If you are trying to sell your home in a buyer’s market, it’s essential that your listing stands out amongst the other houses for sale. The pool of buyers is smaller, and those buyers are choosier because they have less competition and more options. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. So we recommend that sellers follow the tips below to ensure your listing as appealing as possible to potential buyers.
Deep clean before listing your home.
Deep cleaning your home should be the first task on your list before putting your home on the market. This way, your house will be pristine condition and ready for its listing photos and home showings, and when it does eventually sell, it will make moving out easier.
This includes steam cleaning all rugs and making your countertops, windowsills, tables, and all other visible areas as spotless as possible. Then tackle your closets, drawers, and cupboards, as nothing is off-limits for curious buyers.
A cluttered home is a big turn-off to prospective buyers. They want to be able to envision themselves living there, but if all they see is your stuff, it defeats that purpose. So make it a priority to de-clutter by donating things or packing them up and putting stuff in storage.
Use professional photos.
Buyers typically view properties online before committing to see them in person. So invest in using a professional photographer to show your home in its best light. A pro real estate photographer knows how to select the best room angles, use flattering lighting to highlight the home’s standout features, arrange your furnishings for better presentation, and can improve images with photo editing.
Your real estate agent should be able to recommend professional property photographers in your area.
Put together a feature list for the MLS.
Prepare a list of your property's features and updates, which can be uploaded to your home's MLS listing under "additional documents." On this list, you can include full details on renovations completed. Have a whole house generator or solar panels? List them in the feature list. Things like new flooring or tile work, recent paint jobs to the home's interior and exterior, major appliance replacements, landscaping upgrades, and any other appealing features and upgrades you want buyers to know should all be in there.
Things to leave off this list are renovations that were done more than 10 years ago, major repairs on home defects (that goes into the Property Disclosure Form), and any fixtures you plan to take with you when the home sells.
Have a home inspection done before listing it.
A pre-listing inspection, also called a pre-sale inspection, is when a professional home inspector examines your property to identify any potential problems or repairs needed before you officially list your home for sale.
When you know what repairs are needed and their anticipated costs, it allows you to make these fixes before listing the property. If you prefer to list the home without making needed repairs, it can help you price your home accordingly.
If your pre-listing inspection report shows that your home is in excellent condition, you can make this report available to prospective buyers. This will certainly be seen a “plus” and can help motivate buyers to put in an offer.
While the buyer typically pays for general home inspections after the property goes under contract with the seller, pre-listing inspections are paid for by the seller. The average cost of a home inspection in Texas is about $350-$600 and varies based on the size of the home.
Have a responsive real estate agent.
To make your listing stand out amongst all the others, it's best to have an experienced and responsive realtor working on your behalf.
Real estate agents are trained on how to optimize listings based on their first-hand knowledge of what home buyers are looking for. They can also portray your home in an honest, appealing, and professional manner while highlighting the property’s most desirable features.
In a buyers’ market, the agent selling your house must be super responsive. A realtor who doesn’t get back to potential buyers in a timely fashion could mean the difference between a successful home sale and a property sitting on the market for way too long.
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