With the white-hot real estate market still going strong, you might think you don’t have to do anything more than list your home for sale to get multiple offers within hours. Even in this market, however, there are still some secrets to earning your spot as a savvy seller.
For advice on how to get the most out of your home-selling process, we turned to Lisa Halter, owner of Woodstock and Kingston-based Halter Associates Realty, a top local real estate agency recently named a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World.
1. Read the Market
In today’s competitive market, many buyers are looking for turnkey homes they can easily see themselves in without investing in a lot of repairs, says Halter. If your property is more in the fixer-upper category, factor that into your pricing and talk with your real estate professional about ways you can make the home more appealing to buyers.
2. Sell Your Story
Regardless of the condition of your home, it’s vital to ensure it has a great digital profile, says Halter. Many buyers judge a property solely based on the photos and description in your listing.
Work with your real estate professional to tell a compelling story about the area you live in and the history of your property. The goal is to make the experience of living in your home feel special without a potential buyer ever stepping foot inside. Be sure to include small details that emphasize the work you’ve put into the property—like that lush garden you planted 10 years ago or the recent renovation that makes your bathroom feel like a spa.
3. Set the Stage
To help you approach your space with a fresh perspective, Halter advises sellers to consider hiring a professional stager. A stager is a designer skilled in arranging spaces to make them look their best in photos, like creating eye-catching vignettes, arranging furniture to make a room feel more spacious, and even adding extra textiles, flowers, or potted plants to make your home feel warm, welcoming, and bright.
4. Listen to Pricing Advice
In a sellers’ market, it might be tempting to price your home aspirationally. Though many sellers over the last year have been receiving at least asking price for their homes, there are a lot of factors that need to go into your initial list price.
It’s not just what your neighbor got for their house or what you think your home could sell for, says Halter. Experienced agents look at sales across the area, your home’s condition and square footage, accompanying acreage, and what the bank is likely to appraise it for. In a competitive market, you could end up getting an offer above asking price. If the appraisal falls short, someone will be expected to make up the difference, so it’s important to be judicious with pricing from the start and listen to the advice of your real estate professional.
5. Invest in a Pre-Inspection
Though stories of waived buyer inspections abound, Halter advises both buyers and sellers against skipping this part of the process. She actually recommends sellers invest in a pre-inspection from a certified home inspector, which should cost you just a couple hundred dollars and will alert you to any unexpected issues. This gives you the opportunity to fix anything in the inspection report ahead of listing your home or accepting an offer, ensuring you and the buyer can sail smoothly through the entire sale.
This article appears in June 2021.
