If you’re in the market to sell your home, now is not the time to take matters into your own hands. As you may be hearing in the news, reading in papers, and seeing everywhere online, we are currently experiencing a “seller’s market” – which means that there are more buyers than there are available houses on the market. If you want to find success when selling your home, it’s crucial that you partner with an experienced realtor who can advise and assist throughout this process. Follow these three steps for finding and working with the perfect agent for your needs!
Step One: Choose your real estate agent.
There are many different types of agents, so it’s important to make sure that the one you choose matches your needs and experience level. Right now is the time to choose an agent who is experienced. Consider getting a referral from a friend who has had a good experience and read online reviews. A seller’s market is fast-paced and your process will need to be guided by someone with knowledge of your geographic area, but also has your best interests in mind. He or she will be guiding you as you make decisions and it is important that you develop a level of trust.
Step Two:
Determine your next steps. Have a plan in mind for what you want to do AFTER your home is sold. With as quickly as homes are selling, you may not be able to find your perfect home right away, and may need to get a rental home in the area you plan to move into. Your real estate agent should be able to not only give you options for your next home, but also help you know pretty accurately how much financial capital you’ll have available from the sale of your existing home to get to the next place you want to call “home”.
Step Three:
Prepare to list your home. Ask your realtor for guidance on staging, pricing, and how they plan on getting the word out about your listing. You may want to consider hiring a professional stager, if you don’t feel confident in your decorating skills or know what buyers are looking for. With the “just right” staging, your home may be presented multiple offers – which means you will have more choices and options to leverage for what your future goals may be. Don’t assume that you can sell your home “as is”, just because of a “seller’s market” – this is the time to maximize the impression your home may have on potential buyers. In addition to staging, be sure to declutter, remove family photos (you can put them up in your next home!) and provide the experience of a clean palette for the new homeowner to make their dreams a reality.
Step Four:
Go Virtual. Make sure your realtor uses professional photography for photographing your home, and that they are presenting your home in the best way possible. Your real estate agent will likely be sharing these photos on his or her social media channels or website, and possibly even to a buyer already in mind. First impressions are the most important!
Step Five:
Make a plan for showings. Depending on your location, you may want to limit times of showings, or require only pre-approved potential buyers. This helps to limit the traffic within your home (also a bonus for living in the middle of COVID-19) but also can create a feeling of urgency for the best qualified and mostly highly interested buyers to be seeing your home.
Step Six:
Get excited and wait. Your real estate agent will help you through this process, and let you know when a buyer has come in to make an offer. They will help determine the best offer, in multiple offer situations, so that you can move forward with confidence.
Selling your home in a seller’s market isn’t easy, but with the right agent, you’ll be glad you did. If you have additional questions about selling your home, I’d be happy to help and am here to provide a free market analysis to help you get started.
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