Home sellers are in a difficult position right now. It’s likely that your house is just a drop in the ocean of houses for sale. Buyers are flooded with options to choose from and don’t necessarily are looking for what you’re selling. How do you sell your house the right way, without making the same mistakes that others have made when selling their house?
We’ve combined the most important do’s and don’ts that will help you sell your house the RIGHT way!
1. Think hiring a professional is expensive?
Wait until you hire an amateur! Let’s face it: you probably don’t live in the hottest neighborhood and you probably haven’t sold and bought half a dozen homes. But if you did: Good job! A For Sale By Owner might be something you could pull off. For the rest, however, you have to find an agent in your area. But how do you find the right real estate agent? Do you start your search online or do you have a friend who’s an agent? Most people don’t sell their house more than twice in a lifetime, so you better get the most out of your sale. The Lawson Real Estate Team has sold over 1482 properties in Park City alone and 98% of our customers are happy with our services. With over 125 reviews on Zillow, we are the most 5-star reviewed real estate team in Park City. Also, we are able to get you 2,24% more money than the average agent!* This might not sound like a lot, but on the average house price in Park City this means an extra $18,580.80 in your pocket! Now, does hiring a professional still sound expensive?
*Source: Park City MLS 1-1-06 to 12-31-12
2. Don’t skip the marketing!
Think buyers will be pouring in the door after you placed a “For Sale” sign in your yard? Or when you put two or three pictures online? How many people are going to see it? 10, maybe 20? If you want to get the highest price for your house, you have to market it with all the means possible. This means putting your house on the most popular real estate websites, such as Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com and Homes.com. Also exposure on social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, is key to getting exposure to potential buyers. Therefore, we create a custom marketing plan for each of our listings to get your house maximum exposure. It’s no secret that we spend $16,083 per month on Zillow alone! Our dedicated photographer will shoot the most beautiful pictures, as well as advanced photo and videography ranging from drone shots and virtual tours to 360° photo’s and video’s.
3. Every house sells! …for the right price
The price you paid for your house is probably still printed in your memory. But the market changes and so does the value of your house. It might not be worth anymore what it was a couple of years ago. Or it might have appreciated from the time you bought it. Either way, people are only willing to spend what the market and a home appraisal says it’s worth. If your listing price is too high, you might discourage buyers from making an offer. If your listing price is too low, you might sell your house for a bargain. To avoid setting an off price, let us (being local experts) give you a Comparative Market Analysis and a Home Valuation to list your house for the RIGHT price.
4. Leave your emotions at the door
We know that you’ve collected so many of your precious memories while living in this house. Birthdays, Christmases, even the moment you first walked in. But now you’ve decided to sell it and you want to get a good price for it. You don’t want your memories to sit in the way of getting a good deal, do you? The features you love might get overlooked by the potential buyer. The color of the wall that you’ve carefully selected and spent so much time on won’t even get noticed, or even worse: they find it hideous. But don’t let this get in the way of selling your house for the right price! After all, your taste might not be the same. Try to make the house you love a house that everybody loves, and if (in the most extreme case) that means painting all the walls over with neutral colors, then this is something you should be prepared for. Because in the end, getting the best price for your house is what matters.
5. Don’t take low offers personally
Invariably the initial offer is below what both you and the buyer know the property will sell for. Don’t be upset… Evaluate the offer objectively. Confirm that the offer details an offering price, sufficient deposit, amount of down payment, mortgage amount, a closing date and any special request. The first, low offer simply provides a starting point from which to negotiate. You can counter this low offer to let the buyer know that the first offer isn’t seen as a serious one. Now you’ll be negotiating only with serious buyers.
Contact Us for any questions!
