tips for sellers

Why are you Selling?

You may think that it’s obvious. Perhaps at the root it is. But what is your motivation? Motivation plays a critical role in determining your next move. If you’re trying to squeeze every last penny out of your current home, your strategy may be to invest some time and resources into making your home more saleable. If you’re looking for a quick sale because the future home of your dreams is already on the market, then you would have a different strategy altogether. Investigate what your motivation is, and keep it in mind.

Staging your Home for Viewing

This can mean anything from rearranging the furniture to hiring a professional. Cost anywhere from a little sweat equity up to thousands of dollars. ‘Curb appeal’ and ‘first impressions are everything’ are terms used a lot in Real Estate. The reason: because they’re true. The Seller who fails to attend to minor touch ups, clutter and cleanliness will also fail to get any offers.

Be a Savvy Seller

Pay close attention to what’s happening in the market around you. Any good Realtor should provide you with a sampling of comparable properties in your area that are Active, Sold or Expired. These statistics can be wonderful indicators of the market value of your home- if you listen to them. Pay special attention to the listings that have sold, because these prices reflect what homes in your area are actually selling for. Active listings may have overinflated asking prices due to unrealistic Sellers, poor pricing from a Realtor, or for any number of reasons.

Hire the Right Realtor

This is more crucial than a lot of people think. It can mean the difference between a quick sale with an all around seamless experience, and a botched list price resulting in months on the market. ‘Part-time Realtor’ seems to be a popular career choice these days; and they all think they deserve your business. Your criteria for choosing the right representation for the sale of your home should be more complex than ‘my wife’s sister’s boyfriend just got his license and he could really use the business’. A good Realtor will have a solid understanding of the market, will provide you with detailed statistics on both active and sold listings in the area, and have a carefully laid out marketing plan explaining the reasons why your home will sell. They should also be able to provide good testimonials from past clients.