Company’s unconventional approach, commitment to exceptional service resonates with sellers

House Buyers KC works with sellers in a variety of circumstances, some of whom are facing bigger challenges than others. More recently, the company has worked with a number of homeowners who opt to sell their homes to move into an assisted living facility, and an efficient sale and closing are important to provide financing for that next chapter.

One of the company’s newer clients, a Kansas City homeowner, was in a similar situation. She just celebrated her 91st birthday — incidentally, on the same day as House Buyers KC Manager Chad Lower — and opted to work with House Buyers KC after developing a rapport with Kyle Walchshauser, who works in sales acquisitions for House Buyers KC.

“She met with us and with other companies,” Lower said. “We actually presented the same offer as another company, but she opted to work with us because she enjoyed working with Kyle.”

Part of House Buyers KC’s initial consultation is a thorough evaluation of the home and property to determine any repairs and/or updates that need to be made before the home is listed for sale by House Buyers KC. The Kansas City home proved to be an especially intriguing project, given the age of the home.

“She lived there for 61 years,” Lower said. “It was originally designed by Donald Drummond, an architect who built contemporary homes before anyone wanted them.”

While spending time with the homeowner, Walchshauser and Lower discovered that she still had several original architectural drawings of the home. Lower said the plan is to frame and display at least one of the drawings once the interior work is done and the home is on the market.

“Everything in the home is original,” Lower said. “The only thing the client had updated was the flooring.”

During a property’s evaluation, House Buyers KC also analyzes the surrounding neighborhood to determine the selling price of similar homes. The repair costs, holding costs and profit are then subtracted from that figure, which results in the seller’s offer.

Despite the thorough property evaluation and in-depth discussions with each seller, the House Buyers KC team maintains a focus on delivering a simple, speedy process. Consider the average home listing, which might be on the market for 30 to 60 days. Factor in closings that can easily surpass 45 days, and it’s no wonder that home sales can unexpectedly fall through due to a variety of factors, leaving both the buyer and the seller scrambling for alternatives.

Instead, House Buyers KC’s unconventional approach to home buying and selling—including the ease and speed of the process—has been a big hit with both buyers and sellers, prompting Lower to expand the team, extending House Buyers KC’s reach across the Kansas City metro area (and beyond).

Katie Mason, office admin, joined the team last December and loves the company’s family atmosphere.

“We get down to business, but we also have a great time,” she said. “I’m glad I get to be part of something that’s growing.”

Walchshauser has been with House Buyers KC since February, and continues to make an immediate and memorable impact on the company’s clients. The House Buyers KC team also includes Brent Smith, a project manager who joined the company on May 1; Jane Boyd, a part-time office admin and University of Missouri-Kansas City student, who joined House Buyers KC in June, and Tom Bell, sales acquisition, who became a part of the team last month.

Despite the flurry of growth, Lower and his team have maintained a laser focus on delivering an exceptional client experience — and that includes working closely with each client to understand their challenges and concerns, then doing what they can to alleviate them.

“We want everyone to feel happy about the decision they’ve made,” Mason said. “We enjoy working with people and their families and do whatever we can to make it a smooth transition.”

That unwavering focus on clients means that the relationship continues long after the closing and updates are complete.

“We stopped by the assisted living facility earlier this week to visit the homeowner,” Walchshauser said. “We’re going to send her some care packages and stay in touch.”

This story was originally published September 21, 2017 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Company’s unconventional approach, commitment to exceptional service resonates with sellers."