Find out what your local market looks like

Homes sell in every market. Buyers or sellers market, it makes no difference. The trick is to make sure your house is the one buyers notice. You start out by figuring out what kind of competition you have right now amongst the homes currently listed. A CMA gives you a good point of reference. Of course if you have wood floors and granite counter tops you may be able to price you’re home a little higher than the guy down the street who doesn’t have those upgrades. That’s something you’d want to discuss with your agent. That’s exactly what you need a professional for. You need a professional to help you analyze broader aspects of the market. What buyers are likely to pay for and what doesn’t hold too much weight with them. Real estate agents live and breathe this stuff. We are an excellent resource.

Figure out the most important factors to you on the sale of your home

There’s more to selling your home than just coming up with a price. Yes, price is important, but it’s also important to look at the bigger picture and think about terms. Are you in a hurry to move for instance? Would you accept a lower price if the buyers give you a quick closing date? Is the purchase of your new home dependent on the sale of this one? Do you want the buyers to be more flexible about their move in date? These are just a couple of scenarios, you may have different ones that you can insert here. Think about what they are ahead of time. That way when you get an offer you’ll know to look at all aspects of the offer and not just the price.

Figure out your needs, wants and wishes for the purchase of your next home

Generally, the sale of your house means you’re in the market for a new home and this is true even if you’re moving away from the area. That being the case, you probably want to compile a wants, needs and wishes list for your new home. You may need to move fast when you get an offer so any amount of preparation you put in now will serve you well later. Keeping an eye on the market for homes that appeal to you is a good idea too. I know this is a tough one in the current market. You don’t want to start thinking to much about moving, just in case things take longer than anticipated. Here’s the thing: Homes sell in every market. In a sea of homes, you just need to make sure yours is the one buyers notice. That’s why listening to the market is more important than ever and believe it or not, your Realtor is your best friend right now, because he or she is the one who knows the market better than anyone.

Prepare your house for showing

Okay, so you’ve been listening to the market and you know that pricing your home in line with the market is your number one priority. Right away I’m going to add to that and tell you there’s more… Right up there with the price is the condition of the property. Your house needs to be in pristine condition before you put it on the market. This is one of those times where you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Under prepared homes can be sales disasters. Your home will never get as much attention from potential buyers as when it is first listed, so clearing clutter, cleaning, making repairs, and putting your home’s best foot forward is essential. You want to be noticed. Spruce your house up. Make it the shiny penny on the block – That will get you noticed!

You’re All Set – Time to list Your home

So your house is priced right, looks amazing and you’re all set to move. You’re about ready to list your home. You’ve gone to a lot of trouble to prepare your home for sale. All you need to do now is make sure your house gets the attention it deserves. As a tech-savvy agent who believes that the Internet has changed the way we do business, I believe the agent you choose to work with needs to be on top of their game. 90% of buyers are online looking for homes. You want to make sure your house pops up wherever they are looking. You also want to make sure your agent has lots of quality photos showing your home in it’s best light. Good photos and online exposure will go a long way to getting a good response for your listing. Once you’ve chosen the right agent to take care of that for you all that’s left is for you is to sit back and wait – you’ll soon be rewarded with a flow of potential buyers!