massachusetts lakefront real estate

MANSFIELD, MA…

Most people in the real estate understand the market is feast or famine. Lakefront Living Realty Owner Scott Freerksen, however has decided to exercise portion control during the spring busy season, limiting the number of properties his Mansfield, Massachusetts-based firm will sell to no more than five at a time.

“After 10 years of selling only lakefront properties, we have discovered a fundamental truth about this niche: Selling a lakefront property is different than any type of real estate. Not only does it take a high level of knowledge and experience with the lakefront lifestyle, but it takes a substantial amount of effort and planning,” said Freerksen. “By making a promise to every seller that we will never carry more than five listings at a time we can guarantee our premier level of service.”

To accommodate customer number six and beyond, Lakefront Living Realty has created a waiting list. Due to the firm’s expertise in selling lakefront property and built-in buyer list, Freerksen doesn’t anticipate lengthy delays, and sellers believe it’s worth the wait.

Freerksen and his Lakefront Specialty Agents start with the understanding that a buyer is not buying a house, they are buying a lake and a lifestyle. Therefore, the details of the lake itself become the number one consideration. To that end, Lakefront Living’s website solves a number of the issues prospective buyers face when looking for lakefront property.

First, the site  displays ONLY direct lakefront properties from the entire MLS; taking a typical three-hour search down to 15 seconds. Second, the site provides specifications of every lake in New England. After 10 years of research and counting, Lakefront Living has an extensive lake database, all online. Third, the brokerage provides local lakefront specialty agents to coach buyers through the uniqueness of a lakefront purchase.

Currently, more than 25,000 lakefront buyers visit LakefrontLiving.com every month. Five thousand of those visitors have registered on the site as serious buyers anxiously awaiting the next Lakefront Living Realty listing.

“Sellers are starting to understand that whomever controls the buyers holds the key to selling lakefront listings faster and for top dollar”, Freerksen added. “We capitalized the lakefront buyer market. Our website, combined with our popular Keys to Buying Lakefront Property seminar, enables our 5,000 buyers to be the best educated and qualified lakefront buyers in the marketplace.”

Approximately every 10 days, the brokerage adds the next listing to their family of lakefront homes. 90% of the times, their listings sell to one of their own 5000 buyers. When that is the case, Lakefront Living Realty reduces their commission rate. Everyone wins.

Jeanne Wallace was a lakefront homeowner on Lake Maspenock in Hopkinton, MA. “Listing with Scott’s team was a great experience. I would secretly listen in when Lakefront Living Realty agents were showing the property. They never talked about bedrooms and bathrooms. They always discussed the lifestyle the buyers would be enjoying; early morning kayak rides, dinner boat cruises, grandkids playing on the beach, etc. They hooked them emotionally, and that made all the difference. It sold quickly, for over asking price, to one of their registered buyers.”

So why does Lakefront Living Realty have a waiting list of sellers?

“It goes against conventional industry wisdom, but we provide premier personalized service utilizing extensive nationwide marketing plans and professional photos and videos to properly sell the lakefront lifestyle,” said Freerksen. “We can’t do that if we are carrying 40 to 50 listings. Once we take on a client, they receive 100 percent of our attention.”

Adds Freerksen, “Most Realtors are generalists, and that’s OK, but they lack the lifestyle experience to succeed in this niche. Eighty percent of our listings come from sellers who tried and failed when hiring ‘the most popular realtor in town’. All our agents live on lakes themselves, they can walk the walk and talk the talk.”

About Lakefront Living Realty, LLC

Based in Mansfield, Massachusetts, Lakefront Living Realty, LLC is a full service real estate brokerage specializing solely on the purchase and sale of pond and lakefront property in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Owner Scott “The Lake Guy” Freerksen, a Real Estate Broker and Realtor, founded Lakefrontliving.com in 2003 as way to support his real estate practice and to bring to potential buyers and sellers a website that features direct lakefront homes. All the “riverfront”, “oceanfront”, “across the street”, “within walking distance” homes are taken out of the site.

Lakefront Living Realty has one mission: To passionately unite Buyers and Sellers of lakefront property. For complete information, please visit www.lakefrontliving.com or call Scott at 508-377-7167.

Can’t wait to sell your lakefront home? You might have to. Lakefront real estate agency builds waiting list of sellersRead More

MANSFIELD, MA…

When you buy a lake house, it’s about more than just the physical structure and easy access to the water. You really are buying a lifestyle. And that’s precisely what you’re selling when you deem it time to sell your lakefront property. And that takes a certain expertise that many selling agents who specialize in more traditional properties don’t necessarily possess.

