How To Sell Any Home In Any Market . . . Fast!

There is a difference between listing a property for sale and actually selling a property. Over the years, I’ve found there are five factors that work together to help properties sell. Not only am I able to sell listings in a crowded market, I’m also able to move my seller’s property quickly.

Let’s look at the 5 factors:

Price

Condition

Availability

Showability

Exposure

As the seller, you are in control of the first four of these factors. The agent you select will control the marketing exposure.

Being in control puts a lot of pressure on you to act wisely with your choices. Unfortunately, most agents are hesitant to tell their client that they are not managing their control effectively. These agents do not want to offend and alienate the seller for fear they won’t get the listing. I don’t want to offend a seller either, but I also don’t want to waste my time and resources marketing a home when the seller is not in the game with me. Like you, I have bills to pay and mouths to feed. I would rather be candid upfront than be apologetic later.

Let’s get more specific about the 5 factors...

1. Price. How soon you want to sell has a direct relationship to the price you receive for your property. Professional appraisers use the theory of substitution to arrive at value. That means that your home is probably worth about the same as a similar home that recently sold in the same area. If you price your home above that, it will not attract buyers. Added features and amenities will increase value just as having less to offer will decrease the selling price. When agents perform a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA), it is to give you a realistic guideline as to what's really happening in the marketplace. It may not be what you want to hear, but I will always share with you the price I honestly expect you to receive in today's real estate market

2. Condition. Making a good first impression is important in getting a property sold. Painting the front door and trim, making sure the doorbell works, putting furniture and clothing in storage, and cleaning off counter tops are just a few of the little things I suggest to my customers and clients to make properties more marketable. I would be more than happy to provide you with a Merchandising Review free of charge. A Merchandising Review is a list of 18 Factors that cause properties to sell. I spend the extra time necessary with every client to assure all the little details are taken care of. It's that attention to detail that sets me apart and enables me to get properties sold.

3. Availability. With close to 90% of buyers represented by their own agent in a transaction, it only makes sense to know how a buyer’s agent decides which homes to show to their clients. Most clients make a decision after looking at less than 10 homes. Choosing which 10 to show is a matter of the client’s specifications and access to homes that meet the right criteria. Let’s suppose that I’m taking a buyer out Saturday afternoon to look at a list of possible home purchases. I’ll pull homes that meet my client’s needs from the MLS and attempt to make a showing appointment. Usually, that will be in a 2-3 hour window during the day. If I find a home that meets the requirements but the seller wants 24 hour notice, I simply eliminate that home from contention.

If the data from the MLS says “No showings on Sunday”, I eliminate that one, too. With thousands of homes to choose from, agents simply will not have a need to go to any extraordinary trouble to schedule a showing. So, for the 30-60 days your home is on the market, make it easy to show.

4. Showability. There is a big difference in having the boss over for dinner and having strangers look at your home who are considering making it their own. In the first case, you would probably make sure that it was tidy and pleasing to the eye. In the second scenario, you have to be much more diligent.

Every room – including the closets – must appear roomy, clean and in good condition. You may think that your home meets that standard now, and to you it most certainly does. To please the critical eye of a buyer with many home to choose from, you must go beyond just looking good. You have to look great.

Did you know that a great number of people do not want a home that has pets? They may be allergic or fearful of animals. It may be time to take Fido to camp or a neighbors house if you can. The key is to create a memorable showing experience.

After a buyer has finished their tour of a number of homes for the day, yours must be the one they recall with a positive impression. You won’t sit down at the closing table until you stand out among the competition.