Jennifer Soprano Knows Buyers Don’t Want Old Carpet

Taking a Hands-On Approach  

As a Charlotte native, Jennifer already had a large sphere of influence in the area, but her commitment to advising her clients has only helped this sphere of influence grow. Just a few years ago, she was a stay-at-home mom wondering what she wanted to do next. Now she is an award-winning real estate agent with Allen Tate who continues to see her business thrive. In just two years as an agent, she received an Outstanding Achievement Award for her performance in 2022 along with the designation of 2022 Power Player. In 2023, Jennifer also received the Top Monthly Performer award for three different months and just received the designation of 2nd Quarter VIP.

The reason for her success? In part, it is because she is a hands-on agent. She not only likes to offer her clients advice but also to be involved in the planning process.  

With the market taking a turn away from the craziness of 2021, Jennifer has had to step in a bit more to educate her clients on the realities of the current market and the necessary preparations that should come with it. She explains, “In 2021 when I started, if I had a seller and they had older carpet, we would tell them, ‘That’s cosmetic. Don’t even worry about it. Because of the Charlotte housing market and the supply and demand here, you’re still going to have multiple offers.’ And that was true. But when the market slowed down because interest rates went up in 2022, buyers were then allowed to become more selective.” 

According to Jennifer, buyers are saying, “I don’t want to have to replace old carpet. If I’m in this price point and I have this higher interest rate, I have less that I can afford. And I certainly don’t want to buy a house that I’m going to have to spend more money on replacing the carpet and such.” Because buyers are becoming more particular, sellers need to adapt. Fortunately, Jennifer is there to help lead the way for her clients. 

Selling Like Hotcakes or Stalling 

Recently, Jennifer had a listing in a neighborhood with a good location, excellent schools, and well-built homes. Because of this trifecta, the homes “just go like hotcakes” selling in a day or two at a high price.  

While the local market may be hot to some degree, there is still a caveat. If the house is not updated, its sale is stalled or it is not selling for quite so much. In some cases, it may even sell for less than the asking price. Jennifer noted one house that sold for $30,000 under its asking price because of an old carpet and some other minor issues. She uses this house as a warning for her clients with homes with a bit of wear and tear.  

In one such case, a recent client was ready to sell, but the house hadn’t been updated much in the last several years. The lack of upkeep was starting to show. One big update they needed was replacing the carpet before selling.

“They had original carpet. The carpet was torn and worn around the edges from being old and from a pet they had. It was over 3,000 square feet, so it was a lot of carpet.” They also had stained and dirty carpet in the bedrooms that were an eyesore.  

Once the flooring was in order, Jennifer and Curbio got to work on a few other updates. After some lighting upgrades, a kitchen update, exterior fixes, and a crafty solution to turn a bonus room into another bedroom, the house was ready for the market.  

“When the house went on the market and we got the pictures back, I was so proud to present this house to the open market. It was beautiful.” Not only did the house look great, but also the updates paid off. The home got multiple offers including some over the asking price. “Had they not done the updates, they would not have gotten what they did. They probably would have gotten over $100,000 less.” 

A Little Help from a Friend  

Being a hands-on agent can be a challenge. Especially with the market taking a bit of a turn and things like old carpets keeping a house from selling, agents need to be more involved. To keep Jennifer at the top of her game, Curbio is there to help.  

The process began with a scan and a video call that went through the house room by room. Jennifer explains, “We were able to go through the entire house and the seller was able to say, ‘Yes, we want an estimate on this. Yes, we want an estimate on that.’” Between Jennifer, the seller, and Curbio’s Home Improvement Consultant, the three were able to put their heads together to decide what projects would have the greatest return, which materials to use, and how to stay within the client’s budget. With speedy estimates, the group finalized the scope of work quickly.  

For this particular project, Jennifer worked with Curbio Project Manager Alex Parsons. Alex was there to oversee the entire project, give regular progress reports, and make sure the process ran smoothly. “All we had to do was reach out to Alex through the portal or text him. Either way, Alex always responded quickly. He was always on the ball.” With Alex overseeing the work and giving regular updates, Jennifer was able to give her input and stay in the loop without having to lead the project herself.  

Overall Jennifer explains, “Curbio is excellent because no matter what the project, it’s a one-stop shop. You don’t have a roofer coming, you don’t have a painter coming, and you don’t have a carpet person coming. You don’t have to worry about calling all these different contractors to come in and give you quotes. You’ve got a project manager who handles all of that and coordinates all of that. And all the work Curbio does is good work.” 

For a hands-on agent like Jennifer, having a one-stop shop general contractor can save her a lot of time and effort. “Even if my client just simply got flooring, new carpet, and paint, Curbio can do the job and it’s a seamless process. And the people don’t have to have the cash upfront. That’s the selling point.” 

Jennifer also found it easy to get her clients on board. In a recent survey, 72% of homeowners said they would choose an agent who came to a listing appointment with options. In the same survey, 77% also said they would choose an agent who offered a pay-at-closing solution.¹ In a real estate market saturated with agents trying to win listings, Jennifer has found an edge.  

A Final Word of Advice  

Jennifer works with everyone from sellers with high-end homes to first-time homebuyers on a tight budget. Regardless of who her clients are she says, “In my heart, I want to help people find a home or sell their home and meet their real estate needs.” 

Jennifer understands the reality of the current market and is doing what she needs to help her clients be successful. Her final piece of advice for sellers and agents— “At least get a fresh coat of paint on the walls and make sure the flooring is fresh and in good shape. If there is old carpet, replace the carpet.”  

Sources: 

1. Curbio (2022). Preparing to Sell: 2022 Home Improvement Report