How can I help sell my home?

Click on our Advertisement

In areas that have slowed from last year's record pace, you may find a property-specific market. Some listings will receive a favorable response from the buying community and will sell quickly. Others that don't quite hit the mark could languish on the market unsold.

You can have an impact on your marketing effort. The listings that sell well in any market are those that are prepared for sale, priced right for the market, marketed effectively and are easy to show.

Properly preparing your home for the market will set the stage for your entire marketing effort. Houses that show well are shown more often. When agents and buyers are enthusiastic about your home, you are more likely to receive a good offer.

Preparing your home for sale needn't be an ordeal. It helps if you give yourself plenty of time so that you're not under pressure to get work done in a short time frame.

Meet with your real estate agent and walk through your home together. Have a note pad handy so that you can make a list of things that should be done to prepare your home for sale.

Don't open your home to buyers, or to other agents, until you have completed all the fix-up-for-sale work. After the work is done, have the home professionally cleaned and be sure to include the windows. First impressions are lasting, so make sure your home sparkles before you let anyone in.

Listings that don't sell are often priced too high for the market. Your home is most salable when it's new on the market. Agents and their buyers are eager to see new listings. Make the most of your new-listing status by selecting a list price that is realistic for the current market conditions in your area.

It helps to work with a listing agent that knows the local market intimately. Choose an agent with a good reputation that you can trust. Then rely on that agent to provide you with accurate pricing information.

The way to ensure that you get the maximum price for your home is to be sure that it receives extensive market exposure. This means that the property should be advertised in the local multiple listing service, newspapers and on the Internet. A broker tour should be scheduled for local real estate agents. And, when appropriate, the house should be held open to the public.

Be wary of an agent who tries to save you from the hassle of marketing by selling your home without exposing it to the market. The person that stands to benefit most from this approach is the real estate agent, who saves on marketing costs and who may collect a larger share of the commission. There's no chance of receiving multiple offers and a higher price if only one buyer sees the property.

Make sure that your listing is easy for agents to show to their buyers. A cumbersome and complicated showing procedure will cut down the number of showings. You should plan to leave when your property is shown to prospective buyers. You should also be gone during broker and public open houses.

THE CLOSING:
Often sellers want to stick around to be sure that viewers don't miss important features of the property. It's best to brief your agent about the property and let him or her do the marketing for you.