8 Secrets To Selling Your Home That Only Real Estate Agents Know

 

There are a lot of secrets that come with selling a home that you might not be aware of.  There are some secrets that estate agents are willing to share and others that they are not. 
If you are going to be selling your home, it is recommended that you know what some of these secrets are so you can successfully sell your home.

Staging Changes With The Seasons

Staging a home for sale was once a secret, but the cat has been out of this particular bag for a while now.  However, the practice of staging is still evolving and it can be more complicated than you imagine.  You might not realize that when you stage your home in the summer months, you should be using smaller furniture than you would in the winter.  

The reason for this is that smaller furniture will make your room feel longer and overall bigger which is something that will stay in the mind of potential buyers. 
Another staging secret that you might not be aware of is that you should play some soft background music.  When this is done during viewings, you will make the home seem cozier.

Buyers Love A Healthy Lawn

There are very few people who can honestly say that they do not like the smell of freshly cut grass and this is something you need to consider when selling your home.  There is one real estate agent in Nashville that orders a last-minute mowing of the lawn before every viewing.  This estate agent has even had a single home's lawn mowed three times in a week to enhance the showings.

Pricing-Strategy Bands Are Vital

It is not a secret that you need to set the price of your home correctly if you want it to sell.  However, most sellers have not heard that they should be looking at pricing within bands.  If a buyer is looking to spend $340,000, they will generally look at houses between the prices of $325,000 and $350,000.  This means that if you are looking for these potential buyers but have an asking price of $351,000 these people will miss the listing completely.  

So you might be wondering what the secret solution is to this that estate agents use.
The secret is that you should price your home at $349,000 which places you at the higher end of the band.  At $351,000, the buyers will generally be looking for something fancier and more impressive than what your home has to offer.

You Can Negotiate The Agents Commission, But Should You?

It is still a bit of a secret that there are sellers who have been able to negotiate the commission the agent takes.  While this is possible, it could be a mistake that you should avoid. 
It is often the bad agents who are willing to negotiate their commissions because they are trying to win your business.  

Additionally, you have to consider that you are going to be getting what you pay for.  A reputable and good agent, who is able to execute deals quickly and at a good price will be worth the commission that you pay.  Those who negotiate their commissions, might not be offering the service that you want.

There Are Black Holes In Real Estate Listings

People are unable to see black holes because no light gets out and they are invisible.  If you have a listing that falls into the real estate black hole, no buyer will be able to see it. 
Most sellers are unaware that all cities will have list black holes which are times when a listing will be lost to vacations, weekends of sun and non-business related topics.  

This is why you need to consider when you are listing your home.  If you list your home right before people go on vacation such as before the Fourth of July or Memorial Day, your listing will generally be lost to the black hole.

Exaggerations In Listings Lead To Disappointment

When people use dating sites, they will often exaggerate about certain aspects of their lives.  This will often work to get attention in the short-term, but is not a good long-term strategy.  The same is true for any home listings as exaggerations will only lead to disappointment at a viewing.

If you have a home that has a small pond close to it, you should not list it as an amazing waterfront property.  You need to take what you have and describe it in a way that makes it appealing.  If you exaggerate, buyers will be turned off when they view and not put in an offer.

Don’t Have A Listing Sit Too Long

When there is a hot market, listings usually sit between 3 to 4 weeks.  The longer a house sits on the market the surer buyers are that it has been overpriced.  If you do not want to appear desperate for a sale by dropping the price, you need to be realistic in your pricing from the start.  It is better to have a reasonable price that gets a number of offers than to have a listing that sits on the market and needs to be reduced later.

There Is A Buying Month

A lot of real estate agents pinpoint February’s Presidents Day weekend as the start of the unofficial housing season which will continue until September. 
This is generally when the market will slow down until the next year.  However, there is one month that consistently has better performance in sales than others and this is June.

Now, get out there and sell that property fast!