It’s Still A Beauty Contest
Great to read this blog written by Dallas Realtor, Tom Branch with REMAX Dallas Suburbs, on the merits of staging your home for sale and why. I've had the good fortune to meet and work with Tom and his wife/business partner Gina through Active Rain and know first hand the value and truth to what he writes. Home sellers need to do their homework when hiring Realtors - not all understand the fully marketing scope necessary to sell a home in today's market. Tom does!
Last year I was telling sellers in the north Dallas suburbs that selling their home was both a “price war” and a “beauty contest.” Their homes had to be in tip-top condition, properly prepared, and ready to show. Additionally, they had to compete with all the other homes in a “price war” in order to sell.
This year, the local market has rebounded nicely with the buyer’s markets of previous years yielding to a seller’s market in 2012. Properly prepared, staged and show-ready homes are flying off the market in days.
I was out showing homes today and I’m amazed to see how many homes have not been properly prepared and show very poorly. Many of these homes have been on the market for more than 100 days and have still not sold.
If you’re serious about selling your home in the shortest amount of time and at the highest possible price, you simply have to get the home prepared to show.
Take care of any deferred maintenance issues. I’m not talking about remodeling the kitchen, but touch-up painting, caulking, and a good deep-cleaning will go a long ways.
If you’re not comfortable with how to stage your home, hire a stager! While we provide 2 hours of staging consultation for our listing clients, not all agents do. A good stager in our area costs less than $300 for two hours of consultation. This is money well-spent and will be far less than your first price reduction.
Make the most of every showing with a show-ready home. Most sellers know in advance that their home will be showing. When you get that call, it’s almost show time! Have a plan of action to get your home in show-ready shape. Turn on all the lights, open the blinds, and get some soft music playing!
Regardless of the market, It’s still a beauty contest!
Photo Licensed from iStockPhoto
Originally posted at http://www.thebranchteam.com/wordpress/2012/09/10/its-still-a-beauty-contest/
Tom Branch and Gina Branch, The Branch Team with RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs, service the greater North Dallas suburbs including Dallas, Plano, Allen, McKinney, Frisco, Lewisville, and Carrollton. While Gina concentrates on traditional listings and buyer/tenant representation, Tom specializes in assisting distressed homeowners to avoid foreclosure. Tom and Gina have published two books (Achieving Rock Star Status and The Field Guide to Short Sales) and are available for speaking engagements in the greater Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex. Subscribe to The Branch Team Blog.
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The Branch Team - Texas Real Estate Broker 547597 | Team Members are Texas Licensed Real Estate Professionals
Tom Branch - National Mortgage Licensing System 341963
Important Notice: The Branch Team with RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan. If you stop paying your mortgage, you could lose your home and damage your credit rating.
All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Properties subject to prior sale or rental.
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