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Selling Your
Home for
Top Dollars
We provide real estate services to buyers
and sellers in Pennsylvania (Berks County, Chester County, Delaware County,
Montgomery County, Philadelphia, Drexel Hill, Haverford Township, Havertown and Upper Darby) as well as in
New Jersey (Brigantine, Atlantic City, Ocean City, Camden County and Gloucester
County).
Selling your home is one of the most important things you will ever do in your
life. This simple system will provide the tools you need to maximize your
profits, maintain control, and reduce the stress that comes with the
home-selling process.
Know why you are selling and keep it to yourself. The reasons behind your
decision to sell affect everything from setting a price to deciding how much
time and money to invest in getting your home ready for sale. What is more
important to you? The money you walk away with, the length of time your
property is on the market, or a combination of both? Different goals will
dictate different selling strategies. However, it is critical that you do not
reveal your reasons to anyone else, because it could come back to haunt you at
the negotiating table. When asked, simply explain that your housing needs have
changed.
Be sure to do your homework before setting a price. Settling on an offering
price should not be done lightly. In a hot seller’s market, should you set your
asking price too low, be prepared to receive offers over and above your asking
price. However, remember that pricing your house too high is very dangerous.
The average homebuyer will view and compare dozens of homes on the Internet at
the same time they are considering yours. This means that they have a basis of
comparison, and if your home doesn’t compare favorably with others in the price
range you have set, your home will sit on the market and prospective buyers will
not take you seriously. The longer your home sits on the market, the more
likely people will think that there is a problem with it.
Work with your agent to find out what homes in your own and similar
neighborhoods have sold for in the past three to six months. Research what
current homes on the market are listed at. It’s the same process that buyers
will undertake when assessing the value of your home.
Find a good real estate agent that represents your needs. Nearly three quarters
of all homeowners claim that they would not use the same real estate agent who
sold their last home. Dissatisfaction boils down to poor communication and lack
of feedback, which will ultimately result in lower prices and strained
relationships.
Be sure to maximize your home’s sales potential. Each year, corporate America
spends billions of dollars on product packaging and design. Appearance is
critical, and it would be foolish to ignore this fact when selling your home. A
good agent would assess the condition of your home and recommend home staging,
if necessary, to ensure the marketability of your home. You may not be able to
change your home’s location or floor plan, but you can do a great many things to
improve its appearance. The look and feel of your home generates greater
emotional response from prospective buyers than any other factor.
Before showings, clean like you have never cleaned before. Scrub,
scour, and otherwise make everything spotless. Fix everything, no matter how
insignificant it may appear. Present your home to get the best possible
reaction from those viewing it. Your home’s condition and how it shows will
greatly affect your sales price and time on the market.
Allow buyers to imagine themselves living in your home. The decision to buy a
home is based a high level of emotion. Prospective buyers are trying on your
home the same way they would try on a new suit before buying it. If you follow
them around pointing out improvements or making excuses for a lack of upkeep,
you make it difficult for them to feel comfortable enough to imagine themselves
as the new owners.
Make it simple for prospects to obtain information on your home. You would be
surprised to know that some marketing tools that most agents use to sell house
(such as traditional open houses) are generally not very effective. In fact,
only about one percent of homes are sold at an open house.
Prospects calling for information on your home value their time as much as you
do. The last thing they want to be subjected to is either a game of telephone
tag with an agent or unwanted sales pitches. Make sure the ads your agent
places for your home are accessible on the Internet which gives prospects detailed
information at all times. Statistics show that more than 85% of buyers
search the Internet in looking for homes -- even when they are working with
agents. Remember, the more buyers
you have competing for your home, the better. It will set up an auction-like
atmosphere that puts you in the driver’s seat.
You must make your home available for showings. Top agents will not show homes
that they must search high and low for the key and access - they do not have
time to rush around town all day chasing down and dropping off house keys. If
you will be home during a showing, then put on some soft music and take a walk
when the potential buyers come through, letting the buyer be at ease and letting
the real estate agent do his or her job. Selling your home quickly can be a
benefit if you need to leave immediately, but can cost you thousands of
dollars. A buyer sensing the seller is distressed will make a lower offer.
This is why pricing correctly is important - you should know all there is to
know about the market before listing and work hand in hand with your agent.
You must price your property correctly
and at a competitive market value when you list it. The market is so competitive that even overpricing by a
few thousand dollars can be the difference between selling or not. The problem with
an overpriced home is that it can minimize the number of offers, lower the
number of showings, lower agent response, limit financing, limit the number of
qualified buyers, and net less money for the seller.
Ask your agent what he or she can find out about the buyers. In the negotiation
process, your objective is to control the pace and direction of the sale. If
you know the buyers’ motivations, whether they need to move quickly, and whether
or not they have enough money to pay for the home, will give you the upper hand
once negotiations begin.
Make sure that the contract is complete. For your part as a seller, you must be
certain to disclose everything about the property. Smart sellers proactively go
above and beyond legal requirements to disclose all known defects to their
buyers in writing. If the buyer knows of a problem beforehand, they cannot come
back to you with a lawsuit later on. Provide a detailed list and have the buyer
sign for items that do not stay.
All terms, costs, and responsibilities have to be spelled out in the contract.
Do not divert from this contract. For example, if the buyer requests to move in
before the agreed upon date, you should say no. Once these terms are all in
place, it is dangerous to deviate and could potentially lead to the collapse of
the whole sale.
Finally, if you need to move out before you sell your home, steam clean the
carpets, paint all the walls, and have a gardener water and maintain your lawn.
Make sure that your agent markets it as being vacant, available for a quick
close and immediate occupancy.
Choose your agent wisely. Choose your agent by asking questions of him or her.
Find out how knowledgeable they are about houses currently for sale in your
price range and also of houses that have recently sold. Can your agent
recommend a good lender that has the reputation of excellent customer service
and low rates to assist your new buyer with financing? A good listing agent can
get your house sold quickly at TOP DOLLAR and help you find a new home.
To receive
your FREE copy of Homebuyer's Handbook or Homeseller's Handbook, click here.
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