Common Seller Mistakes

NOT HIRING A PROFESSIONAL You need the expertise of a REALTOR®. Sellers who try to sell it themselves end up taking longer to sell and sell for far less than those who work with an agent.

NOT PRICING YOUR HOME CORRECTLY Overpricing or underpricing your home can be a costly mistake. It is critical to know the market and review comparables to know at what price your home needs to be set to sell.

NEGLECTING NECESSARY REPAIRS It will always cost you less out of pocket to fix things ahead of time, rather than having buyers request that you fix it through their vendor of choice, which can get costly.

NOT DE-CLUTTERING Clutter eats equity and kills deals. One of the least expensive improvements you can make to your home is to de-clutter and create a sense of spaciousness throughout the home.

GETTING IN THE WAY OF NEGOTIATING Too many sellers take negotiating personally and lose out on creating a win-win deal. Remember, this is a business transaction. FAILING TO COMPLETE A FULL SET OF DISCLOSURES BEFORE CLOSING Be upfront about any of your home’s issues; this will save you money and time, especially if the buyers discover the problem themselves.

OVERLOOKING FEES AND EXTRA EXPENSES AT CLOSING Request a list of fees and expenses before closing. Review these with your REALTOR® and discuss these ahead of time.

NOT HIRING A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER More than 95% of all buyers start their home search online, make sure you and your REALTOR® make your home dazzle with great photographs.

NOT TRUSTING AND COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR REALTOR® They are your biggest ally. Trust them to be the expert and guide you through this process. Be open and honest and allow them to do their job; they are here for you

EFFECTIVE PRICING

When you interview more than one agent to sell your home, you’ll likely get more than one suggested list price. While it’s tempting to choose the agent who suggests the highest price, it’s not always your best option. Here’s why:

MOST AGENTS DON’T DO A LOT OF BUSINESS Some agents will tell you what you want to hear just to get the listing — even if what they’re suggesting isn’t in your best interest. “Want to list at an unreasonably high price? No problem!” This type of agent is playing the hope and numbers game. They’re taking on a new listing even if the price doesn’t make any sense and hoping that it sells.

HIRE AN AGENT WITH LOCAL MARKET EXPERTISE As you well know, hope is never an effective marketing strategy. Look at how many people play the lotto or gamble in Vegas in hopes of cashing out big, only to end up disappointed. It’s a much more effective strategy to hire a local real estate professional who understands the local market: are we in a buyer’s or seller’s market? What are the average days on market? What impact do rising mortgage interest rates have on buyer demand? Why can’t we list at a higher price and drop later if necessary? TWO WAYS TO PRICE YOUR HOME You can list it where it sits or list it where it sells. Where do you want to be?

I focus on getting your home sold for the highest price in the shortest amount of time. I’d rather you turn down ten offers than never get a single one. Unlike a lot of other agents, I base my suggested prices off the actual comps and don’t skew the numbers to make it look like your home is worth more than it actually is (I know, it’s hard to believe, but some agents do this!)

I am willing to work with you. If you insist on the higher price, we can start there, but 30 days is my waiting period. If no reasonable offers come through within 30 days, I expect you to lower the price to match my initial suggestion. Remember, we don’t want to price ourselves out of the market, we want to price ourselves just right to attract more buyers. More buyers mean multiple offers, and multiple offers mean selling for top dollar.