The goal is sell in the shortest amount of time for the highest possible market value. I equate it to dating -- making the best impression with the FIRST impression because you may not be given a second chance.
1. Turn to the Professionals
Selling your home is a business transaction. It is not personal. Therefore hand over the responsibility of marketing and listing your home to a professional Realtor. Remember the ultimate goal of selling quickly for the best price. Close to 90 percent of buyers turn to the Internet to begin their home searches. First, if buyers cannot find the home online, your home will easily be missed; and second, if the photos are poor, your home is a click away from being deleted from their options and from being seen in person.
I team with a professional home photographer to shoot photos and produce virtual tours with proper lighting, lenses, and room angles for all of my listings. Snapshots on the iPhone will not cut it. Bad photos equal a bad impression.
2. De-Personalize and Stage It
Buyers are not buying your family, they are buying your home. Personal photos and artifacts that you enjoy around your home on a daily basis may be distracting to buyers when they walk through. They will look and focus on your wedding photos and travel collection and miss the beauty of a fireplace mantel or crown molding.
I also team with a professional stager. Someone who looks at a home with complete objectivity and honesty and guides the Seller on how to showcase the home for buyers' eyes. Staging starts at the front curb and goes to your back fence. Most of the time, the stager can use YOUR furniture and belongings. It is worth every penny and effort.
3. Price It Right
I use SOLD comps or comparatives in your neighborhood or area to research market value. Together, we can review the comparative homes and get a good read on what current buyers are willing to pay for your home. The objective is to generate high activity and interest and to capture all potential buyers. There is a "sweet spot" and we want to find it.
4. Make The Home Convenient to Show
The more convenient it is for Realtors and buyers to get into your home, the more foot traffic you will have. The more foot traffic, the better odds of receiving written purchase offers on your home.
Professional Realtors install lockboxes, which electronically give access to your home for other licensed Realtors. There is an electronic record of those who enter your home. As your listing agent, I follow up with each and every one.
Buyer agents will contact you, the Seller, to alert you they are coming. The more flexible you are with showings, the more the home will be seen.
In addition, make sure cars are moved from the driveway and in front of the house when expecting showings. Not only does add "curb appeal", it provides parking for Realtors and Buyers when the visit your home.
5. List It NOW
A home cannot sell if it is not for sale. While Spring is the heaviest time for home sales, well-priced, good condition homes sell all year round. There are no limits or special months for people to move.
Furthermore, the Austin market attracts individuals and families from all of the country, and even the world, for job opportunities and lifestyle. There is a constant flow of transplants headed to Austin, in addition to local prospective buyers. Will you and your home be ready? I hope so!
I welcome the opportunity to assist you with your Real Estate goals. Let's meet and get started on a custom marketing plan for your home.
Jenny Rosas
Zip Realty
rosasjen@earthlink.net
(512)568-0483
THANK YOU!
