Introducing Meg Clark

Daytripping: Decluttering 101: Tips for Moving Charming New Kent Staging Your Home for Sale With Family Pets Celebrating the Region’s Most Influential Real Estate Professionals Navigating the Route Home for Her Clients Meg Clark REALTOR®, ABR A seasoned professional who goes the extra mile



Rainmakers are selected based on their sales Meg Clark accomplishments earning them a spot among the top 20% of Liz Moore & Associates’ top REALTOR, ABR® performers. In addition to sales volume standards, ALMA MATER Rainmakers share client-centric philosophies, a dedication to being masters of their craft, Salem College and a commitment to giving back to the communities they serve. #1 GOAL I am thrilled to have been selected as the Retire healthy enough Meg Clarkfeatured Rainmaker for the month! to have a second career in the not for profit environment BEST FRIEND My husband Mike FAVORITE RESTAURANT Anywhere not a chain with a great brunch! SUPERPOWER People, even strangers, feel comfortable telling me just about anything! YEARS IN REAL ESTATE 12 The services we received from Meg were beyond excellent. Meg has gone above and beyond for us. We love her. Frank & Adrienne Iacono

Rainmaker Spotlight: Meg Clark Meg and her husband, Mike “It’s not Meg Clark moved a lot growing up and loved looking at houses with her parents, little did she know unusual for that her interest as a child would one day turn into her career. me to help tidy up before Meg was a stay at home mother to her four children until she became a licensed real estate agent in a showing, 2002. “I thought it sounded like a career I would enjoy,” says Meg. “I knew some of my strengths included connecting with people and sales and felt that these strengths combined with my business help with degree would allow me to be a successful agent. I didn’t realize at the time is real estate is so much staging, more than that.” And that realization is what makes Meg the passionate, diligent, and trusted agent moving she is today, and this month’s Rainmaker. furniture, or Meg earned her Business Administration degree from Salem College in Winston-Salem, NC, the packing boxes, oldest women’s college in the United States, and she puts that degree to use daily as a real estate agent. “There are so many details involved in helping a person make one of the largest financial whatever it decisions in their life,” says Meg. “All of those details are vitally important to the successful close of takes!” a home. My transaction coordinator, Deb Rowan, keeps the details for every transaction organized and is a big part of my success. This allows me more time to be with my clients.” In addition to having every detail organized, Meg is one of the most friendly, down-to-earth people you will ever meet. “I take time to really sit down with my clients and learn their story,” says Meg. “I find out their needs, why they’re making the move they’re making. I like learn about the motivation behind their choices and decisions. In this way, I’m able to understand my clients and best serve them. Often, I’m able to either relate to my clients personally or relate their story to a past client. This fosters a feeling a connectedness between my clients and I and allows them to trust me.”

Meg’s ability to connect to her clients on a personal level is evident by the number of past clients she now calls friends. “The largest majority of my business comes from referrals from past clients,” says Meg. “Richmond is a big “small town” and I run into my past clients regularly when I’m out and about and take the time to stop and visit with them in their home. It’s always fun to catch up with them and find out what’s going on in their lives.” Meg, her husband, and their youngest daughter live in Midlothian. The youngest is in middle school and she enjoys recreational soccer and swimming. Their three other adult children and daughter- in-law also live in the Richmond area, including Chesterfield, Carytown, and Midlothian. Meg also has a three-year-old granddaughter, whom she absolutely adores. With her family spread throughout the greater Richmond area, Meg is very familiar with the entire Richmond region. Meg is always going the extra mile for her clients, both literally and figuratively. “It’s not unusual for me to help tidy up before a showing, help with staging, moving furniture, or packing boxes, whatever it takes!” says Meg. Throughout her years in the business, Meg has gotten creative to meet her clients’ needs. “I had a client that was moving to the area from Michigan and couldn’t come to town to look for a house,” says Meg. “So, my assistant Deb and I would Facetime with this client while walking through several homes they were interested in. They ended up purchasing a home site unseen, other than through Facetime, and couldn’t be happier!” “I really love when we find the right house,” says Meg. “People are excited and so enthusiastic when they picture their lives in the right house. And on the seller’s side, it’s a lot of fun to help my clients get their house ready to show at its very best. I’m thrilled for my seller’s when all of our hard work turns into a successful sale.” “Some of the things I love about working with Liz Moore & Associates are all of the pre-listing services we offer,” says Meg. Meg provides even more value to her clients by hiring an interior designer with staging and marketing expertise. “I bring her in twice, at no cost to my clients. During the initial consultation, she advises my clients on paint colors, furniture placement, decluttering, and minor cosmetic repairs. The second visit, she and I work together staging the professional photography shoot. At that time, we also add all the small details that set the house apart from others on the market. I think this is one of the reasons my listings sell pretty quickly.” If you’re looking a seasoned professional that will always go the extra mile and make you feel like family, then look no further than Meg Clark.





