Above and beyond!

That’s how far Jessica Horton went to help us sell our home in Pike County, Georgia. In March 2010, we purchased our retirement dream home in Sun City Peachtree. We currently owned a home in Ranchland Estates, one of the more upscale communities in Pike County.

We knew that Pike County was very desirable and thought it wouldn’t be a problem to sell our Pike County home.

We were sadly mistaken.

First, we listed our home with one of the largest local “mom & pop” real estates companies. It was on the market for 159 days without selling.

Then, we listed with one of those big national franchises that’re always bragging about ‘selling more real estate than anyone.’ Our home was on the market over 590 days!

Finally, we heeded the advice of one of our close neighbors and called Jessica Horton. Jessica had successfully sold our neighbors’ home and they had nothing but high praise for her. We asked her if she could repeat the success she’d had in Sun City Peachtree in Pike County.

Much to our delight, Jessica answered, “Yes! I do sell homes in Pike County, Georgia. I’ve actually sold quite a lot of them. And I’ve got a proven track record of moving properties in the upper price range and more distinguished neighborhoods.”
Jessica and her office came in like the marines seizing a building! All her paperwork was neat and organized. We didn’t even have to ask for copies. She made sure we got everything—and then sent us digital versions. Hundreds of photos went up on her website. The For Sale sign went up. The lockbox went up. Bam! Bam! Bam! Jessica handled everything like the true professional she is.

Our showings increased instantly.

Potential buyers presented offers.

Jessica clued us in to everything that was about to happen—and why—and what her opinion was on how to handle it.

She answered her phone.

She returned calls.

She responded to e-mails, and sent us an e-mail update every week or two.

And she dropped off paperwork—in person—when necessary. She even picked it up very late at night when Mel was doing rehabilitation from knee surgery in the hospital.

Jessica really represented our best interests and really looked out for us. Our sale wasn’t worry free. The buyer had used an unlicensed home inspector who compensated by picking at every detail of our twelve-year-old home. Jessica went the extra mile dealing with this difficult situation. She also held the hand of the other realtor, who turned out to be quite inexperienced. And when it came time for the closing, Jessica intuitively knew she would be needed. On the other hand, we never had to worry: Jessica was always there.

Jessica does things very differently than other agents. She marches to the beat of her own drummer. She does things her way. Why? Because her way works. She had our home under contract in about 3 months…when two of the largest local companies couldn’t do it in 750 days! So, Jessica’s way works well—very well.

And the only thing she cares about is selling her clients’ homes—not the home across the street or the home across town. She cares about her listings. And we appreciated that her focus was entirely on us and doing the job we hired her for.

To sum up, Jessica has got guts. She does her job more than fulltime. We can’t say enough about she helped us through what was a trying time. And we are really, really happy we chose her.

Mel & Mary

Jessica Horton’s Testimonials 02-23-13

Absolutely fabulous!

That’s what we think about Jessica Horton. We found ourselves in a most unusual situation—and Jessica led us down the right path to successfully selling our home.

After our son joined the Air Force, we no longer needed our 2,514SF home in Sun City Peachtree. We had our eyes on another home with a smaller floor plan in the same community, but the first realtor we used generated very little traffic. He also lived several counties away. And he didn’t really know the Sun City Peachtree community. In the end, we lost the opportunity to buy that particular home.

Jessica caught our eye when she sold that first home we were interested in (Our house! The house we wanted to buy!). And then we really took notice of the number of other homes she was selling in Sun City Peachtree. We wanted to sell our home. So we approached her.

Now, our home presented several challenges. To start with, the upstairs loft was huge, with a full bedroom, bathroom, and great room. The stairs, which are not coveted in a retirement community, also were a challenge. We needed to find just the right buyer, someone who didn’t mind stairs, a couple with a large family who would come to visit, or someone who wanted that extra space for crafts or music.

Well, things really started heating up once we listed with Jessica. She posted over a hundred photos of our home. She created a website featuring our property. Jessica had a multitude of buyers lined up in her database. And showings by other agents picked up significantly.

But, after weeks and weeks on the MLS, with Jessica and loads of other agents showing our home—but no offers—Jessica approached us with something highly unusual and very unorthodox: she wanted us to take our home off the MLS completely!

We had placed a contract on another home. Once again the clock was ticking; we didn’t want to lose it. However, we were willing to try just about anything. And, once Jessica took us off the MLS, the number of inquiries increased significantly. And it wasn’t long after that that Jessica found a buyer. We are here to tell you: Jessica knows how and when to think outside the box!

