I apologize in advance, but just a little, for the analogy. But it works for me, so I thought I would share it...and get your feedback.
I was at the gym early this morning, in my usual spin class. It was a rigorous one, which I like, plus it helps to burn off all the calories (which seem to somehow find their way into my system without my knowing it). Despite the difficulty of the class, or perhaps because of it, my mind was wandering, as it tends to do, and I "wrote" this post as the calories fell away from the bod.
So what do PECS, those muscles in your chest, have to do with selling your home?
P - PRICE
E - EXPOSURE
C - CONDITION
S - STAGING
As a listing agent, your role is to help your sellers market and sell their home quickly and for the best possible price. Location has always been touted as a key in real estate. But you can't change it, so while I agree it is important, there are other things that YOU and YOUR SELLERS can impact that will help achieve your goal.
PRICING - we all know the necessity of proper pricing, of course, and often a challenge with sellers is convincing them that the price they would like is NOT realistic in the new market. If they want to sell, that is. Unfortunately some agents take the approach that they will earn the listing by providing a higher price. It doesn't work, as we all know, but some sellers are taken in by it. We all know that the market determines the sales price, not the agent and not the seller. Nuff said.
EXPOSURE - in many markets there is lots of competition, so maximizing your exposure is critical. Both print and Internet advertising should be part of the arsenal (yes, some feel that print ads don't work). While lots of buyers, more than 70%, start looking for homes on the web, you cannot ignore effective print ads, and we have lots of testimony from folks here on AR that it works. Gaining as much exposure to the target buyer pool will be the key to your success. So you have to know what that target group is and how to find them. A sign in the yard and the MLS listing will NOT do the trick. Sadly, we often see that some agents just don't get their clients the exposure that is needed. Remember those great photos, and virtual tours, too.
CONDITION - both the interior and exterior (remember CURB APPEAL) are important considerations, and you don't want buyers to find all the reasons NOT to buy or WHY they should subtract thousands from a potential offering price. Be objective, especially if the sellers cannot, and focus on the things that need to be repaired or improved. If the sellers have been in the home for a while there may be deferred maintenance to deal with. And a pre-listing inspection might be a prudent thing to do, especially with an older home, so the sellers can take care of things that may detract from the price. If the house is in poor condition, the pricing will naturally be affected.
STAGING - I am a big fan of staging, and using a professional home stager (we have lots of talent here in the Rain) is recommended. But if that is not in the cards (or budget), it is still important to stage the home to show to buyers so they can envision living there themselves. The clutter needs to go, as do all the trappings of daily family life. The sellers are moving any way, so they should get started now. They can put boxes in storage, or use PODS (portable storage units). Plus 1800GotJunk is great to get rid of all the stuff they no longer need and don't want to move. Do a search here on AR and there are lots of posts with all kinds of suggestions and photos that your sellers can use. Use a critical eye here - it's part of your job as the listing agent, so help your clients set the stage for a sale.
There you have it. Your workout is all planned.
Now go flex those muscles and get that home sold.
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