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Home 10 DEADLY SELLING MISTAKES TO AVOID... at ...

10 DEADLY SELLING MISTAKES TO AVOID... at all cost!

Some houses on the market sell before a sign is posted in the front yard. Others just don’t sit there an collect dust.

You've had your house on the market and right now for months... Why isn't your home selling?

There could be several reasons that a house doesn't sell quickly. Here are the Top Ten Deadly Mistakes Home Sellers make and the reasons why their homes don's sell...:
DEADLY MISTAKE #1- When you’re ready to hire an agent, interview several before making your final decision. If one agent thinks your house can sell for $20,000 more than the others, stay clear. More than likely, that agent just wants your business, will wait a few months for the house not to sell, then, convince you to lower the asking price to what you probably should have asked for in the first place.

DEADLY MISTAKE #2- Make sure your seller's agent is working with a realistic figure. If they have the home overpriced, it won't sell.

DEADLY MISTAKE #3- Be aware that you may need to upgrade for a quicker sale. Perhaps the interior needs a fresh coat of paint or some of the carpet needs to be replaced. Although you might have to invest a small amount of money, it will peak buyer’s interest, resulting in a quick sale.

DEADLY MISTAKE #4- Another reason a house doesn't sell is location. Unfortunately, there isn't anything you can do about that. However, you can ensure that your home is in good condition, neat, clean, and presentable, and work with the price. If you're working with a good realtor, hopefully you won't have to lower the price too much. However, if the location isn't good, dropping the price should be a consideration.

DEADLY MISTAKE #5- If you are working with an agent with a bad reputation, you could have trouble selling your home. As in any industry, agents communicate and network. Therefore, if one agent causes problems, others will stay away. That means if your home is listed with a "bad" agent, other agents are less likely to show your home to their buyers. This is why it's so important to do your homework at the beginning and find a good, reputable agent.

DEADLY MISTAKE #6- Make sure your agent does more Computer
than just hang a sign in your yard. Part of the agent's responsibility is to market your home. This means good advertising, flyers, prominent MLS listing placement and above all else, a good Internet strategy, basically- whatever it takes to get the word about your home out to the public.

DEADLY MISTAKE #7- Have an appraisal done on your home and have the agent do a competitive analysis (CMA) of other homes similar to yours in your geographical location. Make sure you are working with Fair Market Value for your home and not an over inflated value.

DEADLY MISTAKE #8- When people are looking at your home, and you happen to be there, don't try to help sell the house. Be polite, stay out of their way (ideally, leave your home during the showing), and expect that they will look in every closet and under every sink. If asked a question, answer honestly.

DEADLY MISTAKE #9- If you are working through an agent but have someone show up at the door wanting to look at your house, this is a tough one. Remember, you are under contract with the agent and therefore, are required to have the agent show the house.

Contact the agent immediately to see if they can come over quickly. If not, get the name, contact information of the interested party, and call or send that
information to your agent. You never know who that person really is and most agents do a pretty good job in pre-qualifying people prior to showing a home.

DEADLY MISTAKE #10- It is imperative to know and understand your rights and responsibilities. Understanding your contract and knowing the terms could save you a lot of money in inspections, repair, or maintenance. Make sure your agent goes over it in great detail together with all of the forms that you should be signing.

Sold HouseIf at any time you are not happy with the way things are progressing, sit down and talk to your agent. Explain what your concerns are. If they are a reputable agent, they will listen and make the appropriate adjustment.

If you live in Windsor and Essex County and would like a FREE Over-The-Net Home Evaluation, Please Click on Windsor Real Estate and you'll be linked to the appropriate page.
Posted Tuesday Apr 01