ARE YOU THINKING OF SELLING?

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A lot of sellers can become anxious over the thought of having to clear out and fix up their home. Sometimes this can prevent them from even getting it on the market.  But in most cases, there’s no need to worry. Most of the time there’s much less to do than a homeowner would think.  So before spending time and money upgrading your home or even getting discouraged let us come take a look. You just might be positively surprised by how just a few changes can make a big difference.

The most accurate listing price for your own home will depend on its size, neighborhood, updates and upgrades as well as a lot of other factors. Sometimes a seller can mentally inflate their home’s positives and ignore the flaws that a buyer might pick up on quickly.   It's important to look at the prices of similarly sized homes that have recently sold in your area— or “comps". Then, price your place strategically. Pricing too high can cause the property to sit on the market for too long, resulting in a "stale" listing. Pricing a little lower in a hot sellers market can generate multiple bids that could ultimately end up above your listing price. So, do your homework and let us help you determine a price that feels right, is realistic and will get your home sold for the most amount of money in the shortest time. 

On average, a staged home sells 88% faster—and for 20% more money—than a home that’s left as is. The reason it works, of course, is it gives buyers a “stage” onto which they can play out their home-owner dreams and visualize themselves living in your home. It's important to allow the would-be homeowners to see a blank canvas that they can mentally fill with their loved ones and their own belongings.

One of the most common questions from home sellers is in regards to the real estate marketing strategies real estate agents use to sell homes.

A home that is priced properly and given maximum exposure should sell in a very short amount of time and for top dollar.  Some of the top real estate marketing strategies that HR will use to sell your home are - 

1. Online exposure through syndication to 100's of internet search sites.
2. Social media presence with online exposure.
3. Agent email campaigns.
4. Beautiful professional photography.
5. Complimentary "Simple Staging Strategies".
6. Listing in First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS).
7. Professional "For Sale" and directional signage.

You will be filling out a "Seller's Disclosure" which will require you to reveal any issues or repairs with the house and will be attached as part of the contract. Please be thorough on every question.  The most important thing is to be truthful. We can resolve almost every issue. As we review your property and as I see things that I have questions about, we can discuss those together.

Even in a slow market, price and condition are the two most important factors in selling a home. If a home is not getting the activity it needs in order to sell it is probably because it is overpriced for the market. If this happens, we should discuss the following options below - 

• The first step is to lower the price. Take a look again at the comps and see, realistically, how your home compares to the most recent solds.
• Go through the house and see if there are cosmetic defects that you missed that can be repaired. 
• Make sure that the home is getting the exposure it deserves through open houses, advertising, agent email campaigns, good signage and a listing on the multiple listing service and internet. 
• Remove the home from the market and wait for overall housing conditions to improve and catch up to the price you are wanting to get.
• If the listing has gone "stale", remove it from the FMLS for about 2 weeks, retake photos and relist.  This will freshen it up with a new listing ID and it will hit buyer's search results as a brand new listing.

Another frequently asked question from home sellers is how much it will cost to sell a home.  There are expenses that the buyer will have that the seller will not and vice versa.  In addition to any repairs or updates as well as moving costs, typical closing expenses for home sellers include the abstract and title search, instrument survey, real estate commissions, and transfer taxes which also are known as revenue stamps. Don't forget to factor in any agreed upon additional seller contributions such as a Home Warranty, possible Capital Gains tax or additional funds towards your buyer's closing costs. Visit Campbell and Brannon's website for a break down of their fees.