Quick Home Selling Tips for This Economy

Image is Everything

‘Don’t judge a book by its cover.’ We’ve all heard this phrase many times. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your position), Home buyers make an immediate snap judgment on your home (even before they are conscious of it). In his New York Time’s best seller “Blink,” Malcolm Gladwell points to the concept of rapid cognition. “It’s about the kind of thinking that happens in a blink of an eye. When you meet someone for the first time, or walk into a house you are thinking of buying, or read the first few sentences of a book, your mind takes about two seconds to jump to a series of conclusions.”

With this in mind (pun intended), it’s very important that your home has great ‘curb appeal’ from the external appearance (nice driveway, roof, gutters, etc.) as well as a really nice ‘feel’ or ‘energy’ inside (fresh paint, plants, no clutter, etc.). Once someone takes that first step through the front door, you’ll never get those two seconds back.

Demand Your Agent Work Smarter

It one thing to know your real estate agent is working their tail off to sell your home, but are they working as wisely as possible? Believe it or not, one of the best things a real estate agent can do for you is to step aside and give you the power of ‘real time’ information so you can make the most informed decisions.

For example, you should require your agent use home feedback software so you can see immediately how the market is reacting to your home. Maybe the final piece of the puzzle in selling your home is something as simple as painting the kitchen or bathroom? Or is it possibly a more intensive project like finishing the basement or increasing closet space? Either way, you have a right to know immediately thanks to the technology now available to you.

Realistic Pricing

Accurately pricing your home has traditionally been a delicate dance between the home seller and real estate agent. Although you both want your home to sell for the highest price possible, The traditional strategy of using homes recently sold in you neighborhood as benchmarks, and  challenges home sellers are facing with the recent economic conditions. Keeping things realistic builds trust with your real estate professional and this promotes well being, which in turn, makes it more likely your house will sell.

However, be prepared when getting ‘real time’ market feedback because it may dispel some initial pricing illusions you had prior to jumping into the fray of selling your home. This will confirm or deny how accurate your forecast was on comparable properties that have sold in your neighborhood. A good real estate agent can help you understand the sometimes subtle differences between your property that is still sitting on the market, and the ones that have been offered a resurgence of life with a brand new family.

Photo Credit: Chad Jones

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Tagged as: get showing feedback, home seller, home staging, selling tips