Karten Real Estate Is a Sellers Trusted Neighborhood Specialist

This Patch article is sponsored by Karten Real Estate Services

Karten Real Estate Services is a boutique real estate brokerage serving Northeast Queens, primarily representing sellers.

Patch had a chance to talk with Mark Karten of Karten Real Estate Services.

Patch: How long have you been selling real estate?

Karten: I started in April 2004. I’ve been fortunate to have worked in every aspect of real estate, but the most rewarding is listing and selling homes.

Patch: You’re a “Trusted Neighborhood Specialist” — what does that entail?

Karten: That’s a great question. I start every morning with a 5-mile walk. I walk all the neighborhoods I serve, so I switch between Bayside, Auburndale, Broadway-Murray Hill, Clearview, Whitestone and Beechhurst. Or I’ll drive over to Douglaston and Little Neck and walk the neighborhoods there. I’m the guy setting off your outdoor camera early in the morning – sorry!

Beyond that, I’m a numbers guy, which gives me a laser-focused understanding of all the factors to share with my clients, so they can make the best decision when pricing their home to sell.

One of the reports I’ve written is “The 13 reasons homes don’t sell in Northeast Queens.” I wrote this because I was so frustrated seeing that 19 percent of the listings in Bayside alone expire without being sold. That’s just single and multi-family homes. For condos and co-ops in Bayside, the failure rate is 32 percent. In Flushing, from January 1 to August 31t, 293 condos and co-ops were sold. During that same timeframe, 419 listings expired without being sold, which means that 58 percent of the listings didn’t sell. When someone takes the time to put their home on the market and has to sell — it’s devastating financially and emotionally when it doesn’t.

Patch: How do you address this?

Karten: I write a report every month for each neighborhood I serve that breaks down the days on market that homes are listed before they sell, the percentage that didn’t sell, and the average price of homes sold. I separate single and multi-family homes and offer condo and co-op statistics separately. The results are very insightful and help homeowners make an educated decision versus an emotional one.

With this information, together, we can determine a realistic sales price and if they’re motivated to sell. Once we agree, I can move forward with my arsenal of marketing tools to get the home sold.

Patch: Can you share what you do exactly?

Karten: Sure, I’d be happy to do that. I have a multi-pronged approach that leaves no stone unturned. The first step is getting the word out. My signage is 50 percent larger than a regular “For Sale” sign, and it’s illuminated at night to increase visibility for drive-by traffic. I use a text number feature that gives full access to all photos, the virtual tour, the 3D walkthrough tour, and the floor plan — which buyers and sellers all love. It provides immediate access to every detail of the home without setting an appointment and eliminates seeing or showing a home that isn’t right for someone. If it meets the buyer’s criteria, I can set an appointment to see the house in person once they’ve been pre-qualified.

Patch: How can readers contact you?

Karten: I can be reached directly at 917-502-2635 or at mark@KRESnyc.com.