In this challenging real estate market, there are some real estate professionals that stand above the rest. One of the leaders in the Conejo Valley real estate market is the Humphrey Team, led by husband-and-wife duo, Bill and Sandy Humphrey. Bill and Sandy have been in the real estate industry for more than 24 years and their marketing strategies are bringing multiple offers to many of their listings. After speaking with the team, it is easy to understand why the Humphrey Team has risen to the top of their field.

"Almost all of our business comes from repeat business and referrals from former clients. We offer a team approach so that no client slips through the cracks," said Sandy.

Building relationships with their clients has been the key to the success of the Humphrey Team. When a client hires the Humphrey Team to sell their home, they get a comprehensive package. Each seller receives "The Sell Easy Marketing System" which helps explain the value in fixing a home's little problems prior to selling. According to the manual, buyers often over-estimate the costs of necessary changes such as carpeting and paint. Then they want to deduct the inflated costs from the sale price. It makes more sense for the sellers to do the work before they put the house on the market and keep extra money in their pockets.

Sandy is an accredited home stager and has a huge warehouse of beautiful furniture and accessories.

"We professionally stage each home to make it look like a model home," said Sandy. This includes cleaning the home, and bringing in special furniture. Not only does a staged home bring in higher offers, but the service is absolutely free for clients of the Humphrey Team. With Sandy's expertise, properties are always presented in the best light possible.

"In this market," Sandy said, "the secret to selling a home is marketing and staging. And of course, properties must be priced right."

Every Humphrey Team listing is beautifully presented and marketed with glossy photos and attractive brochures. Each of their online listings provides the "grand tour" which highlights the amenities of each room. Buyers are able to sit at their computers and take a 360-degree virtual tour of a property without having to set foot outside.

The Humphreys use photographer Shawn Cordon to capture each home's true beauty. The first weekend that a home is placed on the market, the Humphrey Team hosts an Open House Extravaganza to draw Realtors and prospective buyers to the property. They greet their visitors with complimentary coffee, juice or smoothies from The Conejo Grind Coffee Truck. These Extravaganzas often lead to multiple offers since prospective buyers have such a wonderful experience looking at the home. This attention to detail and commitment to their clients is how the Humphrey Team has moved up the ladder of success in the real estate industry. And because they work as a team alongside their escrow manager, Teri Hanmer, and buyer specialists René Hultine, Lynne Casey, Jeffrey Yates and Darren Humphrey all of their clients get the "World Class Humphrey Team" service.

The Humphrey Team was invited to take part in the formation of Aviara Real Estate in 2005. Aviara Real Estate is a group of highly successful brokers partnering together as equal shareholders in the business. The 18,000-square-foot office space is both richly appointed and welcoming. There are more than 30 groups of brokers who support each other while offering a high level of care to their clients.

The Humphrey Team is in the process of launching a new Web site to showcase their many listings. The site can be found at http://www.venturacountyhomesonline.com.

"This site will be easy to search, with home listings classified by price range with each of the eight communities we serve, from Thousand Oaks to Camarillo to Simi Valley," said Bill.

The Humphrey Team can also be found at http://www.HumphreyTeam.com and http://www.dosvientos.com.