“The 9 Step System to Get Your Home Sold Fast and For Top Dollar”

The Real Estate Market Has Changed . . .

Remember not so long ago, when you could make your fortune in real estate?  It was nothing then to buy a home, wait a short while, then sell it for a tidy profit.  And then do it all over again.

Well, as you probably know, times have changed. Buyers are far more discriminating, and a large percentage of the homes listed for sale never sell.  It’s more critical than ever to learn what you need to know to avoid costly seller mistakes in order to sell your home fast and for the most amount of money the market will bear for a property similar to yours in this area, right now.

Selling your home is one of the most important steps in your life.  This 9 step system will give you the basic tools you need to maximize your profits, maintain control, and reduce the stress that comes with the home-selling process.

1  Know why you’re 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’s more important to you:  the money you walk away with, or the length of time your property is on the market?  Different goals will dictate different strategies.

However, don’t reveal your motivation to anyone else or they may use it against you when negotiating.  When asked, simply say that your housing needs have changed, which is probably true since you're considering moving.

2  Do your homework before setting a price.

Settling on an offering price shouldn’t be done lightly.  Once you’ve set your price, you’ve given buyers and agents alike an idea of your motivation and seriousness about getting your property sold in a timely manner.  Pricing too high is as dangerous as pricing too low.  Buyers will be comparing your property to perhaps dozens of others they’ve seen, not only in this community but others too.  This means they have a basis of comparison and if your home doesn’t compare favorably with others in the price range you’ve set, you won’t be taken seriously by prospective buyers or agents.  As a result your home will sit on the market for a long time and knowing this, buyers in the market will think there must be something wrong with your home.  One of the first questions when visiting properties is, "How long has this been on the market?"

3  Be objective and realistic.

Find out what homes in your own and similar neighborhoods have sold for in the past 12 months, and what homes are currently available that may be compared to yours and how they are priced.  This is certainly how a prospective buyer will assess the worth of your property.

4  Find a good real estate agent to represent your needs.

Regular communication, aggressive marketing, proper pricing (facts not flattery), feedback from buyers and other agents, are just a small part of an essential plan to getting your property sold.  Look for an agent you can trust, feel open with when discussing your situation.  Do they seem hurried?  Genuinely concerned with doing what’s in your best interest, not theirs?   Are they interested in what you want to say or just in getting their “presentation” done?  Do they seem anxious or “pushy” to get the listing agreement signed?  Who controls the marketing, advertising, etc. at their office?  Is it the agent or the office who decides what they want to do with your listing (it can make a big difference sometimes!)?   If they offer a cancellation agreement, does it have to be approved by a “manager or broker” before it can really be cancelled?  Does the agent seem to be more concerned about sharing their “production numbers”?  Does it really matter?  How do they plan to get your property sold?  How do they justify the price they’ve suggested?  Listen very carefully to their presentation and decide for yourself – is it more about “me, me, me”, or about you and your needs?

5  Maximize your home’s sales potential.

Every year, companies spend billions on product and packaging design.  Why?  It works!  Plain and simple.  If they spend billions, they must be getting more back than they’re spending, or they wouldn’t do it.  Appearance is critical, and to ignore this fact when selling your property will hurt you.

You may not be able to change your home’s location or floor plan, but you can do a lot to improve its appearance.  The look and feel of your home generates a greater emotional response than any other factor.  Clean like you’ve never cleaned before – pretend the one person in this world who’s opinion you value the most will be coming for dinner and spending a few days at your house.  Wouldn’t you want it spotless? 

Fix everything, no matter how insignificant it may appear.  Present your home to get a “wow” response from buyers and agents.  Allow buyers to imagine themselves living in your home.  The decision to buy a home is usually based on emotion, not logic.  Buyers want to try on your home.  If you follow them around pointing out improvements or if your décor is so different that it’s difficult for a buyer to strip it away in their mind, you make it difficult, if not impossible, for them to feel comfortable enough to imagine themselves as the proud new owner of your home.

6  Make it easy for prospects to get information on your home.

There is nothing more frustrating for prospective buyers than playing phone tag with an agent  when all they really wanted was to get information about a listing they are curious about.  They don’t want a sales pitch either, just the information so they can decide for themselves whether or not this might work for them.  We try to make this easy for them by having flyers at the property and lots of photo's and details online.

7  Know your buyer.

In the negotiation process, it's nice to know what the buyer’s motivation is, if they need to move quickly, how flexible they are on price and terms, their financial qualifications, their current situation, why they are moving, what, if any, contingencies are there, etc.  This is where experience and good negotiating skills are invaluable.  Keep in mind, because of confidentiality laws, information may be rather limited.

8  Make sure the contract is complete.

Smart sellers proactively go above and beyond the laws to disclose all known defects to their buyers in writing.  Make sure all terms, costs, and responsibilities are spelled out in the contract of sale.  Your agent and attorney will guide you through this complex process.

9  Moving out before you sell.

There are different trains of thought about how well a vacant home shows.  Many buyers have difficulty imagining how furniture and decorating will make the home feel and look.  Still other buyers prefer looking at vacant properties rather than looking past what someone else has done or how they live.  Some will perceive it as you may be desperate to sell, still others may feel that if you can possibly afford two mortgages, then maybe you’ll stay closer to your asking price.  There are no rules for this.  Each situation must be weighed on its own merits.