Selling Your Home In a Buyer's Market

Selling your home is one of the most

important steps in your life. This 9 step

system will give you the tools you need

to maximize your profits, maintain

control, and reduce the stress that comes

with the home-selling process:

The reasons behind your decision to sell affect

everything from setting a price to deciding how

much time and money to invest in getting your

home ready for sale. What's more important to

you: the money you walk away with, the length

of time your property is on the market or both?

Different goals will dictate different strategies.

However, don't reveal your motivation to anyone

else or they may use it against you at the

negotiating table. When asked, simply say that

your housing needs have changed.

Settling on an offering price shouldn't be done

lightly. Once you've set your price, you've told

buyers the absolute maximum they have to pay

for your home, but pricing too high is as

dangerous as pricing too low. Remember that the

average buyer is looking at 15-20 homes at the

same time they are considering yours. This

means that they have a basis of comparison, and

if your home doesn't compare favorably with

others in the price range you've set, you won't

be taken seriously by prospects or agents. As a

result, your home will sit on the market for a

long time and, knowing this, new buyers on the

market will think there must be something

wrong with your home.

❸ More homework.

(In fact, your agent should do this for you). Find

out what homes in your own and similar

neighborhoods have sold for in the past 6-12

months, and research what current homes are

listed for. That's certainly how prospective buyers

will assess the worth of your home.

Nearly three-quarters of homeowners claim that

they wouldn't use the same realtor who sold

their last home. Dissatisfaction boils down to

poor communication which results in not enough

feedback, lower pricing and strained relations.

Each year, corporate North America spends

billions on product and packaging design.

Appearance is critical, and it would be foolish

to ignore this when selling your home.

You may not be able to change your home's

location or floor plan, but you can do a lot to

improve its appearance. The look and feel of

your home generates a greater emotional

response than any other factor. Before showings

clean like you've never cleaned before. Pick up,

Failing to analyze why they are selling.

➂ Pricing their homes incorrectly.

➃ Selling too hard during showings.