FSBOver It? Hiring an Agent Got This Midcentury Modern Sold Fast

You may remember 2645 Millmar from such hits as the time we wrote about it and also wow, what a courtyard. Why is it back? What’s changed?

Well, a lot actually.

Originally listed as a for sale by owner, Millmar Drive recently added a Listing Agent to the mix and now it’s under contract … within 6 days.

Sure, there are a lot of factors at play here and timing is certainly one of them – Millmar initially listed at the height of the pandemic – but six days? That’s impressive.

More than anything though, we know that sellers deal with this debate every day, so we thought, while we have an owner that just lived through it, why not ask her why she made the change? So we did. We’re real go getters like that.      

Cortney Rodrigues is the homeowner and she hired Jason Castro with Coldwell Banker.

Before she ever hit Zillow solo, she interviewed agents just in case. She was impressed with Castro’s approach to marketing. Rodrigues said that Castro and his brother are both singers and one of the things they do is host an open house-slash-jam session.

Yes, that’s real and at first, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher, but then you hear why. By creating a casual, mix-and-mingle atmosphere, potential buyers have the opportunity to experience the house as – wait for it – actual homeowners. Plus, they serve unlimited hors d’oeuvres so double score. 

The world being actual bananas was one of the reasons Rodrigues took on her FSBO in the first place. She said pre-pandemic she would have never attempted it. But with everything slowed down she thought, why not give it a shot? She said she had about four showings, lots of drive bys, and even got an offer. But as soon as she enlisted Castro, showings went up dramatically and, you know, a contract came in. 

Castro swapped out the pictures, added a little romance copy and took over. Rodrigues no longer had to field calls and text messages and work around schedules trying to coordinate showings. She said it’s so nice to just hit “yes” when the request comes in. Not to mention the mega hurdle of navigating a contract and negotiations with a substantial sum of money. 

For Rodrigues, one of the biggest things about selecting an agent was communication. She wanted someone that was easy to work with and talk to – not the type where you’re too intimidated to pick up the phone. She also really appreciated Castro’s online presence and the fact that his business appears to be booming.

Fact Recap: 2645 Millmar Drive is three-bedroom, two-bathroom Cliff May home in Casa View Oaks. It’s listed for $345,000.