South Riding Townhouse, Just Sold for $412,000
When I am going over listing paperwork with a seller, I will often get the point where we are determining when they would like to hit the market, by way of the MLS. I have two choices in our listing agreement. 1) Within forty-eight hours of signing the listing agreement or 2) On or before (insert desired date here.) Needless to say, ninety-nine out of one-hundred sellers will pick a date in the future. Very few pick the option to hit the MLS within forty-eight hours.
With the seller of 42917 Golf View Drive, we had been discussing the listing as early are February. I actually got the chance to meet the seller, who I had worked on a previous listing, on April 1st (2019.) The amount of work needed to be done to get the top dollar for the home had us picking an on or before date for hitting the MLS of June 1st. That date had to be adjusted a few times. Two months wasn't enough time to de-clutter, do some plumbing and drywall repairs, put in new flooring (carpet and luxury vinyl plank) and have the home painted. We finally hit the market on June 21st. I had assured the seller that the delay was going to be worth it. You only get one chance to make a first impression. So we waited until the work was done, then I did some light staging, ordered professional photography and listed the home when the photos were in.
It only took two days on the market before a buyer fell in love with the home. They made a strong offer and the seller accepted. We had actually raised the list price a bit from where we had originally antipated listing. The seller got every penny of the new list price of $412,000 and sold on July 26th for that list price.
The time to engage a listing agent is not when your home is cleaned up, renovated and ready to go. It is more than acceptable to engage us early to get advice on what to prioritize in terms of listing preparation. We know what makes a property desirable and will not waste your money on projects that won't produce a significant return. In the case of 42917 Golf View, money was spent on flooring and paint. There was no need for stainless steel appliances and granite counters.
Not sure where to start on your listing prep? Give me a call and let's get started.
Comments(21)