Sellers
When thinking of selling your home, many things may cross your mind. What price do I sell it for? How long will it take? How will it be marketed? What do I do if it doesn’t sell? All these questions (and more) are common worries of the home seller. You’re about to sell something that you’ve decorated, lived in, and made great memories in. Its a huge step and it can be nerve wracking at times. There are steps to make it easier.
First, take a good hard look at your house. Pretend its not yours for just a moment (hard to do, but you’ll benefit greatly from it). What’s good about it? What could be improved? Do you have items you’ve been meaning to fix, but just haven’t gotten around to? Make a list. Be harsh with your criticisms and you’ll reap the rewards later. Fix what you can, try and freshen up your home, and make it something that appeals to everyone. The shag carpeting that was all the rage when you bought the home might not be so hot today. I recommend doing this before you even call a Realtor®. Having it in tip top shape when the agent visits your home for the listing appointment will help them see the good side of your house – if your house is in total disrepair when they get there, they probably won’t suggest listing it for top dollar.
Second, do some research and find yourself a Realtor® that you think you’d like to work with. I know a lot of people want to save some money and sell the home themselves, but there is a lot of work involved in the process (and a lot of legal liability). Realtors® carry insurance to cover themselves and their brokerages in case of a transaction gone wrong (let’s face it, we all strive to avoid the lawsuits, but they do happen sometimes). An agent has the expertise and the knowledge of the local markets and can help guide you and make the transaction flow as smoothly as possible. A good agent will serve as your adviser and trusted confidant through the transaction as well as handle many of the details during the listing. A great agent will do all that and more.
Once you think you’ve found someone you are comfortable with and you trust, invite them over and let them show you what they think they can do for your home. In my personal experience, I usually take a tour of the home; asking questions and taking notes. By this time I’ve already prepared a comparative market analysis (CMA) of the home and know a good range for the price. While taking that tour, I may notice some things I didn’t know about the house that can affect the pricing I had come up with based on market activity in your neighborhood. Tell me about your home during this tour. There might be something so amazing about it that we can use it as a selling point. Once the tour is complete, I like to sit down with the owners and discuss the CMA. This is where we get into the good stuff. We’ll talk about pricing the home based on what’s happening in your local area and how to best market the property to get you the best price in the least amount of time. Ask questions. Explain your concerns and your desires. This is where we get to know each other and find out if we’re a good fit. If we are – great, let’s get started.
