueller Silent Market.
Contact me to find out what my clients get that others don’t, Hilary Herrin 512.913.8642, hilary@muellersilentmarket.com
