advice / GUIDE

Tips for a successful sale:


1. Spend some time writing up a good description of your property. A good write-up is critical to your success. Try to use as few words as possible to get the message across. Be accurate and honest.

2. Good photos with a wide angle lens are very important. Hire a professional if you are at all unfamiliar with photography.

3. Before you take photos, make sure your home is clean and bright as possible. Do not take photos during the night or on a very cloudy day if at all possible. Make your home look as large, bright and well cared for as possible inside and out.

4. Make sure you provide accurate contact information for agents to contact you about showings. Answer your phone or emails immediately and be polite as possible. Particularly when dealing with buyers, don't speak unless they ask questions. Buyers usually don't like having a seller dominate a conversation with a sales pitch. If a buyer or agent asks a question, answer it as completely and accurately as possible. Unless a buyer or agent requests that you stay in the property it is usually advised that a seller leaves the property during a showing.

5. Price your property under the competition. Invest in a market analysis to determine what your property is worth based on the SALES PRICES of comparable homes which have sold recently. You can find asking prices many places, but the SALE price often differs dramatically from what sellers in your neighborhood have been asking. A home priced too high usually won't sell fast, if at all and the more time your home sits on the market the less likely it is for it to sell at all. Buyers begin to wonder what is wrong with a property that has been sitting on market too long.

6. Make your property available to show whenever a buyer or agent calls. A house that is in less than ideal condition shown to a prospective buyer is better than an immaculate one that a buyer never sees. Buyers will usually see a group of homes during a window of time. They won't want to make a special trip just to see yours.