Renovating to sell

Realtors know how important pre-sale updates are, but adding new clients can sometimes be challenging. Curbio - a home improvement solution for real estate agents and their clients - which ensures that the houses are sold quickly and at the best price.
If there's one thing almost every real estate agent agrees on - no matter how different their local market - it's that updating the home before it goes on the market is critical to getting the highest price. Smart and focused improvements can make a huge difference in how much the home sells for and what it sells for.
But home improvements can be stressful and require significant time and money, forcing sellers to fork over cash they may not have available. And real estate agents must often do a delicate dance, pushing clients to embrace strategic improvements to a home they may have lived in and loved for years.
"The emotional attachment people have to their homes can be a challenge when a professional comes to consult with them and tell them what they need to do to get the highest price for their home," said Brian Jenkins, a real estate agent serving clients in the Washington, D.C., area. si. and metropolitan Baltimore.

Curbio - the leading home improvement company that works exclusively with real estate agents and their clients nationwide - is tackling these longstanding challenges head on. The company leverages its unique insights into the specific home improvements that offer the best return on investment, as well as its no-interest payment-at-closing model, to help agents and their clients sell their homes quickly – and for a higher profit.
"We work alongside the agent and the homeowner to determine what changes need to be made to the home to make it appealing to a broad audience," said Rick Rodman, Corbio's founder and CEO. "And not only do we offer this incredible benefit of industry expertise and an efficient solution, but if you sell your home, you don't pay a penny until closing."
What home buyers want in 2021

Of course, not all home improvements are created equal, so Corbio works with real estate agents to focus specifically on those that add value, such as basic repairs and touchups and kitchen and bathroom refreshes. Industry reports show that targeted upgrades in these spaces have a high return on investment, and real estate agents like Jenkins — who has partnered with Curbio on several renovations — call them "the best" that offer "the most bang for your buck." Curbio makes it their mission to stay on top of trends, which ones are out, and which updates are doing the most to attract a wide variety of buyers.
In kitchens, sellers can't go wrong with white shaker cabinets and white kitchen tiles, Curbio experts say. But the company is also attuned to newer trends in the market with staying power, such as two-tone kitchens with styling islands in colors like deep dark. One thing Corbio often does to get a higher return for sellers is to paint kitchen cabinets instead of replacing them to keep costs low and still achieve the modern look buyers want.
In bathrooms, relatively simple changes like adding a freestanding bathtub or a vanity-style sink can add tremendous value. Updating finishes can, too, and Curbio has a preset library of materials and finishes that its team knows sell well. For example, Corbio recently added muted gold and black hardware options, Rodman said.
Elsewhere in the home, updating the flooring or simply repainting the walls in clean, neutral colors -- like just the right shade of gray -- can make a difference, Rodman said. Indeed, recent studies show that simply repainting a bathroom in the right colors can increase bid prices by almost 2%.
"People want to enter a house and feel a sense of innovation, even if it's not a new house," Rodman said. "Even something as simple as a fresh coat of paint can help sell a home and make it attractive to a wide group of buyers. Almost every home needs some level of updating before it goes on the market.”
Curbio's no-interest, pay-at-closing model makes the necessary pre-listing improvements accessible to any seller, whether the property needs a more practical renovation or a simple refresh.

The importance of speed
As any real estate agent knows, time is of the essence when a real estate transaction is on the table. Curbio streamlines the home renovation process so that updates are completed quickly and efficiently. "The first thing is that we are able to issue a price quote within 24 hours," Rodman explained. When it's time to start work, Curbio's selection of quality, ready-to-ship materials ensures that the project is completed with materials that sell well and there are no delays.
"There is speed in the proposal. There is speed in the renovation. There is speed for planning, and then there is speed for execution," Rodman explained. Indeed, according to Curbio's internal estimates, its pre-listing updates complete 60% faster, result in 58% fewer days on market, and achieve an additional $50,000 in average profit for sellers.
One of Curbio's full-time project managers will take care of every detail of the project from start to finish, ensuring the timely delivery of materials, coordinating the subcontractors' schedules and maintaining the project.
To ensure the estate agent and seller are up-to-date, Curbio project managers provide regular text, photo and video updates for agents and their clients via the Curbio app, which clients and agents can access from anywhere, anytime.
"We provide this certainty and transparency to the construction process that most people don't have," Rodman said of Corbio's innovative technology.

Teamwork makes a dream come true
While Curbio certainly facilitates renovating for sale, they don't work alone. The company's model depends on a vast network of pre-vetted subcontractors and strong partnerships with real estate agents that provide invaluable local insights. These agents see their partnership with Curbio as a game-changing tool that allows them to elevate their customer service without requiring an additional time commitment.
"It gives me more added value with my clients," Jenkins said. "Before I knew about Corbio, I often heard people say, 'I don't have the money,' or, 'Can I sell it as is?'" Jenkins recalls working with several clients who inherited a house with a mortgage on it—it required a lot of work.

"It was in pretty bad shape. We came with Corbio, did renovations and added about $100,000 in value to the house. This put the brothers in a position to walk away with some money after they sold the property," he said. "If they were to sell it as is, they probably wouldn't be able to cover the mortgage."
Anne Rosselli, who has sold real estate in downtown Chicago for 30-plus years and has been a partner with Corbio for the past two years, is in a similar situation right now. She is working with a client who inherited an apartment that hasn't been updated in 35 years, and who could make a lot more money if she renovated before selling.
"Corbio acts as a general contractor, supervises the subcontractors, acts as a liaison between the subcontractor and the apartment's management company, and is responsible for the cost of the renovation," she said, noting that the company also helps with the preparation. "It's win-win-win! My seller will be able to sell her apartment faster and for more money, the buyers will have a new apartment in move-in condition, and we help the neighbors maintain the values ​​of their homes."
By working together to focus on renovations that bring the highest return on investment, Corbio helps agents work with homeowners who have put off remodeling because they aren't sure it's worth it or think they can't afford it.

"It sounds too good to be true, I got it!" Rosselli said. "But it works."