As an associate broker with Keller Williams Realty East Valley, Amy Lines is devoted to helping her clients get the best possible price when selling their homes.
About four years ago, Lines noticed a dramatic shift in the East Valley real estate market that seemed to take place almost overnight, and that had a tangible impact on how quickly homes were selling.
“For most of my 28-year career, the Valley has been a seller’s market, meaning that most homes will sell, regardless of condition or location,” Lines says. “When there is a shortage of inventory, there’s pretty much a buyer for every house.”
That reality changed quickly and significantly in 2022 when interest rates increased drastically, making homes less affordable for the average buyer.
“With the sudden decrease in buyer demand, we found that not every home that hit the market was actually selling,” Lines says, adding that the number one reason homes were suddenly not attracting buyers any longer was because they were not priced appropriately for their condition. “If a home isn’t selling in the current market, then the homeowners have an option of either reducing their price or improving the condition of the property so that it is more appealing to the buyers who are actively searching for a new home.”
This new real estate landscape, combined with her unwavering commitment to clients, inspired Lines—who runs her business with her husband, Garrett—to create LevelUp, a program that helps sellers make small cosmetic improvements that yield big returns on the market.
“In most cases, we are arranging for the house to be repainted, updating some lighting, or maybe installing new countertops or removing an outdated backsplash—things like that,” Lines says. “It’s certainly not a full renovation, but rather just a ‘refresh’ to help the home show its best in this competitive market.”
Lines notes that homes in Chandler that were built in the early 2000s are prime candidates for her LevelUp Program.
“We know that interior design styles typically last about 10 years before they go through a transformation to a completely different style,” she says. “Many of the homes that were built in Chandler 20-plus years ago were designed around a Tuscan or Spanish design aesthetic; then about 10 years later, everything switched to either gray and white farmhouse or mid-century modern.”
Today’s trend has changed once again to what Lines calls a “modern coastal, organic modern, or modern ranch style,” which features a color palette and materials that are very different than what was being used over two decades ago.
In a strong seller’s market, Lines says these types of outdated properties would have still sold, and the buyers would have done the updates and renovations themselves after they purchased the property.
“But in a more balanced market, or even a soft seller’s market—like we are experiencing in Chandler right now—many buyers aren’t particularly interested in taking on these projects,” she says. “The current statistic is that only 61 percent of listed homes are successful in finding a buyer. The other 39 percent of listed homes either languish on the market or the owners are forced to come up with a different plan. That’s where LevelUp comes in.”
Rather than asking her already-busy clients to take care of all of the seemingly endless details associated with scheduling renovations, Lines gladly takes the reins to help coordinate the small changes that will make the most impact in today’s real estate market.
“We handle a lot of the annoying and time-consuming tasks associated with these types of projects, such as selecting materials and getting bids from contractors,” she says. “We try to make it as easy as possible on our clients so that they can relax and focus on packing and preparing for their move, and we can get the home on the market with minimal hassle.”
Through the LevelUp program, Lines also handles managing the projects, as well as providing a targeted marketing plan, staging services, and market expertise.
If the cost of the project is a concern for the home seller, Lines says in some situations, on a case-by-case basis, she and Garrett will pay for the project themselves and be reimbursed when the home sells.
As Lines notes, home sellers who invest in these seemingly small improvements will not only usually have a faster sale, but also their home will sell for a higher price.
While a fresh coat of paint, modern countertops, and a beautiful backsplash might not seem like huge upgrades, prospective buyers definitely notice and appreciate them, and are more likely to make an offer.
“We have had great success with this program over the past two years,” she says. “One hundred percent of our LevelUp properties have closed escrow, so this is truly a win-win for our clients and us. Plus, the buyers get an even better home to move into.”
"We have had great success with this program over the past two years"—Amy Lines