Independence Day is just around the corner! Along with America’s independence, 203 Realty is celebrating the first anniversary of their own independence. Last summer, the business, owned for 14 years by Denice Hooth, changed their name from EXIT Realty, when they… well…exited the EXIT franchise to become an independently-owned real estate firm.
Denice thinks the name – 203 Realty – better embraces their tagline: Where your address is more than just a number. She also believes it helps remind everyone of 203’s location at 203 East 4th Avenue in Milbank.
“What hasn’t changed,” Denice, who has been a broker for 11 years says, “Is the same great service by the same great people. Agents Brandon Peery, Emily Madsen, Dominique Boerger, and Ria Berg continue to make up the team at 203. They also have a husband-and-wife team – Ericka and Roy Aldrich– in Webster. “People know they can rely on our reputation, our knowledge of the area, and they know they can trust us,“ Hooth says.
“I’m also proud to say that we are the only office in Milbank that is 100 percent locally-owned and with the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).” Denice explains that membership in the regional MLS gives 203 Realty listings instant exposure to around 40 more brokerage websites, plus individual agent sites. MLS automatically increases a seller’s reach without any extra cost to them.
Denice says, because she no longer has to pay franchise fees, the savings can now be invested in technology, community sponsorships, and marketing that stays close to home. “We want to see our town thrive!” she emphasizes. This summer, in honor of their anniversary, 203 Realty is hosting Sun’s Out, Buns Out days. Enjoy a free lunch courtesy of 203 Realty on the first Monday of every month. The next Sun’s Out Buns Out event is Monday, July 7. Join the party in the realty’s parking lot on Highway 12 off Main Street in Mibank.
Anniversary giveaways also included a $100 traditional fireworks display won by Dawn Schmidt. Tradition is important to the team at 203 Realty. Denice says. “All five of us were born and raised in the Milbank and Wilmot area. We all graduated from high school here, and we are now raising our families here.” Every day, their goal is to help other hardworking families find the perfect home, and they go above and beyond to make each customer’s dreams come true.
Sometimes that means you’ll find 203 Realty agents in unexpected places doing unexpected things. “Whatever it takes, we do it,” Denice says, “So many examples of going above and beyond come to mind, but one experience definitely stands out for her: We had just closed on a home and I asked the seller – a gal– ‘Do you have everything out of the house?’ She said, ‘I have just a few things left.’ But Denice says, “When we went over to her home, I’m not kidding, she hadn’t packed one item in the entire house! I called my family, and we moved her. She had no one to help her. It was such a hot day, but we all worked together to get it done.”
Denice says, “I also will fix a cloud on a title, when others would give up. I take care of paperwork snags behind the scenes so our clients never have to stress about them.” And she adds, “All of us at 203 try to be as flexible as possible. Once, when a sale’s final numbers would have left a homeowner underwater, the brokerage reduced its own commission to give our client the opportunity to move forward and get into their new home.”
“When you work with us, we handle absolutely everything. You can count on us to explain all of the steps to get you to closing and make sure you stay on track,” Denice says. “We are always working to make your experience smooth and stress-free.”
Denice also offers a few words to anyone hoping to sell their home quickly and for the best price. They are: clean, clean, clean. But, she also adds declutter. “When a buyer comes to take a look at your house, you want them to see your house, not your stuff,” she says.
“Let’s say you have a good-sized bedroom, but you have three dressers and a chair in it. All that extra furniture makes it look like there is no floor space. If you remove them, things become more open and airy. The room even appears bigger without adding any square footage.”
Another one of her favorite words for getting your house ready to sell is elbow- grease. She says, “Sprucing up your home’s exterior spaces – mowing the lawn, trimming the bushes, painting around the windows, and cleaning out the gutters can go a long way in impressing buyers. Little things, but they add up to more offers. If the outside needs TLC, buyers will just keep driving. Help buyers to feel warm and welcomed.” Because as fellow South Dakotan Laura Ingalls Wilder said, “Home is the nicest word there is.”Call 605-438-3948 or stop in to 203 Realty today to sell your home or find the home of your dreams.
Staff
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