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  • Pros and Cons of Selling your Home Yourself

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    In a market where homes may be flying off the shelves so to speak, you may be thinking, “Why in the world do I need a real estate agent? Can’t I just do it myself?” While the appeal of not having to pay a commission to an agent to sell your home may be incredibly attractive, there are pros and cons to think about if you are considering selling your home yourself. 

    PRO. You are in control. Everything from how your home is marketed to how the contract is written, you have full control in the matter.  

    CON. You won’t have professional guidance. There is much to be said about the best way to price, market, and negotiate a sale, and unless you were a real estate agent in the past, you probably do not have this knowledge. 

    PRO. You know your home well. No one can sell the home like you do because no one knows the home quite like you. 

    CON. You won’t have professional marketing. From professional photography and marketing campaigns, to the MLS and Association Networks, real estate agents without a doubt can have a more aggressive marketing strategy than the layman.

    PRO. Low inventory means buyers may be looking at FSBOs. When inventory is low, buyers begin to look at For Sale By Owners. This could mean more attention to your home and a quicker sale.

    CON. FSBOs typically have a slower sale. Real estate agents have one job – to sell your home. So likely they are going to speed along the process of getting your home sold.

    PRO. You don’t have to pay a listing agent commission. While a buyer’s agent who bring you a sold buyer may ask that you pay them a commission, you would not have to pay a listing agent saving you thousands of dollars. 

    CON. FSBOs usually have a lower sales price. Many times, real estate agents are worth their commission. Studies have shown that listing with an agent can bring a higher purchase price, usually enough to cover the commission and then some.

  • Staging Tips from a Professional

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    As you are getting ready to sell your home, you may hear your agent talk to you about staging your home. This doesn’t always mean bringing in an outside interior designer to make your home look like a show home, but it does mean putting your best foot forward when it comes to your homes appearance. After all, you only get one first impression on potential buyers. So here are some to tips from a professional on how to stage your home for photos and showings. 

    • Be Specific about Staging. Not every room needs the same amount of attention when it comes to staging. The Living Room, Master Bedroom, and Kitchen are the top places your attention should be on.
    • Rearrange the Furniture. You certainly don’t need to restage your entire home just be mindful to create good walking space throughout the home. Narrow walkways and tight rooms can make your home feel smaller than it really is. 
    • De-personalize. The goal is to help potential buyers see themselves in your home. While you don’t want a barren house, you do want to create as much of a blank, neutral canvas for buyers. You can accomplish this by removing family photos as well as religious or political items. 
    • De-Clutter. Whether it is toys in the playroom, all your kitchen appliances on the counter, or a cluttered nightstand, try to remove as many unnecessary things from sight. Try to keep only decorative items on surfaces. 
    • Patch and Repair. If there is anything that will stand out to buyers, such as a hole in the wall or a crooked cabinet door, patch it or repair it before photos or showings. Small things like those can cause buyers to wonder what bigger things are wrong with the home. 
    • Create a Neutral Palette. While paint can be corrected quite easily for a buyer, it is sometimes hard for them to see past that when viewing a home. Painting over bright colored walls with a more neutral tone like gray or taupe may help you appeal to a larger group of buyers. 
    • Elevate the Curb Appeal. The exterior of your home is the first thing people will see when they visit, so make sure it is appealing. Power wash your entrance way. Remove seasonal décor. Add some flowers to the stoop. Make people excited to enter. 
    • Brighten Your Home. No one wants to live in a cave, so open the windows turn on the light and showcase your beautiful home!
    • And Finally,… Clean, clean, clean. Clean those windows, deep clean those toilets, wipe down those kitchen cabinets, and make sure those floors shine. A clean home will instantly elevate your listing because no one likes someone else’s filth.

  • Top 5 Reasons to Work with a REALTOR as a Seller

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    Why should sellers have a REALTOR®? I have heard the story…”I can do it on my own.” Especially in this market where houses are flying off the shelves, can’t anyone stick a sign in a yard and get it sold? Maybe, but there is so much more to it then that. If you didn’t read my last post about why buyers should use a REALTOR®, click over real quick and read point #5. IT IS THEIR JOB! THEY ARE THE PROFESSIONAL! But if you need a few more bullet points on it, here you go…

    • Pricing it Right. You can’t just stick a sign in the yard and have your house sold in a day if it isn’t priced right. Regardless of what you hear about the market, there are still homes sitting for a month or more because they are priced ridiculously high. Eventually, someone buys them and then they sit with fingers crossed that it will appraise because there are no comparables to back up the price. Realtors know the market, they have access to comparables, and they know how to interpret the comparables. Pricing your home right is the first step to a successful sale, so trust an expert!
    • Legwork. There is so much to do before a house goes under contract. Staging, photos, flyers, a comprehensive MLS listing, showings, multiple offers, negotiating, choosing an offer. Do you really want to do all that? If sellers really realized all the effort before the house even goes under contract, I don’t think they would ever question hiring a REALTOR® again.
    • Marketing to the Masses. Yes, people will see a sign driving by. And yes, people will see the post on Zillow. But think of all the other places your REALTOR® can advertise to. For example, the MLS is probably the most effective place to put a listing, and they have access to it. Realtor.com is said to be a huge resource for those looking for a new home, and it pulls straight from your agent’s MLS. And I am going to bet your agent knows more people in the real estate industry than you do. They may know someone who has a buyer for your very property.
    • Negotiations – Selling your home doesn’t just stop once you find a buyer. You still have to work through title, inspection, appraisal, etc, which begin another slew of negotiation opportunities. An agent is clever about how to make these work for you.
    • Higher Price – Speaking of negotiation skills…I have no doubt a REALTOR® is going to work to get you a higher price for your home. It starts with pricing it right and making the advertising attractive. This will bring in more willing and able buyers from all those sources your agent is advertising with. More buyers means more potential offers which means more potential profit for you. Isn’t that incentive enough?!