Marti Pattinson

Ready to Sell - Consider this

First impressions are everything! Most of us open the garage door, park the car, and enter our house from the garage and rarely enter through the front door. Take the time to act like a buyer and enter your home from there, remembering that they will be spending time waiting for the real estate agent to unlock the door so they will get a real good look there. Touch up paint, clean off cobwebs, shine your door handle, freshen up landscaping, and scan for brown spots in the lawn if you have a pet. This all matters…

Unequivocally it is a seller’s market and the high season is upon us! So if your home is on the market, you’re already halfway to the bank, right?

It’s perfectly possible to spoil your own sale. There are plenty of things you should do, and avoid, to make sure you actually make it to closing day, your way.

When properties are moving quickly, if your home doesn’t sell within the first couple of weeks, buyers will start to perceive your home as market-worn, they’ll assume there is an issue with it and consider themselves in a stronger bargaining position or reject the home altogether.

1. Price to Sell

Many factors can feed in to your initial list price: market inventory, perceived vs. actual value, and others. Sellers often fall victim to the lure of a gigantic payday, thinking the higher the price, the higher their take-home.

In this market buyers don’t think sellers are negotiating very much. If you overprice it, you’ll lose! The first days on the market are critical. Even if you price it $20K over, instead of making an offer, buyers will move on. Your house will take longer to sell, and you’ll likely end up having to cut the price anyway. An agent can show you in black and white that houses typically close at about 97% of List Price.

A typical strategy we hear a lot —‘We can always come down in price’—can be a very costly one. While we understand that nobody wants to leave money on the table, unfortunately this strategy does exactly that.

2. Don’t Get Booed Off the Stage

People don’t buy empty, nice, renovated houses they buy a home! Staging makes a house a home. As awesome as your house may be, it’s your home. Strategic staging offers prospective buyers visual cues to help them picture your house as their home—which can translate to a sale.

Some buyers are capable of visualizing, but most are not. Buyers need a little help to imagine themselves in your home. Agents who have a keen eye and or who may be trained in the expertise to make the most out of certain spaces in the home are your best bet. Listen to their suggestions and follow them carefully.

3. Nab Them at the Curb

The outside of your home is at least as important as the inside. Brown grass, sketchy shrubs, wilting flowers, peeling paint—all those and more can disqualify a home before your prospect walks through the door. For goodness sake make sure the newspapers, flyers and trash cans are properly put away! A freshly landscaped yard, and clean windows, will result in prospects stopping in the street to take a gander thinking if it is as neat and tidy on the inside – it is going to be awesome – let’s call our agent to see it!

4. Choose Your Agent Wisely

It is paramount to hire a REALTOR® that you like, trust, and respect.  Even in a lively market, if you don’t match well with your listing agent, your sale could be adversely affected.  That said; know that there is a difference between a real estate agent and a REALTOR®.  Only REALTORS® adhere to the best of practices and are well versed in their Code of Ethics.  

Published Monday, May 18, 2015 8:14 PM by Marti Pattinson