As a home seller, the first three influences are beyond your control. You can’t pick
up the property and change its location. You can’t change the general economic
conditions or the current real estate trend: it’s either a buyers’ or a sellers’ market.
You can’t control when or how many other properties come on the market.
However, the action you take on the other three can help you
Listing Price:
The biggest mistake sellers make is inflating the price of their home. They do so in
the false belief that it will result in a higher selling price, ie “if I’m going to come down
20K, I ‘ll get more it I start higher”. Exactly the opposite is true. Properties are
naturally sorted by price. The house that offers the most in comparison to others in
the same price range, is judged a “good deal” and snapped up. By over-pricing it,
the seller just puts the property in competition with homes that offer more. An
inflated price virtually guarantees that your home will be shown a lot to help sell
competing lisitings that offer more for the money. You’ll get lots of showings at
first but no offers.
Remember the ultimate value of the property is established at the close of escrow
by the ready, willing, and able BUYER.
Condition of Property:
Often a few small cosmetic improvements can make a big difference in how
favorably buyers react to your home. Many you can do yourself. I look at your home
with an objective eye to suggest where you might make simple, cost-effective
improvements. In other cases, it may be worthwhile to get estimates from
professionals. Sometimes
a good heavy duty cleaning and removal of excess "stuff" can be enough.
Remember: Buyers might not share your decorating style. Try to neutralize and
remove items of a personal nature. Most times, less is more.
Your Real Estate Agent:
Choosing the right agent can make an enormous difference in selling your home.
The agent is the vital link to buyers who will make offers. Attracting qualified
buyers is the key to getting offers. A good agent is a strong negotiator who works
hard to insure that you, the seller, get the highest price, at the best terms, at the
most convenience to you.
