5 things you need to hear before you put your home on the market

Selling a home can be stressful if you are not a prepared consumer. Crazy expectations, market mis-education, and the common misconception that all homes sell in 30 minutes like they do on HGTV can all create a difficult environment for you and your agent.
Avoid the misunderstandings that could ruin the transaction and your chances at selling. Check out these six points before you start marketing your home.

1. Your staging will make or break you.

“Homes that don’t show well don’t close well.”

You will not realize the importance of staging your home unless you can see it.
Have your agent take you on a two-home showing; one where the staging is great and one where it’s not.
Download and use Trulia’s10 Hardcore Staging Tips for Sellers.

2. Comparable are the key to the right price, not your opinion.

“When it comes to price, the market’s opinion is what really matters.”

When it comes price, the winning opinion is always the market’s opinion. You know it’s impossible to effectively price a home without taking into account the competition. Unfortunately, too many sellers don’t.

When you sit down with your agent tell them what your price expectations are for your home. Then, take the time to let your agent educate you on the competition and give you expert home pricing tips to help you understand pricing strategy.

Here is a great resource for pricing expectations:
Custom Analyisis
Remember, when it comes to selling at the right price, nothing beats the data.

3. You’ll get out what you put in, so consider renovations.

“Most buyers don’t want to deal with your old problems.”

Selling for top dollar is simple math, not brain science. The problems buyers see when touring a home negatively impact the amount they’ll offer. That’s why your agent has to be upfront with you when they spot unsightly blemishes that could cost you the deal.

Before you list and start marketing the property, discuss the improvements your agent believes will make a difference when it comes to price.

If you need a starter list of simple ways to boost a home’s value and its showing potential, download this guide on the 10 ways to boost your home’s value.

4. Serious buyers never stop the hunt.

Too many sellers see the winter months as the slow season. The reality is, there are plenty of upsides to listing and marketing a home when everyone else is taking a break.

Check out 5 Unexpected Upsides to Off-Season House Hunting which show that holding off on listing could ultimately make selling harder than it has to be.

5. Asking prices are up nationally, but…

“Real estate is a local business”

The last few years have turned real estate headlines into high-profile news. That means you may have heard that home asking prices recently jumped more than 5 percent nationally. While this is great news for the country as a whole, remember that real estate is a local industry and that asking price isn’t everything.

Shoot me an email and i’ll send you a report on your local market.