It is easy to go astray if you are selling your home on your own. Even if you hire an agent mistakes can be made. Especially if you hire the wrong one. Here are 5 common mistakes home sellers make.
1. Don’t pad the price too much. Price it realistically. This is number one for a very good reason. The internet made the market very transparent. The definition of Market Value is the price a home will sell at in 45 days or less. You may resign yourself to believe that it will take a long time to find the right buyer and get your home sold because that is what has happened to your friends or neighbors. Even now as the market improves buyers are staying away from homes priced too high. There are a lot of eager buyers in the market and well priced homes get a lot of attention. Excessively padding the price will significantly reduce the number of potential buyers willing to take a look.
2. When deciding how to price your home, don’t focus on the asking prices of neighboring homes. Those homes haven't sold yet! About the only thing you can learn from the asking price of the home down the street is the price it WON'T SELL for. If your neighbors home hasn't sold yet, it could be because they overpriced it. Don’t make the same mistake. Find out what similar homes have actually sold for recently in your neighborhood.
3. Don't hire the wrong agent. Ask your agent how many properties they have sold and how long they have been selling real estate. Does he/she know how to value a property properly? Is he/she up on the latest technology? Does he/she have a good web presence including social networking on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook. Does he/she employ a professional photographer? You never get a second chance to make a good impression and the MLS is littered with really bad pictures. Do you have a good rapport with your prospective agent? Is communication easy? These are things you need to ask.
4. Don't make it hard to show your home. Make your home available to show at all times. It would be nice if all buyers and their agents were able to give a day or two of notice before showing your home. That is usually the exception in real life. A buyer’s agent will typically make arrangements to show 4 to 6 properties at a time and often on short notice. If you have to be there to put the dog in the back yard and can't work around their schedule, that buyer may never end up seeing your home.
5. Don't hover. In fact make yourself scarce when your home is being shown. Most buyers prefer not to have to interact with the owner of the home when they are viewing it. It is easier for buyers to visualize living in a home if they aren't being watched and they can talk candidly and critique it among themselves. A particular feature you may think is important to point out may not be what the buyers are after.
Related:
The Best time For Selling Real Estate in Florida
What Happens When You Sell Your Home
Serving The Greater Fort Lauderdale area since 2006
You can reach me 954-895-2431
If You Like This Post, Please Share. Thanks!