There is a reason why most new home builders give a printed floor plan to every prospect that comes through the sales office door. They know that a floor plan will cement the layout of a home in the buyers mind after they've left. The informational brochure includes a floor plan because ultimately, it is the layout of the home that matters most to home buyers.

By allowing potential buyers to see and grasp the interior layout of a home after the tour, when they can discuss things among themselves, the buyers can decide if that particular home's floor plan will or will not meet their needs. New home builders know that this is when the buy decision gets made.

Perhaps they have a newborn and need a bedroom to use as a nursery located close by the master bedroom. Perhaps they have lots of visits from in-laws and need a bedroom far, far away from the master bedroom. Maybe a home office is needed where they can receive clients while maintaining their family's privacy. Or they need a large dining area that needs to be adjacent to the living room because they entertain often. The fact is, there are many things that buyers do not tell real estate agents, not because they want to conceal things from them, but because much of what buyers seek in a home is subjective in nature.

But now, your resale listings can compete with new home builders' marketing efforts. What's more, you can put the floor plans of your listings directly in the MLS, allowing prospects to gauge the layout of the home when they are doing their online search. This saves them gas and time, and they may just decide that an agent who provides this type of essential information online about their listings is an agent they would like to work with.

My floor plans are professional looking and informational. I use actual architectural symbols to depict the location of appliances and other appurtenant items, and unlike many floor plans made from blueprints, mine are scaled correctly. If a room is twice as long as it is wide in reality, it will be correctly depicted as such in the floorplan. And, as can be seen in the examples, I can custom color code or otherwise call out special features of the home.

The floor plans I make are also affordable. Below you'll find several examples of my floor plans, as well as a list of Frequently Asked Questions. If you have any other questions, please contact me and I'll try to help.

(1) How much time does it take to make a floor plan?
Normally, I'll need up to two hours inside the home to take the measurements I need (depending on size and complexity), so it's important that you make your seller aware of this if the home is occupied. Also, if you're having photos made as well, add an hour. Once that's done, the turn around time can range from two days to a week, depending on my workload.

(2) How will I receive my floor plans?
I'll process them in several ways. For use in the MLS, you'll need to tell me the specifications the new Flex system allows. My understanding is that you can have larger images than in the old Tempo system, but I have no direct experience with the Flex system. I'll also give you a 8.5"x11" printed copy, with your contact info on it, so you can make copies to add to your flyers. When it's done, I'll contact you and I can either drop a CD at your office or we can make other arrangements (payment is due upon receipt).

(3) What preparatory work needs to be done by the agent/seller?
Someone must be at the property, or a key must be available for the duration of the session. For agents, when the property is being held Open is an ideal time to take measurements. I do not have a Supra Key (yet). Pets and children must be restrained and not allowed near my equipment. I need to be able to move freely and quickly around the property.