She looks for the signs that a homeowner might be getting ready to sell — a dumpster in a front yard or maybe a home she knows well that suddenly gets some sprucing up and curb appeal.
Her tactics might seem extreme, though occasionally, they pay off.
“I would turn the whole car around if I see a dumpster in the front yard,” joked Booker-Johnson, adding she did exactly that recently while driving through a Richmond neighborhood off Walmsley Boulevard.
She saw a home being cleaned out, stopped to talk to the homeowners and learned that they were getting ready to sell. She brought a client by and, ultimately, that individual bought the house for $175,000 before it even went on the market.
Booker-Johnson said she tends to look for homes priced at $300,000 and under “because it’s rare to see them and it’s still an affordable price.”
Back in Henrico, Solomon, who sold her house for over the asking price, said the pandemic pushed her family to sell.
With two adults and four children under one roof, “COVID made this house real small, real fast,” she said of her former home.
They were hesitant, she said, until they were convinced by their real estate agents that their home didn’t have to be perfect to be listed. They put some fresh paint on the walls and decluttered rooms. They listed it on a Thursday, went away for the weekend and came back to five offers, all above list price and added enticements.