Maximize your Selling Potential

The media just doesn't always get it right. Big surprise, huh! Well, this morning a segment aired on Good Morning America on "How to Sell your home in a Buyer's Market." They offered 5 of the best home selling tips for getting it sold in today's economy. I agree with the first 4, but #5 - not so much, so... I offered you my own 5th Tip below. 

Top 5 things that you can do to get your home sold:

1. Price your home to sell. What does this mean? Price the home just below competitive listings on the market, if you want to sell it quickly. Trying to out-strategize the market is setting yourself up for failure. Put yourself in the buyers shoes. If you were going to purchase this home again, would you really find it a good or even better value? Maybe not in this economy, where people are generally looking to save money.

2. Presentation is essential! When a prospective buyer walks in the door, the home should sell itself. Staging in this market can make your home stand out above the rest. A prospective buyer will react to what they see feel, hear and smell. Regardless of how you have priced your home they will be turned off by clutter, strong odors (good and bad) and the biggest, lack of cleanliness. A dirty home lacks pride in ownership and leaves questions on possible deferred maintenance. So, before you put the home on the market do a little Spring Cleaning. Organize the cabinets and closets, clean the windows and blinds, put away all the excess clutter and make it shine!

3. Hire the right agent when it comes to marketing your home. A sign in the yard and pictures in MLS don't necessarily mean that you are reaching potential buyers. The right tech savvy agent will know what it takes to market your efficiently on the Internet, make it shine in pictures, and create a great story about the home.

4. Repair/Replace necessary items around your home. To a prospective buyer minor repairs can add up to lots of additional expenses and may ultimately come back to the seller for a greater discount on the home. Offering an allowanceto prospective buyers may also become a red flag in many cases, so replace the carpet or outdated appliance(s) that aren't working even if it is on the less expensive side. The return will be so much greater.

5. Address Key Factors or Selling Points with your agent. This segments suggest that you should be present to sell the home yourself to potential buyers. I strongly advise against this. Instead, discuss with your agent key factors that you like about your home and ask them to include them in their marketing. Your agent can determine if these factors are true selling points. Prospective buyers can feel uncomfortable looking through your home and may actually miss something that was a selling point to them. Remember, just because you love something about your home doesn't mean everyone else will. In fact, it may be the one turn off to someone else.

If you are ready to list your home, we can help! We understand what the buyers want, and we work for you to get it sold!