Do your homework.
Read a couple of books on home selling, go through the real estate section of the local newspaper
and attend some Open Houses in the your area.
Hire a specialist.
As neighborhood real estate agents that specialize in listing in your area, we know what it takes to
sell in this market. We welcome your call!
Set the price.
Ask your agent for an analysis of the local market and an opinion of the best price range for your
home.
Set a marketing strategy.
Have your agent discuss a marketing plan and include the main elements in the listing presentation.
Get the house ready.
With your agent, take a hard, objective look at your home. Prioritize what needs to be done, and
decide how much you can spend in time and money to make it look its best before opening it up to
buyers. Get rid of all clutter and put some of your stuff in storage to make the rooms and closets
roomier. Put together an information packet on local amenities, your utility bills and other helpful
information.
Consider finding a reliable real estate attorney.
The attorney can help review all the paperwork.
Keep on top of the process.
Stash some quick clean-up supplies close at hand, and do a fast run-through before letting a
prospective buyer preview your home. Also, keep a notebook handy with a record of everyone who
has come through (and their agents), and inform your agent after each visit. This can speed the
follow-up that your agent will do.
If I try to sell my home myself, I know I can save the sales commission. So what
could I lose?
Time
To get your home sold, you would have to advertise and then baby sit the phone, waiting for
responses to your ad. We have an office staff to handle this and to sort out serious callers from
others. We can also pre-qualify prospective buyers and make arrangements to show the house.
Money
You're likely to attract bargain-hunting buyers who seek out for-sale-by-owner homes, expecting to
get a lower purchase price because of the saved sales commission. We will advise you how to price
the house to sell fast for the best price.
Access
Self-selling limits exposure to prospects who see the yard sign, if one is used, or newspaper ads.
We bring with us a network of contacts and a computerized listing service that puts every agent in
town to work selling your house.
Peace of mind
When selling by owner, the homeowner is responsible for negotiating a legal contract and seeing
that every detail of the contract is carried out. We can screen out unqualified prospects, help
arrange financing, and shepherd the sale to settlement.
Who says what my home is worth?
When it comes to pricing your home, you'll find lots of "experts." The neighbors may want you to
set a high price, thinking it will make their homes more valuable. Your company may encourage
you to set a lower price so the home will sell quickly and you can move to your new assignment.
You might be thinking in terms of what you paid for your home, how much you've spent on it, or
how much profit you want from it.
But who sets the price? When you put your house on the market, you set the asking price. But it is
the market that determines the selling price. If the asking price is set correctly, the house is likely
to sell fairly quickly. If set too high, the house may languish on the market, unseen by the right
buyers.
Pricing It Right
A correct asking price is crucial to a timely sale. That's where we come in. But how do we know how
to advise you on price?
First, we look at the prices brought by similar homes recently sold in the area, and compare their
features to those in your home.
Then we survey the competition, seeing what homes are currently on the market, how they compare
to yours and how long they have been up for sale.
Next we look at how the number of buyers compares to the supply of homes for sale.
We take stock of the direction of the market. Are prices rising or falling? Are homes selling quickly
for the asking price?
Finally, we look at the incentives other sellers are offering, such as paying some closing costs, and
what conveys with the property, like draperies or washer and dryer.
As you noticed, neither how much you paid for your home nor how much money you wish to profit
from the sale affect the market value of your home.
What’s a cheap and easy way to make your home more attractive to buyers?
Turn on all your lights, both inside and out, when showing your home to possible buyers. Open
curtains, drapes and blinds. Light not only helps prospects see your rooms better, light helps buyers
see your home as warm and inviting.
Do buyers like a furnished house better?
If you have a choice, it is usually better to sell your home while it is still furnished. That way,
prospective buyers can more easily imagine how it will look when they move in, even though their
furnishings will be different. Generally homes that are furnished sell more quickly and for a higher
price than vacant homes.
If you have to move out before you sell your home, consider leaving some furniture behind to help
give the house a lived-in feel.
Call or e-mail us for advice on how to decide which fix-up ideas will do the most to help you make
the sale.
What is the difference between a "Buyers' Market" and a "Sellers’ Market?"
Buyers’ Market
A buyers' market refers to a marketplace that favors home buyers because more homes are listed
than can be expected sell in the near future. If, for example, 20 homes are listed in a
neighborhood, and 5 were sold in the last month, the neighborhood has a 4-month supply of
homes for sale.
Sellers’ Market
Of course, the market can - and does - change based on general economic conditions such as
rising or falling interest rates, or the local business climate such as a new company opening nearby.
If, for example, all 20 homes listed plus 5 new listings sell within a few months, then the market
has become a sellers' market, where buyer demand meets or exceeds the house-for-sale supply.
