The market moves so quickly in Rockford, Illinois, that agent Kelli Wensky of Dickerson and Nieman requires buyers to send her their “no regret price” when making an offer.
It’s the price that will keep buyers from wondering if they could have purchased for less, or if they don’t make a winning offer, the price that they couldn’t go higher on.
Rockford is the fifth-largest city in Illinois, and one that remains affordable with a median single-family sale price of $155,000, according to Homes.com, but attractive enough to pull in out-of-state buyers and ex-Chicagoans. The low inventory and high demand keep the market moving swiftly, helping agents sell.
“Some agents put a sign in the yard and they sell because there’s no inventory,” said Wensky in an interview.
But Wensky, who posted $3.2 million in sales volume last year, doesn’t just want to dig a sign into the yard and make a quick sale; her hidden talent is providing what she calls her room-by-room analysis for making a home sale-ready, where she sweeps the property to suggest changes that will bring in a higher listing price.
Wensky has been selling real estate for 20 years, and in that time has always had an inclination toward interior design. A recent listing came to her from a life change: the seller had just lost her husband. Room by room, Wensky cleared out the space and staged it for a sale, selling the client’s extra furniture through a garage sale, even making her some cash.
“After I got each room staged and everything out, her comment to me was, ‘The house looks so good, I wish I did this a long time ago.’ … I have gotten over list price because people can see themselves there,” said Wensky. “I don’t want buyers to spend time looking at the sellers' pictures and things, I want them to see themselves living in that house.”
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
What are those small changes you make when staging homes for clients?
The kitchen is important. I don’t like a lot of things sitting on the counter. Make beds and add some fluff, like pillows and blankets. Rearrange or remove furniture if needed. Open the blinds.
Even if the home is not considered ‘upgraded’ in today’s standards, it can still feel clean, light and bright.
You can update little things that can be done cost-effectively, like cabinet pulls, outdated light fixtures and, obviously, fresh neutral paint. Classic never goes out of style.
I try to use what they have, if possible. But if need be, I will use things I have to complete a room. I want my rooms to look welcoming and spacious. One of the most important things is to make sure the home looks and smells clean.
What mistakes do you see sellers making today?
Sometimes sellers think that because it’s a seller’s market, they can ask anything. But we still have homes sit on the market. It’s important to price a home within the market and according to comparables. Then, the multiple offers due to our low inventory will decide how much more the seller will get. Everyone has access to what homes are selling for now because of the internet. It’s not a big secret.
Consumers determine the market, but as a listing broker, I want the home to show in such a way that many buyers feel like they have to have it.
What hobbies do you have outside of real estate?
I enjoy many outside activities and adventures. My husband and I own Meyers Manx dune buggies, and we go to club events. We went out to Big Bear for the Meyers Manx 60th anniversary. We’ve gone out to Cape Cod for an event, going to Zion National Park very soon and we even drove the buggy from Illinois to Niagara Falls one year.
We have four, but only one is drivable right now.
What is your home like?
We bought it in June 2020 and completely rehabbed it. Everyone says it looks nothing like it did. When viewing the home, I remember turning to my husband and saying, ‘If this wall can’t come out, I’m not interested.’ I loved all the windows and saw the potential with the wall removed. It’s now very open and modern-looking with many upgrades.