DECLUTT1ER0IN1G HOME STAGING Home staging is one of the most powerful ways to help buyers imagine IS ONE OF THE themselves in your home and make them want to buy it. Decluttering is MOST POWERFUL the first, and most important step, in home staging. Removing clutter WAYS TO BOOST allows buyers to see the structure and space of your home. YOUR SELLING Sentimentality can be a powerful disincentive to declutter. You ADVANTAGE might feel guilty packing away your grandmother's china, or your budding Picasso’s finger paintings, but doing so allows your home to really be seen. Buyers need to be able to picture themselves living in your home, with their furniture and their belongings, and if too many of your things fill their field of vision, they might not be able to see their life there and they might walk away. Decluttering can be overwhelming, so we’ve broken it down and provided some helpful tips. Study your entire house. Go room-by-room, starting with the entryway. Try and view each room for the first time with a stranger’s eyes. Notice anything that sticks out? Try and make each room resemble a neatly organized, clean hotel. Taking it little by little makes the task more manageable rather than trying to tackle the entire house at once. 7

Making piles is very helpful. shine. A few well-placed home décor items can add sparkle to the space. Home stagers follow a “rule of As you go through each room, make a stack of items three” for clustering items into small groups to create to keep, one to donate, one to sell, and one to pack visual interest but not distract from the room. away. Evaluate the value, need, use, and sentimentality of every item, place it in one of the Purge attics, basements, and garages piles, and move on. This organized approach can make the task easier. of clutter. These storage spaces often don’t get much attention and quickly become cluttered, unorganized Creating a spreadsheet can also help. and untidy. Arranging items by type or holiday into clear, labeled tubs can help keep the space looking Each room will have different needs. Upon nice and neat while keeping you organized. It also evaluation, you might find one room needs new helps potential buyers see all of the storage space your paint, while another needs shelving for organization, home offers. and another needs boxes to pack excess items away. Organizing these tasks and needs into a spreadsheet Make sure your bathrooms are spotless. can help prioritize expenses and improvements. Not every house has a luxurious spa, but by cleaning Emptying closets makes a difference. your grout, tile, toilets and showers you can help your bathroom shine. Clearing off vanities and cleaning out Closets often become catchalls and graveyards; drawers, cabinets, and medicine cabinets can help when homeowners don't know what to do with buyers see the storage your bathroom offers and help something they often stash it in a closet and it them imagine their toothbrush by your sink. becomes forgotten with the out-of-sight out-of- mind mentality. A good rule of thumb is discarding Unfortunately, our homes can become cluttered on the anything you haven’t worn in the last year. Studies outside as well as the inside. Check around your show we only really wear about 20 percent of our home’s exterior for outdoor toys, decorations, and clothes and that extra space will make your closets natural clutter like leaves, branches, etc. This is also a look bigger and more attractive to buyers. great time to evaluate your home's overall curb appeal and make sure your home is making a good first Clearing off countertops impression. Lawns, shrubs, trees, and flower gardens should all be kept trimmed and tidy. and bookcases creates clean, visual lines and neutral style, allowing your home, and not your stuff, to You have loved your home and worked hard to maintain it, you want that care and maintenance to show. By removing unnecessary items, you allow your home to shine and make the great first impression needed to impress buyers. Don’t forget your bathrooms! Clean and clutter free is your goal. 8





Congratulations, Meg!