One of the things we liked most about Jessica was that she utilized her real estate background and her familiarity with Sun City Peachtree to bring us back down to earth. Sometimes our expectations needed to be countered with the realities of the market, such as which upgrades were marketable and which were not.

The point is, no one knows the market and the neighborhood better than Jessica does. After all—she lives five minutes away! Most of all, we would encourage other sellers to listen carefully to what Jessica recommends. When clients listen to her, they sell.

The proof is in the pudding: Jessica knows her business! She sold our former home and made sure we were able to buy our new one. She took care of us every step of the way.”

Ken & Vickie

Jessica Horton’s Testimonials 12-12-12

Folks, let’s cut to the chase: we bought our home in Sun City Peachtree a little over a year ago—and Jessica Horton sold it for more money than we paid. And dealing with her was a pleasure.

Jessica is most familiar with the community of Sun City Peachtree and with the price of each of the upgrades. She knows the floor plans and the options. She was able to really break it down and to explain it to the buyers, to show them exactly what was in our home, and, more importantly, what made our home unique.

Jessica makes it her business to be very informed about all the prospects. She didn’t waste our time with buyers who were just looking to look. She screens her prospects; in this case, she narrowed the field to folks who focused on the Tifton Walk home in Sun City Peachtree; and she brings only serious people.

We trusted Jessica implicitly when she showed our home. And after each showing, every light was turned off, every door was locked. When we were out of the country, she was even there for our home inspection, which took several hours.

We believe that Jessica’s real estate website is one of the very best we’ve seen—easy to navigate and very informative. She took over 175 photos, photos that told the story of our home. She documented every square inch of our Tifton Walk residence. In fact, Jessica knows more about our house than we do!

We found that Jessica is very punctual about getting information back to you. She always has her iPad with her. And she took minutes to update us, not days. Whenever a prospect asked a question, she immediately got back to them with the answer. In fact, you would think Jessica lived in Sun City Peachtree!

We believe you could not ask for a more caring person than Jessica to represent you in selling your home. She always goes out of her way to help—she goes above and beyond.

For us, Jessica stepped up to the plate and delivered 120%. We believe she is the only person who can get this job done. When you choose Jessica, we are here to tell you: you’ll have no regrets!

Barry & Rich

Jessica Horton’s Testimonials 11-30-12

Jessica Horton entered our lives on July 27th , 2012. On that day we were packing up my parents’ home in Sun City Peachtree. I was moving them into assisted living; the situation was devastating. When we checked their mail that day, there was a business postcard from Jessica. Little did we know it would be an answer to prayer.

I was responsible for everything regarding my parents. Most of all, I was responsible for selling their home. I had written on my prayer list that we had to sell the home, close on it, and be totally done with it by December 1 st . As it turned out, we listed my parents’ home with Jessica on July 28 th and had a contract on it September 7th . In spite of this economy, the transaction took only 45 days. Jessica was just incredible!

From Day One, Jessica kept me abreast of what was going on. She posted plenty of photos on the web. And she always made herself available to me by both phone and email. I could count on Jessica to return every call.

The thing I would like to stress about Jessica is that she immediately made me feel so confident in her ability to sell the home. From the moment she walked in the door, it was clear that she knew everything about this house—the model, the floor plan, the upgrades, the community— everything . She knew exactly what it took to sell it.

We priced my parents’ home aggressively in order to compete with new construction as well as a foreclosure that had just come on the market across the street. And the offers came in quickly. Jessica did encourage us to hold out for a better offer—I could tell she hated walking away leaving money on the table. But we had to make our decision on what was in the best interest of our family. And Jessica did her job like the true professional that she is.

Today my parents are living closer to me and I have such peace of mind regarding the sale of their home. Throughout the entire transaction, we found Jessica to be extremely personable. She is by far the best real estate agent I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. And, as I said before, we found Jessica to be an answer to prayer.

Joanne M.

Jessica Horton’s Testimonials 10-11-12

Before I met Jessica Horton, my home had been on the market for well over 800 days. I had listed it with two of the biggest national real estate franchises as well as with three different realtors. One of the realtors was even supposedly “the” salesperson in Sun City Peachtree. Nothing happened—all their efforts fizzled.

I had even tried going the For Sale by Owner route. Again, nothing worked.

