It is rare in today’s market for a buyer and seller to meet at any point during the selling process. We leave the marketing and selling in the trusted hands of our realtors and they make the magic happen.
Even when you have the utmost faith in your realtor you sometimes you need a bit more motivation to make your home appealing to potential buyers. If you could only have the chance to hear what potential buyers have to say about your home, you could make it more desirable.
The good news is—your realtor does hear what buyers are saying and can pass this along to you! Below are a list of tips created by the most common comments and suggestions potential buyers want sellers to know:
Tip #1 Look At Your Online Listing
You selected a realtor, you know that pictures will be placed online for marketing, but do you ever look to see how they turned out? You would be surprised by how many buyers won’t even view a house unless they like the online pictures. Since you know your home better than anyone take a look at your listing once it is online and give feedback and suggestions on the pictures. Consider things such as:
• Does it represent you house well?
• Was their poor lighting that day?
• Were there any messy areas that are in the background of the photos?
• Are there enough photos to make a good impression?
• Would you want to buy your house if you saw the listing and photos?
Give your realtor input if you think there is improvement in the picture arena.
Tip #2 If Someone Is Overly Critical, They’re Interested
While you typically aren’t home when your house is being presented to potential buyers, sometimes a buyers comments get back to you. Like the couple who criticized your flower beds, your paint color, and your carpeting. You’re human and it’s your home they are talking about so it can be upsetting to hear—but if they weren’t criticizing they don’t care. If they don’t care they won’t buy. More often than not the overly critical potential buyer becomes your actual buyer. Their criticism comes from their vision of making your home their home.
If criticism gets back to you from the neighbor that overheard, let it go because that just might be your buyer!
Tip #3 One and Only
Shopping for a house is not like shopping for a new blouse or tie—if you find two when you went to the store you can buy both right? However this is not the case when shopping for homes. When someone is looking for a home, they only need to find one they like, one that is the best fit.
Keep this top of mind when you are prepping your home or maintaining any home you plan to sell in the future. If you don’t keep up with the little details, a buyer may find a similar home in the same price point that has that little something extra—enough to chose a similar home over yours.
Tip #4 Not Everyone Wants To Negotiate
As sellers one of your strategies might be to overprice your home so that you have room to negotiate down to what you are willing to sell for. This strategy may work in your market, but it may be a deterrent in your market too. Make sure to discuss this with your realtor to decide the best plan of action when pricing your home.
You have to remember that your buyers search online by price ranges. If you are too overpriced from what you are willing to sell for, your home may not even show up in search results. The other deterrent is that some buyers really don’t like to negotiate. If you are extremely overpriced, many buyers won’t even waste the time to look at your home because it is too far out of their price range.
Bottom line—leaving wiggle room is good, but too much can detract buyers.
Tip #5 Staging Is The New Standard
Magazines, reality TV, and home improvement shows have created exceptionally high expectations when it comes to staging a home. Staging is now a must and is far more than just cleaning and picking up around the house.
When staging, think of your home like the page of a magazine instead of a living space. Many buyers are hiring professional stagers that will guide you to make the necessary changes—new paint, new carpet, décor, furniture, and minimalize everything.
If hiring a pro is not in your budget read up on staging and take a critical eye to your home. Don’t think of your home as “your” home when staging. Think of it as the advertisement that is clean, crisp, declutter, and modern.
To increase your odds of a faster sale listen to these tips from buyers.