Get To Know Your Realtor, Elizabeth Wagner

“I do whatever it takes to properly expose the property and get it out to the widest possible audience.”

NOOZHAWK: What is your experience and education?

ELIZABETH WAGNER: I grew up in Santa Barbara and attended Crane School then graduated from Santa Barbara High School. After that I moved to Boulder, CO and pursued a double major in Italian and History at the University of Colorado. After moving back to Santa Barbara I jumped into residential real estate. I have been a licensed Realtor for 15 years here in my hometown of Santa Barbara and love what I choose to do for a living.

NOOZHAWK: What designations or certifications do you hold?

EW: I have obtained my sales person’s license, my broker’s license, the GRI (Graduate Realtor Institute) designation. I am proud to be the first EcoBroker in Santa Barbara and am also a designated Green agent.

NOOZHAWK: Which neighborhoods do you primarily work in?

EW: Santa Barbara: The Mesa, San Roque, Samarkand, Riviera, Westside and the outliers; The Trout Club, Painted Cave and the Gaviota Coast.

NOOZHAWK: How do you market your client’s homes?

EW: Professional photos, videos, postcards, flyers, website placement, a variety of social media networks, newspaper ads, as well as various industry magazines. I typically do whatever it takes to properly expose the property and get it out to the widest possible audience.

NOOZHAWK: What type of support staff or resources do you have?

EW: I have an assistant that helps me with all of the “back end” things, such as newsletter formatting, mailings, website updates, errands etc. I am the only one who interfaces with my clients and updates them on the market and feedback about their properties. Working for Village Properties also takes a huge amount of “to do’s” off my plate with our fantastic marketing team and support staff!

NOOZHAWK: How do you keep your clients informed about your progress?

EW: It depends on the client and how they like to be communicated with. Some prefer text messages, others weekly emails, some like face-to-face meetings and others phone calls. No matter what their preferred style is, I make sure not to leave them guessing and update them before they reach out to me to ask how a showing went or about feedback received from other agents etc. I am also there for my clients after escrow closes and stay in touch year after year. Every Thursday I send out an email newsletter which serves to update my client base about the market and any other interesting information. Please feel free to email me if you would like to be added to my mailing list.

NOOZHAWK: What distinguishes you from other real estate agents?

EW: I am the first EcoBroker in Santa Barbara and also have my Green Designation. This distinguishes myself from other agents because I have taken extra courses in order to be on the cutting edge of the environmental front. Growing up on a ranch on Refugio Mountain where we built our house, I learned all about solar panels, wind generators, growing food, and living off the grid. As a past board member of The Community Environmental Council, I learned about our local grass roots environmental movement and stay actively involved with them.

NOOZHAWK: What is your negotiating style and how does it differ from others?

EW: It is very important to have a professional and familiar relationship with the Realtor who is on the “other side” in the transaction. Knowing how agents operate and their styles and having done past deals with them is a huge benefit to all parties involved. I consider myself to be an up front and honest agent and willing to talk my clients out of purchasing a property that isn’t right for them or won’t meet their needs in a year or two. That way, when we are patient and wait for a better matched property to come along, my clients will be much happier for years to come and hopefully will refer me to their friends and family for the same level of service.

NOOZHAWK: What do you suggest sellers do to get their house ready to put on the market?

EW: Every property is different! Sometimes a professional stager is the best option, other times fresh paint and an empty house is the best bet. Every once in awhile the house doesn’t need very much preparation because my client has impeccable taste! I would be happy to schedule an appointment to give you personalized input if you are thinking about selling your home.

NOOZHAWK: Do you use videos and virtual tours to market your client’s homes?

EW: It depends on the property but yes these two tools are a fantastic way to showcase a home. Village Properties has an extensive YouTube presence to showcase property videos.

NOOZHAWK: Do you use social media marketing in your business such as Google Plus, Facebook, and Twitter to reach out to other Realtors and potential clients?

EW: Yes, I use Facebook, Instagram, and MailChimp to showcase my client properties. I place ads on Facebook to boost my property reaches and that has proven to be a great way to expose a property to a wider audience.

NOOZHAWK: How do you arrive at the listing price?

EW: I review comparable properties, take tours to see them in person, discuss the motivation of the seller and fine tune the pricing right before we actually come on the market.  I have a select group of colleagues who I trust implicitly to assist me in properly pricing and providing feedback for all of my listings. Once a property is on the market, I stay in constant contact with my clients to provide feedback and adjust as appropriate.

NOOZHAWK: Do you have a blog to market your client’s properties and if so, is it ranked highly by Google? Do you use your blog as a marketing tool to drive traffic to your clients homes or condos?

EW: Yes, I do regularly blog out my Thursday digital email newsletter which brings additional exposure and further promotes my client properties.

NOOZHAWK: Do you provide references to your clients?

EW: Yes, after many years in this industry, I have many past clients which are more than happy to be references to potential new clients.

NOOZHAWK: Is this your full-time job?

EW: Yes, I enjoy the variety of how Real Estate is ever changing. This job allows for flexibility in my personal life and exposes me to an amazingly diverse group of people.