Then I met Jessica Horton. I had discovered really good things about her on her website. I was most impressed with the number of recent resales that Jessica had racked up.

I was impressed from the outset with Jessica’s energetic efforts to sell my home. She immediately took over 150 pictures of my house and posted them on the web. She also made a really detailed video tour of my home so she could share it with potential buyers. In fact, I was so impressed with Jessica’s work that I shared pointers from her approach with my son who was selling his home in another state!

I believe these two investments—the plentiful photos posted on the web and the effective video—really made the difference between “No Sale” and “Sale.” In fact, Jessica sold my home in only a couple of weeks—and for the full sale price!

Jessica asked me to do several things that made my home more marketable. For example, she asked me to take up all the area rugs on my hardwood floors and tiled sunroom. These floors represented an upgrade which she wanted to bring to the attention of potential buyers.

I always found Jessica to be really good at communicating. Even though she was busy selling homes, she never failed to respond quickly to my emails and phone calls. When I needed to move the closing forward on the calendar, Jessica pushed my request with the buyers and we were able to close in record time.

Jessica doesn’t have hundreds of yard signs advertising her brokerage. Instead, by stint of hard work, she has made herself “the” go-to realtor in Sun City Peachtree. She knows the community—in and out—better than any other agent. She made all the difference in the world in selling my home. I still can’t believe she sold it in under 30 days—and for the full asking price! All I can say is “Thank you, Jessica!”

Elaine F

Jessica Horton’s Testimonials 9-14-12

From start to finish, we have been so impressed with how Jessica serves the clients of her own real estate practice. As thirty-year small business owners ourselves, we appreciate all the things she did to make selling our home a success.

For instance, Jessica always kept in touch with us. She returned emails almost immediately and several times a day. We found her to be very responsive to our requests. When we asked for a meeting, Jessica made it happen. She was more than attentive to us; she went out of her way to put us at ease. Needless to say, her customer service rates very high with us!

We were absolutely amazed when Jessica posted dozens and dozens of photos of our home on the internet—150 in all. We received lots of positive comments from folks who weren’t even looking to buy. Because of this exposure, everyone wanted to tour our home. When we were closing, the buyer who ultimately bought our home said, “I know all about your home; I studied the photos on the internet!”

And Jessica showed our home quite frequently, many times more than other real estate agents we’ve dealt with in the past. We were very satisfied with her efforts.

We would absolutely use Jessica again. We’re already recommending her to anyone who’s interested in selling and buying a home. We tell them that they should definitely talk to her. If they will just get to know her, they’ll be sure to use her. She knows her business inside and out. As an independent agent Jessica can make timely decisions and make things happen. We like that! Bigger does not always mean better.

We can’t say enough good things about her. We both liked Jessica from the beginning. And then she proceeded to put her words into actions. From listing to closing, our sale ran smoothly from start to finish. Jessica did everything she said she would do. She justified the confidence we had in her. You can’t ask for more than that!

Will & Ellie

Jessica Horton’s Testimonials 7-26-12

When Rick landed a new job in Salt Lake City, we had less than three months to sell our house before moving to Utah. After three weeks of unsatisfactory experiences with another agent, we were teamed with Jessica and she made all the difference!

We originally listed our house with another realtor in the same office where Jessica is, but we were not pleased with the service or the results. We asked the broker to step in, who moved us over to Jessica. What a difference! When we asked the original realtor how much we should list the house for, she said it was entirely our decision, and we ended up with an asking price that we felt was too high. Jessica reviewed our situation, analyzed the market and researched the competition. Together we determined the original price [as set by the other agent] was not realistic, and that we should reduce the asking price [to be inline with the current market]. The lower price generated real interest in the house.

The web site that Jessica put together for our house was very professional and effective. The original realtor only took 16 photos and put them on MLS. Jessica took much better photographs and created a YouTube video. She posted 175 professional-grade photos that displayed the house more. Photos are important: when people are online looking at houses: if they don’t see good pictures, they’ll immediately move on the next property.

After Jessica listed our property, we had three showings with her and a contract within three weeks. We wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone who is buying or selling a home. She’s very professional, easy to work with, and very good at what she does. She doesn’t cut corners and she doesn’t pull punches: she tells you the way it is. Jessica worked around our busy schedule, and even came to the house at night over the weekend to meet with us. After our poor experience with the original agent, Jessica took charge and got us the results we needed. We realize that while the realty company is an important choice, the individual agent makes all the difference.

