Now That Your Listing is Live There are 6 Things to Know and Do
Congratulations. You’ve decided to sell your Carlsbad home in today’s seller’s market.
You hired the right listing agent, took care of those minor repairs, did some de-personalizing and staging, packed away a bunch of stuff, priced the home right based on what your agent shared about the market, and you are now going live on the MLS.
It’s an exciting time, but there are some essential things you should know and do now that you are on the MLS, and the world will know your Carlsbad home is for sale.
THINGS HOMES SELLERS SHOULD KNOW
1. Follow the agreed upon showing instructions you and your Realtor decided on. These will be in the MLS for all agents to see, and they will expect to be able to show the house accordingly (you DO need to show it to sell it, you know!). Make sure you return all calls for showings promptly, if that’s required as part of the instructions. And try to be understanding if agents are a little late or early…it will likely happen.
2. Expect a flurry of activity, perhaps beginning very soon after the listing is live. With limited supply Carlsbad buyers are being particularly watchful for new listings that fit their criteria, and they will want to see your home right away.
Try not to get troubled by all the phone calls, or too frazzled with all the showings which require you to be out of the house perhaps multiple times per day. Those showings can lead to multiple offers if the home is priced well.
3. Keep your house in showing condition at all times. Yes, you may not really live that way but this is selling a house, not your normal daily lifestyle. It will be much easier to accommodate multiple showings, and not fret about the condition of the house, if it looks great all the time and it will take some of the pressure off you. Yes, it’s tough with kids who scatter stuff everywhere but older kids may be willing and able to help keep things picked up, especially if there is an incentive to do so.
4. Vacate the home where there are showings. Yes, it means leaving, even if you have no place special to go, but it’s in your best interest to give buyers and their agents the private space to look on their own and not hover, pester them with questions, or make them uncomfortable about exploring your home. That’s what they are there to do. It there’s stuff you prefer they not see, then put it away! Got a dog? Showings are a perfect time to take Fido for a drive or walk about the neighborhood. Buyers don’t want to be bothered by a noisy, or nosey, dog, and heaven forbid they accidentally let your fur friend loose.
5. Do NOT allow an unaccompanied buyer who comes to the door inside to explore. It probably won’t happen but it could. You have a contract with a brokerage and your Realtor, and any buyer who wants to see your home needs to be accompanied by a licensed Realtor. Provide them with your agent’s card and suggest they call for an appointment.
6. Be especially careful to not leave personal stuff laying around – money, checkbooks, jewelry, laptops, tablets, phones, bank and credit card statements, etc. Buyers might be interesting in looking at more than your house. That would not be cool!
Check out the video series of home selliing tips and advice at How to Sell a House!
It’s an exciting time when you go live, but in a busy market it can be a bit overwhelming, and you might be surprised at how much activity you get. But you don’t want to turn away showings because it’s inconvenient or you have already had a number of them. You signed on to sell your home, which you are committed to doing, so make the best of it, keep smiling, and know that lots of showings can often mean offers.
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