The peak homebuying season may be over, but there are still steps you can take to ensure a speedy sale. Setting the right price and making an excellent first impression are both essential to attracting buyers, but what else can you do to get the offers rolling in? Here are 10 tips to help you sell your home as quickly as possible — even in the offseason.
Price it right from the start.
Sellers often think they should start the asking price high and then lower it later if the house fails to sell. But that can result in a slower sale — sometimes even at a lower price. "The first 30 days' activity of your house being on the market is always the best activity you're going to see," says Michael Mahon, general manager of HER Realtors in Columbus, Ohio. If the price is too high, many buyers and their agents will stay away, assuming you're not serious about selling or you're unwilling to negotiate.
Enhance your home 's curb appeal.
This could mean adding new sod, planting flowers, painting the front door, or replacing the mailbox. Prospective buyers form an opinion the moment they spot the home. "Curb appeal is everything," Mahon says. "Driving into the driveway and walking into that front door sets the expectations."
Update the interior and exterior.
New fixtures, fresh paint and updated landscaping are all fairly easy and affordable ways to give your home a makeover. "It's got to look up to the current market conditions and what's in style," Mahon says.
Clean, declutter, and depersonalize.
The fewer things there are in the home, the larger it will look, so remove knickknacks and excess furniture. Also take down family photos, religious items, and political posters so prospective buyers can envision their family in the house, not yours. Finally, you may want to hire a cleaning service to do a deep cleaning.
Make the property easy to show.
The more flexible you are about visits, the more people will be able to see your home. Be ready for prospective visitors early in the morning, at night and on weekends, with little notice. Also, leave when the house is shown so would-be buyers can feel free to move about without feeling like intruders and discuss the home's pros and cons honestly
Remove your pets.
Also remove their paraphernalia, such as dog dishes and cat litter boxes (or at least hide them). A prospective buyer shouldn't even know that a pet lives in the home if you can help it, Mahon says.
Make sure your listing is on all the major online portals.
This is usually part of an agent 's service, but it doesn't hurt to double-check that your listing is on Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com. It also helps if your agent showcases the home on social media. "We sell as many homes off Facebook as we do off the [multiple listing service]," Mahon says. Both the agency and the individual agents have Facebook business pages where they share listings.
Ensure the listing has good photos, and lots of them.
Most homebuyers start their search online and decide which homes they want to see based on the photos. You probably want something better than snapshots taken quickly with your agent 's phone.
Share information about life in the neighborhood.
The listing should include photos not only of the house, but also of nearby recreation, dining and shopping areas. If the schools are good, make sure that information is in the listing. "You 're not only marketing the home — you 're marketing the lifestyle," Mahon says.
For more visit: http://e.businessinsider.com/view/4cb9d08e52baf1d8a812104a5419d329897e2c323c8b45c2/9f2de2ab
Mary Zohar, is a long-standing member of the Coldwell Banker North Tampa Office and an active member of the Greater Tampa Associates of Realtors. Besides having a Bachelor in Science from the University of Florida, she holds: Certified Home Marketing Specialist, Certified Negotiation Specialist, e-Pro, Short Sale and Foreclosure, and Accredited Buyer Representative and Certified Residential Specialist certifications; and received the International Diamond Society Award this past year. She also is the representative of the North Tampa office for Coldwell Banker CARES. And is current in Continuing Education and licensure for the State of Florida. Having lived in the Tampa Bay area since 1981, makes her an expert in the community at large. If she doesn't know what you're looking for, she surely knows who to ask or how to find out. Watching Tampa Bay grow, after these years makes her knowledge priceless. She can be reached at 813-417-6696, and is eager to assist you with all of your Real Estate needs.
Price it right from the start.
Sellers often think they should start the asking price high and then lower it later if the house fails to sell. But that can result in a slower sale — sometimes even at a lower price. "The first 30 days' activity of your house being on the market is always the best activity you're going to see," says Michael Mahon, general manager of HER Realtors in Columbus, Ohio. If the price is too high, many buyers and their agents will stay away, assuming you're not serious about selling or you're unwilling to negotiate.
Enhance your home 's curb appeal.
This could mean adding new sod, planting flowers, painting the front door, or replacing the mailbox. Prospective buyers form an opinion the moment they spot the home. "Curb appeal is everything," Mahon says. "Driving into the driveway and walking into that front door sets the expectations."
Update the interior and exterior.
New fixtures, fresh paint and updated landscaping are all fairly easy and affordable ways to give your home a makeover. "It's got to look up to the current market conditions and what's in style," Mahon says.
Clean, declutter, and depersonalize.
The fewer things there are in the home, the larger it will look, so remove knickknacks and excess furniture. Also take down family photos, religious items, and political posters so prospective buyers can envision their family in the house, not yours. Finally, you may want to hire a cleaning service to do a deep cleaning.
Make the property easy to show.
The more flexible you are about visits, the more people will be able to see your home. Be ready for prospective visitors early in the morning, at night and on weekends, with little notice. Also, leave when the house is shown so would-be buyers can feel free to move about without feeling like intruders and discuss the home's pros and cons honestly
Remove your pets.
Also remove their paraphernalia, such as dog dishes and cat litter boxes (or at least hide them). A prospective buyer shouldn't even know that a pet lives in the home if you can help it, Mahon says.
Make sure your listing is on all the major online portals.
This is usually part of an agent 's service, but it doesn't hurt to double-check that your listing is on Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com. It also helps if your agent showcases the home on social media. "We sell as many homes off Facebook as we do off the [multiple listing service]," Mahon says. Both the agency and the individual agents have Facebook business pages where they share listings.
Ensure the listing has good photos, and lots of them.
Most homebuyers start their search online and decide which homes they want to see based on the photos. You probably want something better than snapshots taken quickly with your agent 's phone.
Share information about life in the neighborhood.
The listing should include photos not only of the house, but also of nearby recreation, dining and shopping areas. If the schools are good, make sure that information is in the listing. "You 're not only marketing the home — you 're marketing the lifestyle," Mahon says.
For more visit: http://e.businessinsider.com/view/4cb9d08e52baf1d8a812104a5419d329897e2c323c8b45c2/9f2de2ab
Mary Zohar, is a long-standing member of the Coldwell Banker North Tampa Office and an active member of the Greater Tampa Associates of Realtors. Besides having a Bachelor in Science from the University of Florida, she holds: Certified Home Marketing Specialist, Certified Negotiation Specialist, e-Pro, Short Sale and Foreclosure, and Accredited Buyer Representative and Certified Residential Specialist certifications; and received the International Diamond Society Award this past year. She also is the representative of the North Tampa office for Coldwell Banker CARES. And is current in Continuing Education and licensure for the State of Florida. Having lived in the Tampa Bay area since 1981, makes her an expert in the community at large. If she doesn't know what you're looking for, she surely knows who to ask or how to find out. Watching Tampa Bay grow, after these years makes her knowledge priceless. She can be reached at 813-417-6696, and is eager to assist you with all of your Real Estate needs.
No comments:
Post a Comment