If we were not moving out of state, we would call on her to buy another house. After working with Jessica, we wouldn’t use anybody else!

Rick & Keila

Jessica Horton’s Testimonials 4-23-12

Just recently I heard these words from a potential home seller, “Jessica, the other agent we interviewed said that we might want to reconsider having you—Jessica—come out to view our Pike County, Georgia home. That you only sell homes in Sun City Peachtree.”

Jessica Horton Sets The Record Straight

Well, how very thoughtful of them! They obviously don’t want you, the seller, to waste your time on such things as facts, figures—and even reality. Please, allow me to set the record straight. I sell homes in the greater Griffin, Georgia area. I sell homes in Pike County, Lamar County, Henry County, and sometimes I even venture a little further out.

Now, it is true that I do list—and sell—homes in Sun City Peachtree. And, it is true that I’ve sold several of them this year. But sellers in Sun City Peachtree list with me because they understand the value that I bring to the table. They like the number of transactions that I’ve been involved in. They like my proven results. And they also like how I do things differently. A lot differently than other, run-of-the-mill real estate agents. I think outside the box. And I march to the beat of my own drum.

Now, let me share a little something with you. The people in Sun City Peachtree are good people. Great people. Yes, it is true, many of them are not from around these parts (and some of the more xenophobic residents of Griffin will quickly shout, “Stranger! Danger!”). But I’m telling you, they are still good people. People who have worked very hard their entire lives. And now they are taking it easy and ‘retiring’ (That word is a total misnomer! These folks are some of the most active people I’ve ever seen!). They must guard their money. They must be wise and make good decisions. They can’t afford to make a misstep. And even if they can afford to, they don’t want to. Why would they?

Jessica Horton’s clients understand value

So, they understand value. They understand the importance of watching what they spend and how they spend it. They understand that it’s critical to get what they pay for. And it’s never a good idea to waste time with something—or someone—that probably won’t pan out.

That’s why these good folks like my program. They get it. They see the value. They clearly see the upside. And that’s why many of them go with me as their agent. They know that I will sell their home and save them a lot of money while doing it.

Now, I am often accused of being a lot of things. And being a “discounter” is one of them. But I don’t discount anything. I am a professional. I get paid for what I do, when I do it. I charge a “fair commission” to all my clients—upfront, with a selling bonus at the end. Nobody pays more. Nobody pays less.

It’s fair.

My clients also get to pick and choose from additional services that I offer and be billed for them. Some people want more/expect more…and they don’t mind paying for it. However, others don’t mind a little less flashiness in their marketing, if that will save them some extra money.

But do you know what? It’s entirely up to them—my clients. And they understand the pros and the cons of doing what they do. I explain it to them.

You see, my clients are well informed. This is because I believe that the more informed they are, the better decisions they’ll make. And the more pleasant the experience will be—for them and for me.

I explain the market. I don’t sugarcoat it. But you know what? They may still decide to go with a slightly higher asking price on their home. Why?  They don’t mind waiting a little longer. They don’t always have to sell tomorrow. It can be the next day. The day after that. A fortnight…

Even longer…

Keeping my “Days on the Market” numbers low isn’t the issue. It’s not about me. At all. The issue is helping each individual family accomplish their own unique goals. My clients are the issue. I am not.

Now, certainly I offer my expertise, opinions, and experiences to them, but—ultimately—they decide what’s right—for them. And then I go about making their wishes happen. However, I do document it when I strongly disagree with their course of action. And I re-explain my rationale for preferring another course of action, another approach, etc. But ultimately it’s their choice and I honor their decisions and will do my best to make it happen for them.

To me, being a real estate agent means going on behalf of others (doing their will, taking care of their business). It doesn’t mean Power of Attorney where they completely sign their volition away. I am here to serve.

Yes, I am here to serve my clients. I am here to serve them how they want/expect to be treated. I am here to accomplish their goals, not mine. But, the funny thing is, I actually accomplish my goals by helping others reach theirs!

My clients out in Sun City Peachtree get that. They see the value. They see the potential for saving their money. They see how they can be more competitive. They see that my way of doing things gives them options and flexibility. And, you know what else? They like it!

And, I think you will too. So, call me at 678.871.9660 and let’s talk facts and figures—not conjecture and or drivel that comes out of some agents’ mouths.

Let me show you what I can do for you!

Jessica’s Service Area