Advice for First-Time Home Sellers in Real Estate

 

Comparing home purchases and sales is very different. The suggestions here apply to first-time home sellers, or any seller wanting a real estate refresher, while selling a house often focused on what listing agents like to call “maximizing profit potential.”

 

Pricing Your House Correctly

An experienced listing agent can help in this situation. Don’t pick the sister-in-law of your cousin who merely dabbles in real estate. If you choose a seasoned real estate agent who sells a decent number of listings, ideally in your community, you’ll do far better.

 

Your agent will examine similar sales and create a value estimate, frequently referred to as a CMA (comparative market analysis). It is acceptable to compare this to the Zestimate provided by Zillow, but you should take note of the differences your agent will point out because your listing agent ought to have the knowledge and training necessary to provide you a more accurate assessment of value.

 

Home staging increases appeal and selling power

Request advice from your agent on how to get your house ready for sale. Most homes seem better once roughly half of the furniture has been removed. You’ve done your job well if a buyer enters the home and wonders if anyone lives there. To increase your appeal and selling power, think about home staging.

 

The ideal time to list your house 

Pick the ideal day to put your house on the market. This duration will vary based on your neighborhood, the weather, the season, and a variety of other elements, such as the state of your local real estate market at the time. Basically, the first day your house is on the market is your only opportunity to showcase it in the best possible light.

 

Consult your agent about the standard real estate commission rate.

If the agent’s normal real estate commission appears reasonable, weigh the pros and drawbacks of hiring them against the whole picture. For performance, look at past performance. A full-service agent won’t negotiate on your behalf. The process must go all the way to close; signing a contract is just the beginning.

 

Be flexible with your home showings

Be accommodating with showings. If house showings are too much of a nuisance to your schedule the first weekend your house is on the market, think about taking a vacation. It may seem a little intrusive to let visitors look around your home and open your soft-closing kitchen drawers.

Organize an Open House

Allow an open house if your home is suited for one. Not every home should host an open house. If your home is close to a lot of traffic, there is usually a reasonable assumption that the open house signage will attract visitors. Find out if your agent posts information about the open house online. Many would-be buyers aren’t interested in buying a house until they go to an open house and fall in love.

Rapidly respond to a purchase offer

Aim to respond to a purchase offer as quickly as you can. Numerous purchasing offers include an expiration date. Buyers may go nuts while waiting for the seller to decide whether to take their offer or make a counteroffer.