Tips for Home Sellers

When you’re thinking about putting your home on the market, the best first decision that you can make is to choose a qualified agent to represent you. To be honest, I didn’t always believe this, and many years ago subscribed to the theory that any reasonably intelligent person could market and sell their home as well as any professional real estate agent. Today, I realize how little I knew back then! I’m not sure if this was ever the case, but I can tell you now with certainty that in today’s complex real estate market, hiring a professional to guide you through the process will not only give you the best chance of achieving the highest net return on you property, it will also offer you protection in a transaction that may be one of the largest that you make in your lifetime.

Technology has completely changed the way that potential buyers find and purchase homes, and the changes are rapid and ongoing.  A National Association of Realtors study found that most potential homebuyers spend an average of 4 months researching homes on the internet before they ever contact an agent. By the time that those buyers reach the market ready to purchase, they are highly educated about the micro-market in which they are shopping.  They find the homes in which they have interest based on the strength of their web presence, and they target them based on the quality of that presence.

Choosing an agent who is highly tech savvy, and knows how to effectively market your home to buyers as well as their agents on the web is critical. High quality photographs, detailed descriptions and virtual tours are requisite tools that must be utilized, but an experienced agent can maximize these tools, giving them the edge to present your home to its best advantage on the internet and to move your home ahead of its competition.

Making the emotional transition from a cherished home to a marketable product that you have for sale is not always easy. Often, we have lived in our homes for so long that we aren’t aware of  the details, big and small,  that have the potential to attract buyers, as well as those details that can send them fleeing for the hills.  Getting your home in its best possible condition before it goes on the market is worth the effort, and can make a significant difference in the price that your property is capable of bringing.  Select an agent that offers to help you with everything from coordinating contractors to helping you choose the most marketable paint colors. Your agent will help you to see your home with fresh perspective, and should also provide staging assistance that will highlight your homes best details.

You’ll also want to be certain to select a Realtor, which means that the agent conducts his or her business within the guidelines of a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice developed by the National Association of Realtors.

When you market your home, most important day is its first day on the market. That’s why pricing your home correctly is equally as crucial as getting it in its best condition.  Interested buyers will not even tour a home that is priced too high; whereas a home that is priced at or just under the true market value will grab the interest of homebuyers as well as agents. Getting the price right the first time, while the interest level is high, is a critical component to getting the highest possible return on your property. Your property will have the highest level of interest within the first 30 days.  If you reduce the price after the interest has waned, you may wind up having to reduce the price even further just to get showings.

Pricing a property is not an exact science. Although there are websites that can target an estimated value on your property based on recently sold comparable homes, you need to rely on a professional that makes a daily business of evaluating homes in your market, and how the condition and amenities in your home stack up to those in comparable homes recently sold.

Getting every detail right can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Hiring a real estate professional who can help to guide you through the process will enable your sale to happen quickly, smoothly and for the highest possible price.

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