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“When is the right time to sell?”
If I had a dollar for every time I heard that one!
And my answer is often the same. “Right freaking now!” Because, you know, I wanna sell houses! But if I have to be completely honest with you and share some super real estate agent secrets, the true answer is “When you are absolutely ready!”
This business is not for the faint of heart! I have seen $325K homes in Gastonia go under contract in 2 hours. Which is fishy…no way someone viewed that home, wrote a contract, got it to the seller, got signed and returned to the agent in that amount of time. I would wager money on it being held for private showing, which is completely illegal…Zillow! Anyway, I have also seen properties sit on the market for a year without one single offer simply because…wait, I have literally no idea why! Sometimes there is no good reason. Many agents will tell you it’s about price, but sometimes it is not.
So if you are considering putting your home on the market here are some REAL tips for what to do…
#1 – Find an Agent – Don’t try to navigate this chaos on your own! If you pay $5 for coffee or $20 for someone to wash your car, this is the least of your worries. For-Sale-By-Owners do sell, but it statistically will take longer, require you to have knowledge of real estate law, and you traditionally end up accepting less for your home. Commission Structures in North Carolina are NOT regulated by the Real Estate Commission. We aren’t even allowed to call it an “industry norm”. If you want professional pictures, arial coverage, and open houses every day, then you are going to pay for it. If you just want me to put the house on the market and hope like hell it sells, there’s a package for that as well. What other business do you get to pay at the end of a successful 1 – 3 months work?
#2 – Find an Agent You Like – I promise you, as an agent, it is so much easier to explain things to people you like. And to receive constructive criticism. If you like your agent you will know that what she is telling you is the truth. You are the client, at the end of the day, and can make your own mistakes, I mean decisions, but you will appreciate their opinion much more if you absolutely like them.
#3 – Be Ready – When your listing goes live, be ready! If you are in the sweet spot in terms of price or a popular location, be prepared that people will want to see it immediately. There are great techniques that agents can use to build interest, like Coming Soon listings, so make sure that you are ready to show it when it goes live. A good agent will walk you through what that might mean for your home…cleaning up clutter, putting away valuables, what to do with pets, putting personal items away, staging, cleaning, etc.
#4 – Be Flexible – You have to let people view and peek through some intimate parts of your life. Using an agent and the tools we have at our disposal makes the process smooth and safe. We can organize things to fit your schedule and lifestyle. I make it a priority to cater to my clients needs when it comes to schedule. If someone wants to see your house, they will work with your schedule. But people are going to get frustrated if they can’t get to see the home when they want to.
#5 – Clean and Bright – You DO NOT have to redecorate or move things out. You DO have to make the rooms, and maybe even closets, clean and bright. That means cleaning dirty areas, even walls and floors. That means decluttering entry ways, hallways, and laundry rooms. That also might mean changing lightbulbs to brighten the room, placing lamps in certain dark areas, or opening blinds to let in sunlight. Best case scenario is to make a quick run-through of your home before the showing to turn on lights, put out flyers or waters, and pick up clutter. If there is an opportunity that people will want to view your home before you get home from work, create a plan to make it the best viewing possible. Keep an empty laundry basket by the door to collect things scattered through the house on your way out. And, yes, there is a package for me to do all of that as well.
The market that I work in, homes sell super fast because we have so few homes on the market. There are way more buyers than they are sellers. And many buyers are willing to make concessions that you may not expect in order for you to accept their offer. So just because the summer is over, doesn’t mean that you aren’t going to get exactly what you want out of selling your home. Assuming, of course, that you hire the right agent!
