Navigating Real Estate with Heart: Marc Afzal’s Unique Approach

In the bustling realm of real estate, few bring the personal touch to transactions quite like Marc Afzal. As the force behind Sell Quick California, LLC, Marc combines his 22 years of industry experience with a passion for helping homeowners in challenging situations. His dedication goes beyond speedy transactions, ensuring each client feels valued and understood.

Source Contact Info:

• Name: Marc Afzal
• Company: Sell Quick California, LLC 
• Email: [email protected]
• Company Website: https://www.SellQuickCalifornia.com
• Phone: O:1-866-497-8248/ D:925-854-7400
• Experience: 22+ Years as a Real Estate Broker, Mortgage Broker, and Real Estate Investor.
• Licenses: Ca Brokers License: 01423695, CA NMLS license: 325370

Dive into Marc’s story, his secret to standing out in a saturated California market, and his golden advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

The Beginning of the Journey

SBS – Can you share the story of how your business journey began? What inspired you to start it?

Marc – My business journey began when I realized that there was a need for a reliable and trustworthy real estate investing company. I wanted to create a company that could help people in difficult financial situations, so I decided to start Sell Quick California.

Branding and Identity

SBS – Choosing the right name for a business is crucial. How did you come up with the name for your brand, and what significance does it hold?

Marc – The name “Sell Quick California” was inspired by my mission to provide quick and efficient real estate solutions. I wanted to make sure that people knew that they could trust us to get the job done quickly and efficiently.

Funding and Financing

SBS – Starting a business often requires capital. How did you fund your business initially, and did you explore any unique financing options?

Marc – When I started Sell Quick California, I funded the business with my own savings. I also explored some unique financing options, such as hard money lenders and private money investors.

Market Differentiation

SBS – How do you differentiate your products/services in your market?

Marc – We differentiate ourselves in our market by offering a wide range of services, such as cash offers in as quick as 24 hours and the sale of their home within two weeks or less. We also provide personalized customer service and strive to make sure that our clients are satisfied with our services, such as help with credit repair, relocation assistance, junk removal, and more.

A Day in the Life of an Entrepreneur

SBS – As an entrepreneur, what does a typical day look like for you?

Marc – As an entrepreneur, my typical day consists of managing the day-to-day operations of the business, such as responding to customer inquiries, managing our team, and developing new strategies. I also spend a lot of time networking and connecting with other entrepreneurs and business owners.

Overcoming Challenges

SBS – What are the main challenges you’ve faced in the California real estate market, and how have you overcome them?

Marc – With so many options in the iBuyer real estate investor market in California, one of the challenges we had to overcome was establishing an identity and differentiating ourselves from competitors. We provide everything from a service-based standpoint at a personal level. From the initial call to the day we close, we treat each client like family, not just another customer or number.

Client Base Growth in a Competitive Market

SBS – Given the competitive nature of the real estate industry, especially in California, what strategies have you implemented to maintain and grow your client base?

Marc – We use our CRM to handle our database and have configured email marking follow-up campaigns for every situation and client. We also have set up contracts to close campaigns to help us remember the most important tasks as we progress on a close and our clients. Our CRM setup like this allows us to provide superior service and obtain high-quality reviews and feedback that we use in our marketing campaigns to grow our client base further. 

Pricing Strategies and Market Trends

SBS – How do you determine the right price to offer when buying a house for cash? Are there any specific factors or market trends you consider?

Marc – We closely follow market trends and local market data to determine our values for each property. Our Cash Offer formula is transparently advertised on our How It Works page, and it is straightforward for any client to understand. 

Clients Cash Offer = ARV – Repairs Costs – Selling Costs – ROI.

ARV: After Repair Value 

Repair Costs: Cost to remodel and rehab home to 2023 standards

Selling Costs: Costs to pay commissions and closing costs. 

ROI: Our 10% minimum profit requirement for the work and service we provide

Behind the Scenes

SBS – Can you walk us through the process once someone fills out the form on your website? What happens behind the scenes?

Marc – The client submits their contact info, and we do an initial property search behind the scenes. We ensure the person who submitted the information is the owner or someone else based on a quick title search. We then quickly run some comparable of the home to gauge the after-repair value. These also can simultaneously be done while dialing and calling the client.

Our goal is always to immediately reach out to the seller and discuss their needs for selling. We see what their motivations are and discuss the property’s condition. We then decide if we are the right fit for the seller.

If a client has a property that needs no work, and the seller has no urgency to sell for any life circumstances, then we typically recommend that they work with a realtor. If we see a fit in terms of the property needing work or the seller having a life circumstance to which the property is a burden, then we discuss the next steps, which include property photos or a walk-through of the home.

We provide a cash offer once we have our initial walk-through or receive pictures. If that cash offer is approved, we open escrow and start the next steps of purchasing the home.

Handling Properties in Poor Condition

SBS – How do you handle homes that might be in poor condition or require significant renovations? Do you have a team or contractors you work with?

Marc – We love homes that need a ton of work and renovations! We take great pride in gutting out homes and making neighborhoods look beautiful again. Typically, these homes need permits because of the excess work, so we team up with the city to get permits and make sure we do everything by code.

We work with contractors and ensure we have a great home that meets the latest standards. Our contractors are always on call for any new projections, and we typically like to get them there for the first property walk-through and then a second walk-through after we have completed the purchase.

Staying Informed in a Dynamic Market

SBS – In a constantly evolving market, how do you stay updated with the latest real estate trends, laws, and regulations in California?

Marc – We typically follow publications and receive newsletters that provide up-to-date trends and laws. We are part of CAR, NAR, local MLS, and Realtor associations.

Profitability in the Promise

SBS – With the promise of “no repairs, no inspections, no agents, no fees, no commissions,” how do you ensure profitability for your business?

Marc – We make sure that our numbers are as accurate as possible with our formula. We also have an in-house listing process, saving money on some of the expenses of listing the homes for resale. Overall, we make sure our numbers make sense before agreeing to a purchase. It’s always about a win-win situation with us and our clients. If the sellers and we are not benefitting, we do not move forward and make other recommendations.

Swift Offers and Fair Market Value

SBS – Given that you promise an offer within 24 hours, how do you maintain such a quick turnaround while ensuring the offers are fair and in line with market value?

Marc – Typically, we have someone always ready to call any new incoming leads after business hours. We still maintain that same level and rotate those hours of coverage. In certain situations, an answering service completes our initial calls and schedules appointments. We ensure we estimate our offers accurately because we use the same formula and sources, which typically take 5–10 minutes to complete.

Memorable Success Stories

SBS – Can you share a memorable success story or a particular deal that stands out in your journey so far?

Marc – One of the most memorable was a property in the SF Bay Area in which the home was inherited by a family in Minnesota. Every aspect of the purchase was done via phone calls and emails with the seller’s financial advisors. We beat out six other investors and realtors simply because we built a ton of rapport with the financial advisors and sellers. We stuck through each hurdle and ensured we made it an easy sale for the sellers. We cared for all the furniture, trash, and even a car left behind! Let’s not forget all the rats and their droppings in the garage as well!

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs in Real Estate

SBS – For someone wanting to start a similar business in another state, what advice would you give them based on your experiences in California?

Marc – First and foremost, take action, learn as much as possible, and join some Facebook groups or hire a mentor. However, all the information you need is on YouTube. Another great way to start is to get your real estate license, break into the business by selling people’s homes, and slowly transition to the investing side. I became a realtor first, and how I got started, like many others.