Selling in the Spring Market

If your considering SELLING in the SPRING MARKET – wonderful!  Warmer temperatures, longer days, flowers peeping from the garden and NO MORE SNOW!!   SPRING is a great time to LIST  your home!

As a REALTOR, putting a home on the market involves many things:

           > Doing a CMA – COMPARATIVE MARKETING ANALYSIS – Here we view  your home to compare it to similar homes that are currently on the market, pending a closing and most importantly, those that have sold in the past few months.

           > Upon receiving the LISTING,  forms are signed and agreements are made – listing time length, commission amount, number of Public Open Houses to expect, marketing material and other items which should also have been discussed during the CMA.

           > And before taking photos and video for the virtual tour – Going over how to show your homes best potential by DECLUTTERING, CLEANING, and ORGANIZING. 

Bring out that handy tool box.  A screwdriver, glue and touch-up paint goes a long way.  Don’t give a potential buyer many “To Do” things.  Walk around your home and try looking at it through a buyers eyes.  Take your own photos and see what needs to be changed or packed away.  Also, invite a friend or family member who doesn’t live in your home to “pretend” he’s a buyer.  Just remember not to get upset when they tell you to pack away your 152 collection of Unicorns – maybe leaving out 3 of your favorite will make it easier.

      A helpful way is to remember to appeal to all 5 senses:  

SIGHT- organized, clean, decluttered, bright, and a neutral color palate with touches of color here and there by using flowers, candles and throw pillows. 

SMELL – Use candles cautiously, bake cookies – which also helps with TASTE - who’s mouth wouldn’t water while smelling freshly baked chocolate chip cookies?   And better yet – leave out a few!   You can also use Plug-ins or dab light bulbs with vanilla, anything that smells good.  But please remember, if you haven’t cleaned the kitty litter or thrown out the smelly garbage – none of this will really help.

HEARING - Soft music playing in the background will help buyers feel relaxed.  But watch your choice of music and don’t have it on too loud. 

TOUCH- have counter tops, door knobs and handles clean.  No one likes to have sticky fingers when they go to open a cabinet – and yes, they will open them along with closets. 

            > Once an agent has a listing – the fun begins!  Many PHOTOS  are taken along with a Virtual Tour VIDEO.  In my office, we use a professional company and I also take numerous photos for my Blog and many other sites that I advertise my listings on.  Most people will first view a home on-line or through a still photo in a Real Estate flyer or brochure – so GOOD photos are important!

Then, the SHOWINGS begin!  – along with a REALTOR OPEN HOUSE and PUBLIC OPEN HOUSES.  Hopefully, you’ll have enough notice before a showing to spruce up  – but if you don’t, there’s nothing wrong with shoving your teenagers dirty laundry under his bed.  It’s better than having it piled on the floor and viewed by a potential buyer.

GOOD LUCK!

WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?                          

April 9, 2008 Posted by dianasantos | Home, Sellers | Hear, Listing, Open House, Sellers, Sellin Your Home, Sight, Smell, Spring, Taste, Touch | Leave a Comment