New Year's Resolutions Every Home Seller Should Add to Their List

New Year's Resolutions Every Home Seller Should Add to Their List

By Keith Loria

Now that the new year has arrived, sellers are
back in full force, pulling out all the stops in order to get their home sold.
Whether you’re listing your home for the first time or finally ready to get that
“For Sale” sign out of your front yard, add the following New Year’s resolutions
to your list.

1. Set Reasonable Expectations: Although
the housing market is showing signs of being better in 2013, we’re still nowhere
near the levels of the last housing boom. Therefore, you need to be practical
when setting a price and listening to offers. Too many sellers still expect to
put their house on the market and have people fight over it within weeks, when
the reality is bidding wars just aren’t that commonplace these days.


2. Don’t be Discouraged - React: If your house has been
sitting on the market for a long period of time, or no one is coming to see it,
don’t give up. Be proactive. Do something to change up the listing—add some new
photos, incorporate video, or hire a professional writer to add panache to the
descriptions that are being used to market your home. In addition, talk with
your agent about why he or she thinks your home isn’t selling and fix anything
that’s reasonable.

3. Communicate with Your Agent:
There’s a reason you hired an agent to sell your home, so be sure to
take full advantage of their expertise. Ask them for their advice as well as
tips regarding the best way to sell your home. If there’s a problem with any
part of the process, don’t just bite your tongue; talk to your agent and iron
out any issues.

4. Don’t be Stubborn: Oftentimes,
sellers will set a price that they expect to get for their home and absolutely
refuse to budge, no matter what. While you have every right to set the price you
want, if you list a $400,000 home and someone comes in with an offer of
$370,000, don’t just write them off. Take some time to research whether their
offer is more in line with what houses are selling for and listen to their
reasons (if the agent provided them) for the lower price. When it comes down to
price, there’s nothing wrong with negotiating a figure that will work for both
parties.

5. Leave the House: When sellers have their
house on the market for a long period of time, eventually they may give up on
the notion that they have to leave the house during a showing. However, it’s
important to get out of the house no matter how long it’s been on the market.
Being present for a showing not only makes it harder for the real estate agent
to do his/her job, it can also lead to an uncomfortable situation for those
viewing the home.

For more information about selling your home in the new year, contact Paul Miller at 847-909-6029.