Category: Advice to Sellers

When you are ready to sell your home it becomes a product in a marketing campaign. This means buyers are going to come in with a critical eye and pass judgment on the property. It’s important not to take this personally: everyone has different styles and tastes, and people want what they want. As you get physically ready to sell your house, it’s very important that you also get prepared emotionally: the more you can detach from your property, the easier and more enjoyable the process will be.

Pricing and selling a home can be tricky. Market conditions change rapidly and there are many variables in the process to consider so it’s crucial that you are flexible and open. For example, things may come up in inspections. Have an open and flexible attitude and trust us to navigate you successfully through the process.

For best results, we want maximum exposure for your property from the start. The seller has the control of the negotiations in the beginning but, as time goes on, the buyer then gains control of negotiations. Therefore, make showing the house easy: relocate your pets and make yourself scarce. The more time I have to show the house in the beginning, the more likely we are to find a buyer quickly.

There is so much involved in staging, I can’t really cover it here. Just know that at the outset I will give you customized guidance in staging your home: curb appeal, de-personalizing, de-cluttering, repairing and so on. One of the key aspects of staging that can sometimes be overlooked is that it’s important to store your valuables, especially those things that people can easily stick in their pocket. This includes storing your private mail, financial statements, important papers – anything that might give clues your financial position. Also, put away any pharmaceuticals or personal items that might raise questions in the buyers’ minds or give away something about your situation. The idea is to put all the focus on the house itself so that people can imagine themselves in it.

Anticipating maintenance issues in your home and being proactive with repairs will make the selling process much smoother. Some sellers bury their head in the sand and avoid fixing things until they come up in inspections. However, this can backfire: the buyer can have second thoughts when these surprises arise. Get a pre-inspection and fix what needs to be fixed.

When you are ready to sell your home, it becomes a product in a marketing campaign. It’s important to work with people that understand how to differentiate your property from the competition. Different properties warrant different marketing strategies: is the home vacant, is it distressed, is it multi-family? Is it located on a quiet street, near a grammar school, near a shopping district? Based on the property and your goals, we’ll design a strategic marketing plan with a 4-point approach: public communication, agent networking, online communication, and home “product” presentation. It’s important that you trust the marketing process. If you second guess it and let concerns and worries get the best of you, the process will become stressful. Trust our years of experience: we will sell your house.

When we meet, we will help you get very clear on the goals for the sale of your house. For example, why are you selling right now? How soon do you want to be out of the house? Do you need to be in the house for the next two months or is the house already vacant? Are you selling to buy? Is buying contingent on the sale of your house? We have the patience and experience to support you through whatever your circumstances and goals are. Once we have a clear picture of your goals, we will work together to achieve them.