I made a list of five things that real estate agents wish you knew when you were selling your home.
Number one: Clutter is a killer.
I remember a few months ago I was called to a listing appointment in Georgetown, Texas and I actually had to turn down the listing because unfortunately, it looked like a hoarder lived in the home.
You might remember the video that I made about that appointment.
Also if you just have too much stuff in your house or if you have what I call a “wall of fame” and that is, all the family pictures and all of the baby pictures dating back for years posted on a wall. It’s hard for a buyer to feel at home when they are walking through a house like that. Clutter kills.
Number two: Don’t hide things from your real estate agent.
If there’s something not working, like the A/C isn’t cooling or the water heater’s leaking. If there is some something about your home that’s not working properly or some deferred maintenance, discuss that with your agent.
Believe me, I am on your side, and I’ve been through so many experiences I can help you with things like that.
Number three: You might need to fix some things.
So refer back to number two. It’s better for you to fix those items than to wait for it to show up on a home inspection report and then have to try to negotiate those with with a buyer.
Number four: Overpricing is the number one mistake that sellers make.
So when you think, hey, I need to list up here and leave so much room for negotiation, that really isn’t the case. In fact, my average sale price to listing price ratio on my listings is above 100%.
So when you price your home at market value, you’re gonna get that..and maybe even more if you create a bidding situation.But leaving room for negotiation to come down.. that is a killer.
Then lastly, selling your home isn’t a spectator sport.
When I list your home. It’s not time to sit back and grab the popcorn and just do nothing. It is the time to make sure the home is ready to show every day, leave the lights on, have it all clean and tidy. Also, make sure that the home is accessible. Don’t put a lot of showing restrictions on it.
I’m sure other agents would agree with me. Those are the kinds of things that we want sellers to know. And I want you to know them so that I can help you get top dollar and a sale completed within your time frame.
So thinking about buying? Thinking about selling? Who you gonna call? Dan Forbes, Forbes Property Group RE/MAX 1. Thanks.
