Selling your home is an emotionally charged endeavor that can rob you of your rest and peace of mind. You might be upsizing or relocating and the move is exciting, or you might be downsizing or having to leave your home due to financial reasons. Whether it is a happy or sad move, what you don't need at this stage of your life, is an unpredictable and unstable ride through real estate hell. Wise sellers value facts about their homes market value, its condition and just how presentable it is. Trustworthy agents assume their clients prefer fact to fiction.
Trustworthy agents take care when creating a competitive market analysis (CMA) to arrive at a home value that is as accurate as possible, in the market that the home resides, not necessarily the value that the client (or the agent) wants to hear. The phrase "buy a listing" describes an age-old practice where an agent might massage the CMA tool to generate a higher, more desirable value than the market would actually support, or agree to list a home well over market value, knowing that they can always revisit the seller later for a price reduction. Trustworthy agents NEVER BUY A LISTING because they know that your time is valuable. Time is the one thing in life, that everyone has in common, 24 hours or 1,440 minutes in a day, no more and no less. And nothing that is said or done will change that. If time is such a high demand commodity, why waste weeks or months trying to sell a home that is priced poorly. When market data is sufficient to properly value your home - you will get that value, not one that is contrived. When there is not sufficient market data, your Trustworthy Agent will encourage you to obtain an appraisal. Want a quick estimate of what your home is worth? Check out our Instant Home Value tool!
Many real estate agents dread the day that they will sell their own home. There are neglected maintenance items and sometimes home improvement projects that went less than ideal. You probably know the feeling. Now imagine, you are meeting with a stranger, and have to grade the condition of their home, and inform them of what needs to be done to sell the home at the best price, within the needed timeline. Trustworthy agents know how to have this conversation. They assume you want the truth, what it will really take to sell the home at the best price. They will help you decide what you can do on your own, and for the things beyond your control, will help you find resources to get things done. Depending on the age and condition of the home, they might advise you to get a pre-listing home inspection. You will have to deal with one anyway, might as well be proactive about it, and address things that will rob you of your peace later. Finally, sometimes, there just aren't funds, time or skill to get everything done. When this happens, your Trustworthy Agent will help you understand how the condition of your home will relate to pricing and time to sell, so that you, their "Client" can make an informed decision.
The hard truth is a well-presented home will sell faster, and at a higher price than one that is not. Too many sellers prepare their home to showcase how they live not as the neutral canvas necessary for the buyer to imagine their tastes and furnishings. Your Trustworthy agent will carefully walk through your home, helping you de-clutter, depersonalize, and turn your home into that neutral canvas. They realize that getting the offer a month earlier, at a higher sales price, is a strong return for a weekend of sweat and a bucket of paint. Because your agent also services buyers, they know how much furniture is needed to help a buyer visualize the space, and how too much furniture makes the room seem small.
Contact your Trustworthy agent today. Start this chapter in your life informed, and base your decisions on facts, not fiction. Contact Us