Here are five incredible tips you can use as a first-time home seller to ensure a fast and lucrative home sale:
1. Hire your agent based on a written marketing plan. Any agent can come into your home and throw out a price that’s attractive. The question is whether they can get it for you or not. Make sure you ask your agent for a written marketing plan that you understand and ask them questions about their experience. Also, make sure they’re a good personality fit for you. We always counsel our sellers to interview two or three agents so they choose the one who’s the best fit.
2. Price your home accurately. That experienced agent you hired with a written marketing strategy should have a thorough, comparative market analysis (CMA) done so you can not only understand what price range they’re advising you on, but the why behind that price range. That is critical to getting a buyer to make a great offer at the ideal price. Also, ask your agent to help guide you where you should position your home within that price range based on your goals and motivations—not theirs.
3. Ask your agent for a consultation to help you prepare your home for sale. This can include two things. The first is a walkthrough consultation with a list of items that are cost-effective ways to maximize your home value. The second thing they can do is advise you on staging your home. A staged home tends to sell faster and for more money.
“Make sure your agent is a good fit for you overall.”
4. Be flexible on your showings. There’s nothing worse than declining a showing from an out-of-town buyer who’s only in town for a day or two only to find out later that they pulled the trigger on a different home.
5. Insist on professional photography. More and more agents are electing to use professional photography, and it does cost money. But it’s more critical than ever to make sure your home has clear, clean, high-definition photos. It will make your home stand out, garner more showings, and sell for a greater amount of money.
If you have a question about the value of your home or want a consultation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d be happy to take care of you!
