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Today’s real-estate market is competitive. If you have decided to put your house for sale or are considering selling one of your investment properties, then it could take longer than you might expect. As the market is changing, you need to seriously evaluate how you plan to get the price you want. Real estate agents and experts recommend a few things that will surely help in getting your house and property noticed.
Hiring a Good Agent
A good real-estate agent would help in selling your house fast. Of course, it would mean that you would be giving commission to the agent when the sale is concluded. But good real-estate agents have enough contacts and tools that can be used to creatively to clinch the right deal. When choosing an agent, make sure to check their references, background, and experience. An agent should have knowledge about your neigborhood and its market history.
Name a Good Price
Price is always important. It could either make or break the sale of your home. Your real estate agent should have an idea on what would be the appropriate price for your house and the price range in the location. But also do your own market study. Look on Zillow.com, Realtor.com and Trulia.com to see how homes are selling in your area over the last 12 month. A house which is too expensive may push away prospective clients while a very low price may raise some questions on the credibility of the property. You should ask your agent to do a comparable market analyses (CMA) to get a good idea of how much houses in your area are selling for.
De-Clutter
People would want to visit and live in a nice home, not a messy one. Remove clutter and tidy up. Put away things that are not frequently used. If potential buyers are coming over to check the house, it is best to remove photos from walls and shelves. Potential buyers are not interested in looking at your holiday pictures, they are more interested in picturing themselves in your lovely home. Make your house look more spacious by getting rid of unnecessary furniture, clearing out cabinets, and removing items on top of tables and shelves.
Home Staging
Home staging is another aspect of real-estate marketing. A home seller can hire a home stager, the real-estate agent may offer similar services or a seller can learn how to stage their own space for buyers. Home staging is about redesigning or arranging furniture around the home to make it more neutral, homey and comfortable for the clients. Proper home staging cano help the clients picture themselves in the house and eventually purchase it.
Fix Things
You could fix minor problems in the house like broken faucets or window treatments. Take note of these problems when you do a walk-through check of your house. It would indeed take time and effort, but it’s worth it. Simple home improvement repairs can just be small things but buyers will be able to notice them.
Leave the House
When prospective clients visit your house, it is better not to be there. Of course, you might like to show people how great the house is, but it can be uncomfortable for both buyer and seller. Buyers will not likely talk to the agents about their real opinion of the real estate and property if the seller is present. Aside from that, buyers will more likely be able to ask questions freely if the owner is not present.
Bill Manassero is the founder/top dog at “The Old Dawg’s REI Network,” a blog, newsletter, and podcast for seniors and retirees, that teaches the art of real estate investing. His personal real estate investing goal, which will be chronicled at olddawgsreinetwork.com, is to own/control 1,000 units/doors in the next 6 years. Prior to that, Bill and his family lived in Haiti for 11 years as missionaries serving orphaned, abandoned and at-risk children.
