Who doesn’t want to get top price for their home? One thing is for sure – we can guarantee that you won’t be making money on your home sale if you do the following things…
Post and Pray
Don’t list your home on sites like Zillow, Trulia, and the MLS and then hope someone will come across it and contact you. You have to actively promote your listing, whether it be through digital marketing, traditional print marketing, or word-of-mouth. Hiring a professional real estate agent can significantly help with your home being seen by more potential buyers due to the amount of resources real estate agents have at their disposal.
Overprice
The second you overprice your home in a competitive market is the second you lose a major opportunity with potential buyers. Buyers want to get the best bang for their buck. Take for example, a car buying experience. At one dealership a buyer finds a car he/she loves that has all the bells and whistles they want. It’s priced at $40,000. He/she decides to shop around at other dealerships to see what prices they offer for the same car. At the second dealership, he/she finds the same car, however, it’s missing a sunroof, back-up camera, and heated seating – 3 things he/she are interested in. It’s also priced at $40,000. Most buyers would see that the second dealership’s car is obviously overpriced for what it has. They would attempt to negotiate the price down to something more reasonable since it is obviously lacking features and it’s value should not be worth the same as the dealership one’s car.
Don’t be car dealership #2! When you list your home for sale, you’re essentially entering into a competition with fellow sellers. You must price your home comparably to other’s in the competition based on the features you have to offer. If you can’t offer as much as someone down the street for the same price, you may need to adjust.
Have too many showing restrictions.
Everyone’s schedule is different, especially when children are involved. When you list your home for sale, however, you will need to be accommodating to potential buyers’ schedules before your own. Restricting showings to a four-hour time block one day a week is a good way to deter most people from coming to see your home. The more lenient you are on your showing schedule, the more potential buyers you have coming to see your home, and the more opportunities you have to sell quickly. Remember, it’s only a temporary.
Stay home and try to sell your home to potential buyers.
There’s nothing more uncomfortable than walking into a home to view it, only to see the homeowner there watching TV or cooking a meal. Buyers prefer an uninterrupted, anonymous experience when viewing a home so that they are able to speak freely about their likes and dislikes with their agent. Many will feel uncomfortable walking through a house when the homeowner is in the next room. Try your best to leave the house, even if it means just going for a long walk around your neighborhood.
Don’t lock up your animals.
You may not be able to take your pets with you when you leave, but the pet and their belongings need to be locked up and out of sight. When potential homebuyer’s see signs of pets in the home, initial reactions may be that the home will need a deep cleaning or that there may be more wear and tear than usual. Also, some people may be afraid of animals. You don’t want your dog barking potential buyers out the door… literally!
Make it personal.
Understand that each person has his or her own opinion about what his or her dream home should be like. When receiving feedback after a walk-through try to remember that the feedback is only meant to make you aware of potential ‘flags’ buyers see. It’s the nature of real estate. Try not to take it too personally. The right buyer will come a long and love your place!
Need help selling your home? Contact us today to set up a free seller consultation with one of our team members.