SELLING A HOME TODAY

Hire a REAL ESTATE AGENT!

Studies show that home sellers who use a real estate agent to represent them generally get a better price than those who sell the home themselves such as for sale by owner (FSBO). Real estate agents are up-to-date on critical processes and can help keep you out of trouble. They can also help you get your home sold at the best price in the right time frame. Equally as important, real estate agents add objectivity to an inherently emotional transaction: the sale of your home. Many real estate agents are trained in staging homes to create favorable buyer impressions!

Before Your Home Is Listed

It’s important to have your home in good showing condition before buyers start going through it. Here are some steps to take:

1.  Touch up the interior and exterior paint as needed.

2.  Install new carpeting and flooring if it appears worn or dated.

3.  Declutter and depersonalize the home.

4.  Make sure the front is clean and spruced up, curb appeal will create a favorable first impression.

“Pay attention to your agent’s advice. Consider dropping the price if several weeks go by with few or no offers.”

5.  Trim all bushes, trees, and plants as needed, and make sure the lawn is kept mowed and trimmed. In the fall, rake the leaves; in the winter, shovel the snow.

6.  Keep the interior clean and odor-free. Eliminate evidence of pets.

7.  Minimize personal items such as family photos. You want buyers to see themselves living in the home.

8.  Consider putting excess furniture and belongings in storage. Now’s the time to clean out the garage and basement and sell, give away or throw away items you don’t need anymore.  You are moving so get a head start on this!

9.  Consider having a pre-listing inspection performed. Buyers will be hiring professional inspectors; here’s your chance to address problems in advance for less money.

10. Consider engaging a professional stager to give your home the right emotional appeal if you really want TOP DOLLAR!

Marketing your Home

Your Realtor will write remarks about your listing so you will need to write up a list of special selling points you think will attract buyers. For example, include recent renovations, benefits that have been grandfathered into the property, energy-saving windows or insulation and new appliances as it pertains to your home.

For Sale signs installed
Open House
Broker’s Open
Flyer’s distributed to area Realtors
Listing published to many other websites

During the Listing Period

When potential buyers visit your home, either be absent or make yourself as inconspicuous as possible.
Have fresh flowers in the entryway. It makes for a friendly introduction into your home.

Pay attention to your agent’s advice. Consider dropping the price if several weeks go by with few or no offers, but if you and your agent have priced your home properly from the start, this shouldn’t be necessary.
Don’t get discouraged. In buyers markets, homes take longer to sell than during boom times.

The Offer and Negotiations

If offers are made that don’t match your hoped-for price, don’t reject them offhand.  Let your Realtor negotiate the offer or counter-offer.  Try to create a win-win situation for the seller and the buyer. 

Closing 

Your Realtor will be with you during the closing (settlement). Your Realtor will preview the documents to be sure everything is in order.  It will be your job to move out as quickly as you reasonably can and leave a clean house for the new buyers!