What to Do When Your Home Is Just Sitting on the Market

If your home is sitting on the market without any offers, there are three steps you can take to make sure it’s properly positioned in the market.

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What should you do if your home has been on the market but you haven’t gotten an offer yet? That’s why there are a few firewalls we install when working with our sellers so that they can sell quickly and for top market value.

If your property is just sitting on the market, luckily, there are a few steps you can take to sell your home.

1. Check your listing. Make sure your home is properly labeled and categorized on the MLS and in all of its marketing materials. I’ve had sellers come to me unable to sell only to find that their four-acre property was listed at 0.04 acres, so people looking for acreages didn’t even know their home was available. So, make sure that your home data is correct.

2. Make sure your home is strategically marketed. If you’re selling on your own, make sure you’re marketing more. Otherwise, go to your agent and see exactly how much exposure your home is getting on the market. If your agent is marketing your home correctly, they will be able to support that data by pulling in supporting information.

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Make sure that your listing data is accurate.

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3. Conduct a comparative market analysis. There’s no better way to find out what the market is doing than by doing a market analysis. Look at what homes are comparable to yours. Find out what’s going contingent or under contract. Most importantly, look at what homes are being closed on in your area that are very comparable to yours.

Now, the National Association of Realtors has said that if your home is active on the market and (no matter which comes first) has had 10 showings or gone 14 days with no offers, then there’s something wrong with the listing.

If you go through the three steps I mentioned above and you don’t have any offers, you may need to go through a price reduction to get to your accurate market price.

You can never predict what your home will sell for, but these steps will properly position your home in the market. If necessary, a price adjustment will help your home move.

If you have any other questions about selling in our current market, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

3 Ways to Impress Prospective Homebuyers

Want to help your home stand out from the crowd? Start with these three tips.

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If you are considering selling your home or you’re in the process of doing so, there are certain things you can do to help make your home more appealing to homebuyers out there. Here are the top three things that homebuyers are looking for when buying a home: 1. Curb appeal. When a buyer views your home online or in person, the first thing they will see is its curb appeal, or how it looks from the outside. Pay special attention to the paint, the shutters, shrubbery, and sidewalks. Make sure your home looks as good as it possibly can from the outside so you make a great first impression. 2. Show off your space. A majority of buyers move because they need more space, so try to clear out as much as you can from your home before listing so you can maximize your space. Don’t keep things cluttered with personal items, photographs, and trinkets.

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Buyers love updated homes.

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3. Updates. Buyers love updated homes. There are plenty of simple things you can do in the kitchen and the bathroom to impress them. Update as much as you can within your budget before your home goes “live” on the market. These are just three quick things you can do as a seller to not only speed up your sale, but maximize its price as well. If you’re in the Triangle area or you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you.

Things to Ask When You're Interviewing Agents

How do you know that the agents you’re interviewing have the experience and expertise to sell your home quickly and for top dollar? I’ve compiled a list of questions to ask that will help you make the best decision.

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When looking to sell your home, the first step is finding an agent that will do the job well. I’ve compiled a list of questions you should remember to ask when interviewing agents so that you can make a better decision about who to go with: 1. How much experience do they have? You cannot replace experience—you can only gain it. Make sure you ask them how much experience they have in the business. 2. How many homes have they sold this year? How many homes have they sold in their entire career? This goes a long way to determining how successful they will be in selling your own home. 3. What is their list-to-sales ratio? You’re looking for a ratio that is very close. For example, you want to see a sales history where homes list at $1 million but sell for $999,000. The more of a distance between the list price and the sales price, the worse the ratio. 4. What is their average days on market? How long does it take to sell? The quicker the home sells, the better.

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You cannot replace experience—you can only gain it.

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5. Do they work with a team or individually? In this market, agents who work with teams are often the better choice because of the level of specialization among their members. Be sure to ask, “Do you have a team; if so, may we see it?” 6. Do they have any reviews? Look online for reviews and check out how they are positioned in the market. Are they ranked in your area? If not, why aren’t they? 7. What are their marketing strategies? Marketing is the key word. You don’t want an agent who does the “Three P’s:” put the sign in the yard, put it on the MLS, and pray. That is not a good marketing strategy and won’t get you top dollar for your home. 8. What are their marketing plan and budget? You can’t market to home if you don’t have the money to market it. Make sure that any agents you’re interviewing can share their strategy and budget for marketing your home. If you have any questions regarding this or any other real estate topic, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d be happy to help!