Listing homes for sale in Okemos involves a lot of procedures, some of which are out of your control. The factors that influence your home sale timeline include the time of the year, market conditions, and the type and condition of your property. If you are getting ready to sell your home, this guide provides tips to assist you in the marketing and closing of your property.
Find the right agent
The first step in selling your home or property is to hire a real estate agent with in-depth knowledge and experience of the local market trends. A real estate agent handles most of the selling process, from overseeing professional photographers to scheduling and hosting showings on your behalf, receiving and negotiating offers and helping to get to the closing table. They also help to market your property through various techniques and do comparative research on homes in your area to set a realistic price. It is essential to check the agent's sales record to determine their performance.
Consider the timing
Timing is a huge factor when it comes to selling your home. It is crucial to do some digging on the best time to list your house and when buyers tend to be most motivated. As Carin always notes, however, the best time to sell is “when you are ready.”
Be prepared
Being prepared involves several things. First, you need to understand and be able to explain why you are selling your home. This is a crucial factor in developing an effective marketing strategy. Getting prepared may also involve the following:
- Obtain a pre-appraisal: It may also be beneficial to obtain an appraisal for your home before placing it on the market. Although a pre-appraisal is not required, realtors often recommend it, especially where there is a limited number of a home sold within the last three months. An appraisal may help to ensure your home is not under or overpriced and could help you in the negotiation process if the offer is low.
- Consider pre-inspection: Although it is optional, a home inspection is highly recommended. It can assist in selling your home in it’s best, prepared condition and gets you several steps ahead of the buyer. No home is perfect, and a home inspection helps uncover significant repairs that could impact the desire of buyers to purchase the property. Doing a home inspection helps you do repairs in advance and have control over how things get fixed, how much to spend, and negotiate better offers.
- Gather your documents: Your agent will likely ask for your documents, including heating, electrical, utility, and tax bills.
Boost your curb appeal
If you are looking to attract the right buyer soon, making an excellent first impression is crucial. Ideally, the first thing a potential buyer sees is your home's exterior and how it marries into the surrounding neighborhood. It is important, therefore, to give a lot of attention to the exteriors and their surroundings to boost your home's curb appeal. Consider minor repairs and maintenance of the outside areas, such as fixing broken windows, washing garage doors, and doing some touch-up painting. If your timeline allows, plant flowers or put some much to give your yard a fresh, inviting landscaped feel.
Light it up
Excellent light is the other thing most buyers cite they want in a home. It is crucial, therefore, to maximize the light in your home to attract more buyers. Lighting up your home involves several things, including increasing the wattage of the bulbs, taking down the drapes, cleaning the windows, and changing the lampshades – a white glow will show much better than a yellow-tone. You should also consider clearing bushes outside to let in more sunshine.
Price your home
One of the first things buyers notice about your home is the price. Even the best prepared properties struggle to sell if not priced properly. Some of the things to help you determine the right price include:
- The recent sales in your neighborhood and street
- Recent sales of similar homes in your neighborhood
- Other homes on the market currently
- The size, condition, and finishes of your property
Prep the house
Once you determine the price, start prepping the home. TCWP has a styling guide and will assist with this process. Do the following to enable the buyer to picture their own style and taste while browsing:
- Remove large pieces of furniture and leave just a few smaller ones to help showcase the purpose of the room
- Neatly arrange all items and organize your closets and cabinets.
- Patch and paint cracks and holes in the wall and fix any leaks
- Do minor repairs here and there and replace burned-out light bulbs
- Do thorough interior cleanings such as dusting away cobwebs and vacuuming
- Improve curb appeal and pressure wash sidewalks and house exteriors. You should also mow the lawns, rake leaves, trim bushes, and mulch flower beds in warmer weather and keep driveways and sidewalks clear of snow and salted in colder months.
Come up with a marketing strategy
A good marketing strategy for your property should encompass both traditional and digital marketing tactics. Some of the tips to consider include:
- Photography/videography/Matterport: Leverage the power of professional photography to get your home noticed.
- Put up sale signs: Put up sale signs in strategic locations where target buyers could see them while passing by.
- Do open houses: Open houses translate to more eyes on your home in a short duration of time. Prior to the open house, TCWP will put a rider on your for sale sign with the time of the open house.
- Consider online marketing: Studies show that 92% of buyers begin their searches on the internet. Incorporating online marketing techniques is crucial. Use as many best home buyer sites as possible to increase visibility.
- Email/social media marketing: Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and email are crucial parts of marketing in real estate today.
Determine the showing time
Sooner or later, potential buyers will start making appointments to see your home. It is essential to be flexible with showing times while setting them at ideal times.
Offer incentives
One of the fastest ways to make your home more attractive is to sweeten the deal with appropriate financial incentives. Buyers generally love financial incentives.
- Agreeing to assistance with buyer closing costs
- Offering a transferable home warranty
- Agreeing to move out/move-in schedules that the buyer prefers
- Accommodating all inspections
Have a 3D tour done
Apart from professional photos, a 3D tour of your home has become a standard for properties on the market. A 3D tour is ideal for attracting buyers who cannot physically visit the property. Many people are now making sight-unseen purchases, and video tours combined with virtual offerings by your agent make buyers feel they know everything about your property without visiting it.
Review and negotiate offers
After the home is listed be prepared to utilize your agent’s expertise when responding to offers; this is where experience matters. Review each aspect of the offer to make informed decisions. Use the following checklist to review multiple offers:
- Form of payment
- Type of financing
- Proposed closing date
- Down payment amount
- Contingencies
- Close date
- Occupancy date
- Pre approval
- And, of course – price!
Gather the necessary paperwork to close
There are myriads of documents needed to sell a house. To help things move faster, have the seller organize all the documents in one place. Some of the primary documents needed for smooth closing include:
- Homeowners’ insurance
- Home's original purchase contract
- Property survey
- Mortgage documents
- Tax records
- Appraisal documents
- Trust documents
Understand the closing process
Once you finalize with a buyer on your home, you must ensure you have completed everything you are responsible for doing. As the closing process approaches, keep your seller disclosures, purchase contract, closing statement, and any other documents crucial to the process. It is also important to inform utility companies of the move. You should also cancel or transfer your home insurance to your new home at the time you move out.
If you need help selling your home, contact Carin Whybrew and The Carin Whybrew Project (TCWP) today. Carin Whybrew has been in the business for 31 years. Carin and her team will conduct extensive market analysis research for your home sale. They also provide professional opinions on the list price, marketing tips, and other factors that could help you sell your home quickly, at the best price possible. Contact TCWP today to learn more.