“When you’re shopping for a house, the first thing prospective buyers want to see varies—bedrooms, baths, ‘man cave’, etc. People buying lake houses want to go to the water first to check out the view, where they can launch their boat, place their fire pit or hang a tire swing.  So, it makes sense to spruce up that path to the water and make it as attractive as possible,” said Scott Freerksen, owner of Lakefront Living Realty, LLC, a Massachusetts-based brokerage that specializes in properties that are directly on lakes.

Freerksen recommends a number of other enhancements and “staging” techniques prior to putting your lakefront property on the market:

• Define the destination – Lakefront buyers will first want to go right down to the water. Be sure there is a welcoming, defined and well-lit pathway leading to the water’s edge/dock.
• Dock and Deck Safety – If you have docks, decks and/or shoreline walls, be sure they are sturdy and safe. Replace / repair any loose boards. Floating docks should be roped off…not everyone is used to walking on them.
• Shoreline Curb Appeal -Clean all debris, leaves and dead fish from shoreline. Rake all aquatic weeds and bottom muck as far out into the lake as you can reach. Have photos displayed on a flyer that show the shoreline conditions in ALL seasons, particularly summer.
• Lifestyle Staging – Buyers are buying a lake home for the lifestyle it will provide them. Help them understand by neatly staging your shoreline and lakeside yard with lifestyle items: kayaks, fishing equipment, swim towels, fire pit, etc. Don’t overdo it, but let them know how they will be spending their days. Provide a great lakefront “experience”.
• Lake Tours – Have a kayak, canoe or pontoon boat at the ready (with life jackets). There’s no better way to secure a lakefront sale then to get the buyers out on the water! Again, reinforce the lifestyle.
• Market the Lake – Create flyers that have EVERY detail on the lake itself. Size (in acres), depth (maximum and average), allowed recreation, boating rules & regulations, Lake Association information, aquatic weeds, public access, boat launches, fish type, etc.
• Lake Visibility – If a buyer enters the home first, they will immediately walk to where they can see the lake. So be sure any window glass and/or sliders are perfectly spotless.
• Marketing Materials – 95 percent of buyers start their search online. Photos and video must “tell the story” of the home and lakefront location. Assume the buyer knows nothing about the lake and area. Walk them through your location virtually. Panoramic shots of the lake, as well as photos showing the home from out on the water, are critical.
• Share Your Experience – One of the most powerful tools you can create is a letter to the future owner. Talk about your lakefront experiences, raising your children, the benefits of that particular location of the water, the wildlife, the neighbors, your favorite lake activity, etc. It also helps you to remove yourself from your own emotional attachment. This will be critical to the future success of the sales process.

“Perhaps the biggest thing is working with a selling agent who has experience selling lakefront properties and knows the presentation aspect of selling a lakefront property,” said Freerksen. “Just like buying a lakefront property, selling a lakefront property can be a once in a lifetime opportunity. If you’re an older homeowner or if it’s your parents’ home and you need some of the money to fund their care, getting your asking price is critical. These fairly simple steps can have a great impact in getting that price and how quickly the home sells.”

Lakefront Living Realty, LLC routinely holds information seminars for prospective sellers and buyers of lakefront property. Their next seminar, “Keys to Lakefront Buying”, takes place on Saturday, March 16, from 10am to noon. The seminar is $29 and seating is limited to the first 50 people. All attendees will be entered into a drawing for a free kayak. To register, please visit http://www.lakefrontliving.com/seminarKeys.asp  or call 508-377-7167.

About Lakefront Living Realty, LLC

Based in Mansfield, Massachusetts, Lakefront Living Realty, LLC is a full service real estate brokerage specializing solely on the purchase and sale of pond and lakefront property in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Owner Scott “The Lake Guy” Freerksen, a Real Estate Broker and Realtor, founded Lakefrontliving.com in 2003 as way to support his real estate practice and to bring to potential buyers and sellers a website that features direct lakefront homes. All the “riverfront”, “oceanfront”, “across the street”, “within walking distance” homes are taken out of the site.

Lakefront Living Realty has one mission: To passionately unite Buyers and Sellers of lakefront property. For complete information, please visit www.lakefrontliving.com or call Scott at 508-377-7167.

Staging a lake house – How to prepare a lakefront home for saleRead More

MANSFIELD, MA…

In general, there’s something about the spring that elicits hope in even the most cynical among us. Perhaps it’s the fact that spring marks the start of a new beginning for everyone and everything. Even the Red Sox are still in contention on the first day of spring. For those looking to buy lakefront property, there’s very good reason to be hopeful in the spring because it is statistically when most lakefront homes sell.

“We’ve been in business for 10 years and I’d say 40 percent of all our sales take place between the months of February and May,” said Scott Freerksen, owner of Lakefront Living Realty, LLC, a Massachusetts-based brokerage that specializes in properties that are directly on lakes.

