Location..Location..Condition..and Price… That is what we have all heard regarding obtaining the quickest sale for your property. I agree that Location, Condition and Pricing the property “right” out of the gate are highly important. There are a few other things you, as a seller, should ask prior to listing your property.
After your property is listed, Where will your property be marketed? How will your property be marketed? Quality of marketing materials?
What is being said about your particular property on the internet? Who writes the copy and will you be given the opportunity to review it prior?
Will your agent use a professional photographer or take the pictures themselves? How do the pictures portray your property? If the pics are too dark, most buyers surfing for a home on the internet will pass right by. Will the agent be present to offer suggestions while the photos are being taken? With the internet being a 24 hour, seven day a week open house, the quality of the pictures are highly important.
Does your property need to be staged prior to the pictures/video being taken? I am not suggesting paying for professional staging, quite often an experienced agent can look at each room and ask you to make changes prior to the photography. If the property is vacant, you may want to ‘soft stage” the property.
Prior to listing, do we need to make any changes to the property to make it more relevant to today’s buyer? Most often an experienced agent is up-to-date on the latest and greatest hot buttons for today’s buyers. What would be the potential for return on our investment post changes vs prior to?
Although there are no set commissions, and commission structures vary from brokerage to brokerage, ask your listing agent the percentage of commission that the listing agent will offer to the buyer’s agent in the MLS system. Will the commission, you as the seller, agree to pay in your listing agreement be split 50/50 or will the listing agent keep 60% and offer 40% to the buyer’s agent? Your property can be placed at a disadvantage without you realizing it.
Are the competing properties on the market offering incentives to the buyers, or to the agents, if so, what are they offering?
Prior to pricing your property ask for the statistics. What is the average price per sq.ft on sales in the past year? What is the average Days on Market for those in your area that have sold in the past year?
If you ask these questions, you will be a well-informed seller and your property will be positioned to sell.
If you have any questions regarding listing your property, please do not hesitate to contact me.
850-660-1962 Office or 678-923-5152 Cell
Email: lisa@liveandplayon30a.com