Sell with John, from Anna Maria Island to Sarasota
Every home sells on its story. I build yours from the details buyers pay for, price it from recent closed sales, and put it in front of the right buyers through Douglas Elliman and my own audience.
How your sale comes together
Every listing gets its own marketing plan. Here is the order it runs in, from our first walkthrough to closing.
- Before we list
Pricing and the story
We walk the home together. I price it from recent closed sales in your neighborhood and price tier, then build the story around what buyers in that tier pay for: the water, the light, the build and how the home lives day to day.
- Preparation
Staging, in person or virtual
I tell you which repairs and updates are worth making and which are not. Furnished rooms are styled for the camera. Empty rooms can be virtually staged so buyers see scale and layout, clearly labeled as virtually staged.
- Production
Photography, video and drone
We tap world-class photography and videography crews for stills, cinematic video and drone footage of the home, the water and the neighborhood. When the home calls for it, a narrated video tour or 360-degree walkthrough lets out-of-town buyers see it in detail before they fly in.
- The channel plan
A plan for every channel
Each listing's marketing plan includes a comprehensive channel plan: who the likely buyers are, where they are, and what each channel shows them, and when.
- Stellar MLS and its partner sites
- Douglas Elliman network and elliman.com
- YouTube
- Social media campaigns
- John's Catch newsletter
- Agent outreach
- Launch
Live everywhere, and top agents hear from me
The home goes live on the MLS, Douglas Elliman and my channels together. I reach out directly to top agents in Sarasota and Manatee, and to Elliman colleagues in the markets our buyers come from, so the agents most likely to have your buyer see it first.
- Press
Regional and national media
My background in PR and Douglas Elliman's in-house PR team are put to work pitching your home's story to regional and national media outlets.
- Showings to closing
Showings, offers and closing
Qualified showings and open houses with buyer follow-up, feedback after each showing, and negotiation on price, terms and inspections through closing.
107 Tuna Street, Anna Maria Island
New construction, under contract before completion. The omnichannel plan started while the home was still being built:
- Direct mail
- Print and digital ads in the Observer and other outlets
- A behind-the-build YouTube series
- Instagram posts and Reels
- Targeted email campaigns
From plans to closing
I started on the development side, so I can price and position a spec or custom home before it is finished, work alongside your team, and market it through construction with renderings, plans and progress video.
Talk with me about your next projectWhat clients say
John Forberger is hands down the best agent I have ever worked with in 40 years of buying and selling houses across the country.
I would recommend you to anyone looking to sell. I knew you'd get the job done because you saw the value of my community and knew how to market my home.
You were a pleasure to work with along with being informative, timely, and extremely professional.
Questions sellers ask
How do you market a home over $3 million?
With a written plan built around the home's story: professional photography, video and drone, virtual staging where it helps, and a narrated video tour or 360-degree walkthrough when the home calls for it. A channel plan sets out how the home reaches buyers through Stellar MLS, Douglas Elliman's network, Instagram, YouTube and the John's Catch newsletter, with direct outreach to top agents and press pitches through Douglas Elliman's in-house PR team.
How do you decide the list price?
John starts with recent closed sales from Stellar MLS in your neighborhood and price tier, adjusts for condition, renovations, lot, water access and view, and checks what is active and how long it is taking to sell. A comparative market analysis is a pricing opinion, not an appraisal.
Should I renovate or update before I list?
Not always. Before you spend money, John shows you what similar homes with and without updates have sold for, so you can see whether a project is likely to pay for itself in your price tier.
Can I sell a home before construction is finished?
Yes. A home can be marketed and go under contract during construction using plans, renderings, progress video and a clear specification sheet. 107 Tuna Street on Anna Maria Island went under contract before completion.
How long will it take to sell?
It depends on price tier, location and condition. John shows you the current months of supply and recent days on market for homes like yours before you list, so the timeline is based on data.