8 Tips for Seller Success

Buyer's in the real estate market are becoming increasingly demanding. They have market statistics and data at their fingertips and are often looking online every day to compare properties.

A few things are currently working in favor of sellers: low interest rates are pushing more buyers to take the plunge and low inventory levels are increasing the instances of multiple offers.

Here are some tips on making the selling process seamless:

Sell and then Buy: Most sellers find themselves facing the predicament, do I buy and then sell or sell and then buy? It can be advantageous to sell your home first as it will alleviate you paying two mortgages or submitting a contingent offer when you find your dream home. A contingent offer could end up killing the deal. That being said, there are a variety of situations where the two situations can occur simultaneously. I can assist in coordinating a seamless selling and buying timeline.

There's a Difference Between Listing and Marketing: Buyers want to be able to have all resources easily accessible for their research before they even consider looking at your home. Professional photographs, virtual tours, floor plans, social media and local networking will all draw the highest qualified buyers to your property.

Uncover your Agent's Negotiation skills: A great way to test agents that are interviewing to sell your home is to ask them to reduce their commission. If they agree to it, think carefully about hiring them. Think about it: if they are willing to give their own money away for free, what are they going to do with yours? Ask other instances of succesful negotiation experiences to ensure you are hiring someone with the best skill set.

The Price is Right: Pricing a home is both an art and science. Listing your home too high out of the gate will force you to cut the price continuously and you will receive a much lower offer as the home languishes on the market.

Traffic will also be highest the first couple days that the home is on the market, if it is priced right it will sell in half the time. To appropriately price a property, your agent should show you a mix of 10 comparable active, pending and sold (90 days) properties. It can be tempting to look at listing estimates and the like on Zillow and similar websites, but in reality, these numbers are rarely accurate The algorithm can't see inside your home, what side of the street it’s on, traffic patterns and all the nuances that make a home more or less likely to self or a certain price. An experience realtor will take these and many other factors into consideration when they are determining the list price of your home.

Keep it Green: Most upgrades that will sell your home the quickest are easy and relatively inexpensive. One easy trick: make sure your grass is green and lush. Curb appeal can increase your sales price by as much as 17%. Add some pretty native plants and keep the project low maintenance.

Fix It: Fix any known problems before you list your home, a lengthy inspection report can scare buyers, especially first-time home buyers as they don't want to commit to a money pit. Take the time to fix the problems to avoid killing a deal.

Clean It Up: Declutter your closets, clean off the counter, take down family pictures and streamline your furnishings. Do a thorough cleaning once you decide to list and get rid of anything that will distract buyers (you will also get a head start on packing). An agent with a good eye and experience can show you ways to make your home most appealing, allowing it to sell fast!

The Time is Right: There has never been a better time to sell your home in the Austin area! Inventory is low and demand is at a record high.

Are you curious about what your home is worth or want some more helpful tips? Let’s connect!