Just Because It’s a Seller’s Market Doesn’t Mean Your Home Will Sell Itself!

It’s a seller’s market in the high season, as everyone knows by now. So if your home is listed, you’re already halfway to the bank, right?

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 the property and consider themselves in a stronger bargaining position or reject the home altogether.

So if you’re selling your home, don’t just phone it in. Tips on how you can ride the wave—as opposed to getting swept up in it.

1. Price to sell

So 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. That is almost never true. In this market, buyers don’t think sellers are negotiating very much. If you overprice it, you’ll lose the sweet spot of the first 45 days on the market. Even if you price it $20K over, instead of making an offer, they’ll move on. Your house will take longer to sell, and you’ll likely end up having to cut the price anyway. The strategy we hear a lot—‘We can always come down in price’—can be a very costly one, understand that nobody wants to leave money on the table, but unfortunately this strategy does exactly that.”

2. Don’t get booed off the stage

Even the nicest, newest homes need TLC, Buyers don’t buy empty, nice, renovated houses and 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, most prospective buyers need a little help to imagine themselves in your home. “Stagers have the expertise to make the most out of certain spaces in the home.”

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, You don’t need to redo your entire house, but there are cost-effective improvements you can make that will dramatically enhance the appeal to your property, like a freshly landscaped yard, clean windows, and a tidy house. “The first impression is everything!

4. Choose your agent wisely

For all of the above, Regardless of the type of home and its condition, working in concert with a highly regarded real estate professional that knows their community is key. Your best counselor is a good agent—even if you’ve got the nicest home on the block.

“It’s 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. Do your homework and due diligence. Selling your home is never a given. You and your Realtor will still need to hustle to land the right buyer!