Freerksen says there are a number of reasons why spring generates more sales than any other time of year for lakefront homes. Those can include:

• Eager buyers who want to buy a lakefront property and be moved in time for the summer season. Some can be so eager that they might overpay in order to get in for the summer.
• Motivated sellers – Many lakefront homeowners put their property on the market in the late summer or fall. If the property is still on the market come late February or early March, some might be more flexible with their asking price.
• Cold and inclement winter weather – Bad weather in the winter and early spring discourages foot traffic to view and visit lakefront properties. This means fewer casual buyers and more serious players looking to make a deal. This can greatly expedite going from purchase and sale to done deal.
• Lakefront properties taken off the market – With a traditional home, the decision to sell is usually pretty straightforward. With lakefront homeowners, the decision to leave the lake can be very difficult and there’s likely a greater chance for the seller to pull the home from the market the closer you get to the warm weather. That tends to make buyers more aggressive with their bid

“Of course, another reason for spring being a great time to buy is that prices for lakefront properties have been fairly flat the last several years so the motivated and educated consumer knows they can find very good value, especially if they work with a broker that knows the ins and outs of buying lakefront property,” said Freerksen.

Lakefront Living Realty, LLC routinely holds information seminars for prospective buyers of lakefront property. Their next seminar, “Keys to Lakefront Buying”, takes place on Saturday, March 16, from 10am to noon. The seminar is $29 and seating is limited to the first 50 people. All attendees will be entered into a drawing for a free kayak. To register, please visit http://www.lakefrontliving.com/seminarKeys.asp  or call 508-377-7167.

About Lakefront Living Realty, LLC

Based in Mansfield, Massachusetts, Lakefront Living Realty, LLC is a full service real estate brokerage specializing solely on the purchase and sale of pond and lakefront property in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Owner Scott “The Lake Guy” Freerksen, a Real Estate Broker and Realtor, founded Lakefrontliving.com in 2003 as way to support his real estate practice and to bring to potential buyers and sellers a website that features direct lakefront homes. All the “riverfront”, “oceanfront”, “across the street”, “within walking distance” homes are taken out of the site.

Lakefront Living Realty has one mission: To passionately unite Buyers and Sellers of lakefront property. For complete information, please visit www.lakefrontliving.com or call Scott at 508-377-7167.

For lakefront buyers, hope springs eternal—particularly in the springRead More

MANSFIELD, MA…

For many home buyers, the chance to own a home on a lake is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To help educate buyers so they can make that big decision an educated and informed one, Lakefront Living Realty, LLC, a Mansfield, MA-based brokerage that specializes in properties that are directly on lakes, is hosting “Keys to Buying Lakefront Property” seminar on March 16.

“Purchasing a lakefront home is different than any other real estate,” said Scott Freerksen, AKA “The Lake Guy” and owner of Lakefront Living Realty, a realtor that represents both buyers and sellers of lakefront properties. “This seminar provides the vital knowledge needed to purchase and sell correctly.”

The event, which will be held from 10 am to noon at the Mansfield Holiday Inn at 31 Hampshire Street in Mansfield, will feature several guest experts covering a breadth of topics related to buying and selling a lake front home. Those include:

• The top 10 facts you need to know about lakes in New England
• Finding the best deals first and negotiating the best contract
• Matching your recreational needs to the perfect lake and location
• How to build your dream home within waterfront regulations
• Considerations for financing a second home or rental property

• Evaluating lake conditions, water quality, weed content
• Home orientation, dock options & green design
• Understanding lakefront values and maintenance
• Validating your price range and confirming your priorities
• Watershed & lake management best practices
• Choosing the perfect boat for recreation & entertaining

Said an attendee of last year’s seminar, “Before coming to your seminar, I thought all lakes were the same. Now I know the right questions to ask when checking out the lakes in my area.

Admission to “Keys to Lakefront Buying” seminar is $29 and seating is limited to the first 50 people. All attendees will be entered into a drawing for a free kayak. To register, please visit http://www.lakefrontliving.com/seminarKeys.asp  or call 508-377-7167.

About Lakefront Living Realty, LLC

Based in Mansfield, Massachusetts, Lakefront Living Realty, LLC is a full service real estate brokerage specializing solely on the purchase and sale of pond and lakefront property in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Owner Scott “The Lake Guy” Freerksen, a Real Estate Broker and Realtor, founded Lakefrontliving.com in 2003 as way to support his real estate practice and to bring to potential buyers and sellers a website that features direct lakefront homes. All the “riverfront”, “oceanfront”, “across the street”, “within walking distance” homes are taken out of the site.

Lakefront Living Realty has one mission: To passionately unite Buyers and Sellers of lakefront property. For complete information, please visit www.lakefrontliving.com or call Scott at 508-377-7167.

Lakefront Living offers expert seminar on buying and selling lakefront property, March 16, 10am to 12pm, MansfieldRead More