When Should You Start Preparing to Sell Your Home?

I want to talk to all the sellers today about when you should speak with an agent about selling your home.

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Today I want to talk to the sellers. This is because I want to discuss when the best time is to interview a Realtor or agent when getting ready to sell. The first thing you want to ask yourself is, when do you want to sell? If it is anytime between a year and now, you may want to contact an agent now. You can benefit greatly by speaking to an agent now because it can take some time to find the best fit, so start by interviewing all the agents you can. Typically anywhere from three to five interviews is ideal. To compare apples to apples, be sure to check out my video on the top 10 questions to ask any agent here. This can put you in a great position. Another reason you may want to start speaking with an agent now is that the agent should have a coming soon campaign. While you’re getting ready to sell and getting your home market-ready, your agent should be working behind the scenes to create a coming soon campaign to create excitement among potential buyers before your home even goes live. I have had many buyers come to me with offers before I even went live on the market with some of my sellers.

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You can get market updates as well as potentially forecast information from the agent to find out when the best time is to position yourself to go live.

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The next reason is education. You can get market updates as well as potentially forecast information from the agent to find out when the best time is to position yourself to go live. Speaking to an agent sooner rather than later also allows you to make a plan and figure out what steps you need to take before your home goes live on the market. This can help you sell at top market value. Finally, the No. 1 reason you should speak with an agent now is that it can save you money. You can find out what you need to do now and what you need to do to your house in the form of renovations and upgrades. We can help you decide where to spend your money so that your home is in the best position to get the highest and best value. I have seen sellers spend their money on a pool or painting their whole house purple instead of listening to their agent. If you are going to spend money, you should spend it where you are going to get the best return for your money. If you have any additional questions or are interested in buying or selling, please feel free to reach out to me. I would be happy to speak with you.

Debunking the Top 5 Real Estate Myths

The real estate market is filled with myths that change the way that people think of the industry. Today I am proving five of them wrong.

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A lot of what is said regarding the world of real estate is inaccurate, so today I'd like to debunk five myths about this industry. 1. "If it is on the internet, it has to be true." There are some incredible websites out there that share a lot of valuable information like Zillow, Redfin, and Trulia. However, you still have to do your due diligence. For example, Zillow has something called a Zestimate, which is an online valuation tool that the website itself warns you isn’t always 100% accurate. 2. "As a seller, price adjustments or reductions are bad." This is not always true. Sometimes when you do a price adjustment, you can make more money because you may not have been in the market’s sweet spot for your price range. Buyers may not even be visiting because you are overpriced. Adjusting will help your home sell and help make you money.

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The National Association of Realtors and other supporting resources have said that approximately 90% of for sale by owner, or FSBO, listings eventually end up listing with an agent.

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3. "All agents are equal." Every individual agent or team is truly different, and this is why it is in your best interest to interview several agents or teams before you make your choice. You can watch one of my previous videos about what 10 questions you should ask a potential agent here.

4. "I can make more money selling by myself rather than working with an agent." This is not always the case. The National Association of Realtors and other supporting resources have said that approximately 90% of for sale by owner, or FSBO, listings eventually end up being listed with an agent. Plus, with a FSBO listing, there are many different factors that need to be considered, including liability and the potential to misprice your home. Unfortunately, many owners have to find this out the hard way after wasting time and money. 5. "All agents market the home the same." You can discover the truth of this when you interview different agents by asking for an example of their marketing budget. If you end up with an agent who is not marketing your home and does not have a budget to market, you are losing valuable market share and market price. If you have any additional questions about the myths of the real estate market or would like to buy or sell your home, please feel free to contact me by phone or email. I hope to speak with you soon.

What You Should Consider If You Aren't Getting Any Offers

Have you heard nothing but crickets after you placed your home on the market? Today I am talking about how you can hear offers instead.

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You have screened and picked the Realtor who is right for you. You have done all of the legal paperwork for liability purposes. You have added curb appeal and spruced up the inside of your home to make it beautiful. You have done the very important "Coming Soon" campaign, which can lead to homes being under contract before going live. And, you have officially gone live. And—nothing. No offers. No contracts. What do you do? Sitting on the market is one of the most frustrating things when you're selling your house. Well, the National Association of Realtors, the base which does all the research and data to track information, says that if you are on the market for 14 to 30 days and you have no offers even after showings, you may be at the wrong price. You may need to consider a reduction.

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The market depicts the price, not your agent.

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You should talk to your Realtor immediately and see if the home looks the best. You should also be considering the marketing schemes which your agent is doing to sell your home. Finally, you should consider a price adjustment. The market depicts the price, not your agent, your neighbor, or you. If you get your house priced right to entice buyers, you put yourself in a great position to receive the highest and best price. If you have any further questions about getting your home ready for sale or about real estate in general, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to speaking with you about your real estate needs.