COSTLY MISTAKES WHEN SELLING A HOME

There are several common mistakes that sellers make when they are attempting to sell a home. These mistakes can cost thousands of dollars or even cause a home not to sell at all.  There are ways to avoid these mistakes so you can achieve the goals that caused you to want to sell in the first place.

Ignoring Pricing, Condition & Marketing

Selling a home requires the ideal formula of the correct price, appropriate condition for the area and innovative marketing. If one of the three factors is off, it impacts what you are able to sell the home for and might even cause it not to sell at ell. The two factors that most sellers are most likely to miss are pricing and marketing.  Sellers need to understand what their agent is going to do beyond the common 3 P's - Place a sign, place it in MLS and pray.  Now there is nothing against praying however it is not a marketing strategy. Today's buyer demands more innovative marketing since the buyer might be local, somewhere nationally or even international. A detailed plan should be presented and a commitment to performing that plan, or you have the right to cancel.  Pricing is the owner's responsibility and a list price should never be the reason to pick an agent.

Falling For Scams

We hear from sellers that have been told I have a buyer to get a long term listing contract signed that can't be broken. No buyer or showing happens and now they are stuck. If we have an specific buyer, a one time listing agreement works. The other thing to consider is that when you only show it to one buyer, you limit the possibility of selling for top dollar since other buyers aren't able to make an offer.

The best way to make sure you sell the home for the top market value is to hire a marketing/negotiation expert and expose it to the entire market. When you list, you are hiring a marketing and negotiating firm so make sure that the person you hire has a proven track record and a specific plan to attract all buyers. 

Not Looking At the Agent's Zillow Profile

Zillow is one of the first places where buyers start their search for a new home. When they see a home they like, they look at the listing agent to see if they want to call that person or another agent. So, what are they looking for? They are looking for proof that the agent is experienced. Reviews are critical. An agent with a few or no reviews is going to lose control of your buyer. No reviews or sales, then keep looking for your listing agent. Another agent might have a competing listing and show that instead. Additionally, your agent should always be the only agent listed beside your home. So before you list, always look at the agent's Zillow profile. Here is Treu Group Real Estate's Zillow Profile.

Selling a home can be easy and we'd love to show you our comprehensive plan that will allow you to avoid these mistakes.