How can I get the most money for my house?
When another agent says something so right, it bears repeating, so I'm reposting Tish's article.
I recently helped another agent's clients while she out of the office. They were selling a well-maintained home on nearly an acre, truly a park-like setting. The house had always been overpriced because the sellers felt it was more special than any of their competition. So it sat on the market for a couple of years, without offers. They went through several price reductions, but were always too expensive compared to the other similar homes that sold nearby month after month, year after year.
Amazingly, we got an offer on my watch. I had just sent another market analysis to the sellers, showing what similar properties ("comps") had sold for recently. This time, they accepted the offer. Perhaps because the offer was higher than what my analysis indicated. Sure enough, the appraisal was scrutinized for several weeks because the offering price was above the "comps."
In the end, the sellers were grateful to sell the property. They'd already relocated. While he was sad that he didn't get to buy his dream RV, he recounted how much he'd spent on the monthly mortgage and how that also reduced the amount of money he got. He realized that they should have priced it according to his agent's recommendation in the beginning, which would have saved them years of waiting and gotten them more money more quickly, and probably that dream RV.
I was recently asked, "How can I get the most money for my house?" Now, this is not a new question for REALTORS® and frankly, the answer is not a new one either. "Curb Appeal, Staging and PRICING IT RIGHT!" Not the "magic potion" this Seller was hoping for. Seems Sellers want to do less work and still over-price their homes. Not sure why anyone thinks this will work in today's market, but the truth is, I hope they like living in that home. Because if they don't get smart about today's market and what they need to do to sell their home, they're going to be living in it for a long time!
Here's the truth:
- Buyers today are going to start their look online. You need to have pictures which show your home in it's best light. We're not talking Glamour Shots here, the pictures should be representative of your home. This means you need to get the
exterior and interior in top shape before you put it on the market.
- If you don't capture a buyer's attention the minute they pull up to your house, forget it. They're looking to be wowed, you have to do anything in your power to make that happen.
- You MUST be priced right! Reasonably priced listings are more likely to get reasonable offers from reasonable buyers.
- The longer your house is on the market, the more money you're losing every month. Your property becomes stagnant and by the time you finally decide to lower your price, it's not being shown. This is not the time to "test" the market!
- Overpriced listings do not get as many showings. Fewer showings = fewer offers. Buyers are more educated about real estate than ever, they know if you're overpriced, and are probably going to wait until you"get real" about the pricing. Why give them a reason to wait? PRICE IT RIGHT, and you'll be moving in no time!
Nothing screams desperation quite like, price reduction! Let's just avoid looking like the wallflower, and be the belle of the ball! Let's get that yard looking spiffy, clean up the porches, paint the trim, de-clutter the interior (don't forget the garage!), set the home up to show off it's best features and PRICE IT RIGHT! You'll have buyers begging to get their names on your dance card.
When you're ready to sell your Wrightsville Beach, NC home, give me a call. I've got the resources we need to get your home at the forefront of the local market.
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Tish Lloyd, REALTOR®
Broker Associate
NC Real Estate Lic. 269076
Prudential Laney Real Estate
527 Causeway Drive
Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480
910.547.1446Everything's better at the beach . . .
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