Marie and Chip wanted to trade Collingswood for Kansas City without turning their home into a revolving door of showings. The solution? An off-market strategy, unconventional video marketing, and an incredible $860,000 offer. Find out how we did it here 👇
Marie and Chip were heading to Kansas City to be closer to family, and there were plenty of moving pieces: new jobs, a new home, and the sale of 428 Woodlawn Ave. And they wanted the Collingswood part to be simple, so they decided to sell off-market. Pip initially voiced his concerns, making sure they understood that less exposure could mean fewer buyers, potentially leaving money on the table. Marie and Chip understood the tradeoffs and still felt the privacy and simplicity of an off-market sale was right for them.
So Pip built a strategy around their decision: keep the home off the MLS, without sacrificing the quality or reach of the marketing. First, he tackled the small quirks that could become big objections at an $800K+ price point. One was the lack of an obvious primary bedroom, something buyers at this price would expect. With help from a trusted handyman and cleaner, plus some strategic styling and cosmetic improvements, Pip helped position 428 Woodlawn as the premium Collingswood home he knew it could be.
Then, Pip put the home in front of his network of local real estate agents (with a catered Broker's Open House), plus 08108 house-hunters within The JFKLiving Team database. On February 6, the strategy paid off.
An incredible $860,000 offer arrived, $35,000 above the approximately $825,000 price Pip had been targeting, without the home ever needing a traditional MLS launch. Pip even negotiated a rent-back, giving Marie and Chip some much-needed flexibility around their move. A smooth sale, two very happy home sellers, and a brand-new adventure waiting for them in Kansas City.
Selling off-market meant sacrificing the exposure of the MLS, so Pip focused on three things to give 428 Woodlawn Ave the best possible shot at a premium price.
At this price point, buyers expect polish. Pip identified the little quirks that could create hesitation, starting with the lack of a clearly defined primary bedroom, so we added a feature wall and wood trim details, while the front door was repainted, and the entire home professionally deep cleaned so it really shone. New lamps, luxury bedding, and other strategic styling touches finished the look, without spending thousands on professional staging.
Off-market didn’t mean under-marketed; Pip commissioned photography and created a beautiful unlisted online presentation featuring two video home tours. He then circulated 428 Woodlawn Ave throughout his network of hundreds of local real estate agents and emailed approximately 2,000 buyers actively searching in the 08108 area. The home wasn’t sitting on Zillow waiting to be discovered; Pip was putting it directly in front of potential buyers.
When the $860,000 offer arrived, Pip didn’t just look at the headline number. He carefully considered the appraisal terms and then negotiated something particularly valuable for Marie and Chip: a rent-back period. That meant they could close on 428 Woodlawn while retaining the flexibility to stay in the home briefly if their Kansas City plans didn’t line up perfectly. In fact, they stayed for four days after closing before heading west.
This was an unusual situation (selling off-market) so we don't have our usual stats to show you—# of open house visitors, how many thousands of views and comments the video tour got, how many views the Zillow Showcase Listing got... instead we can share with you the incredible outcome.
Marie and Chip wanted privacy, flexibility, and a fantastic price. They got all three, selling 428 Woodlawn Ave for $860,000 without a traditional MLS launch. If you’re thinking about selling in Collingswood, drop your address in the form below and let’s build the right strategy for you.
